ISME Communications · 3 authors, 1 centre
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This study used 18S rDNA sequencing to characterize protist communities in Bay of Fundy mudflat sediments across sites, seasons, and depths. It identified a core eukaryotic microbiome dominated by Cercozoa, Vampyrellida, and Apicomplexa, which contributed most to community variations.
Researchers inventoried protist (microbial eukaryote) diversity and quantified spatio-seasonal community dynamics in intertidal mudflat sediments from the hypertidal Bay of Fundy, Canada. Using 18S rDNA (V4 region) amplicon sequencing, they recovered 562,941 reads and identified 2118 ASVs. Average richness did not vary significantly among sites, seasons, or depths, except being lower in early fall at one site. The top 28 most abundant ASVs accounted for the majority of reads and were more prevalent than the overall ASV pool. The core microbiome was consistently dominant and comprised taxa such as Cercozoa, Vampyrellida, Apicomplexa, Bacillariophyta, Ciliophora, and Dinophyceae. Limitations include the focus on DNA-based surveys, which cannot determine the activity state of detected organisms. The study provides a foundational inventory for this understudied ecosystem, highlighting the need for future research on community assembly processes, benthic-pelagic coupling, and functional roles.
