Unraveling the role of bacterial communities in mangrove habitats under the urban influence, using a next-generation sequencing approach

Comparative metagenomic analysis of bacterial communities and functional profiles in urban-influenced blue carbon ecosystems

“…The significant presence of class Clostridia in the studied mangrove ecosystem indicates faecal contamination. This was well by a prior study by Ghose et al, 2024. Overall, the dominance of phylum Firmicutes with class Clostridia and Bacilli as major contributors in the mangrove ecosystem, highly contrasted from the seaweed ecosystem, where Firmicutes were not reported amongst the major phylum. This indicates that rising pollution is having a greater impact on the mangrove ecosystem than the seaweed ecosystem.…”

“…The lower representation of Cellular Processes and Organismal Systems pathways compared to the seaweed microbiome might reflect a different ecological strategy adopted by the mangrove microbiome, focusing more on metabolic activities than on cellular or organismal interactions (Lin et al, 2019). The notably higher presence of Human Disease pathways within the mangrove microbiome than in the seaweed microbiome showed potential pathogenic interactions within the mangrove ecosystem (Liu et al, 2019), this showcases that increased anthropogenic activities, urbanization and improper waste management practices are some of the leading sources of significant contamination of the mangrove environment (Sharma et al, 2022;Ghose et al, 2024).…”

“…Earlier studies have underscored a worrying trend, the rapid rise in urban development has resulted in a considerable discharge, with an estimated 7,000 cubic meters of pollutants entering these estuarine regions every day (Nanajkar and Ingole, 2010;Toraskar et al 2022). Once considered undisturbed and pristine, mangrove ecosystems along these estuarine environments are now facing potential risks from escalating levels of pollution (Toraskar et al 2022Ghose et al 2024). However, there is no such report on the current condition of the blue carbon ecosystems along this region, under the surge in coastal development and pollution.…”

“…The mangrove ecosystem, situated at the land-sea interface, naturally experiences a combination of marine and freshwater influences, leading to more variable physicochemical conditions such as salinity, tidal variations and accumulation of detritus, favouring rich and complex microbial diversity (Dinesh et al, 2016). This ecosystem is inherently more exposed to terrestrial runoff, which can introduce a range of pollutants and pathogenic bacteria (Wang & Gu, 2021;Ghose et al 2024). The observed high levels of TC and FC in the mangrove ecosystem (Table 1), are indicative of significant contamination, likely from urban runoff, agricultural discharges, and possibly inadequate waste management practices (Mitra & Zaman, 2016;Sharma et al, 2022).…”

“…These microbes play a vital role in the mangroves' ability to sequester carbon. However, they are sensitive to environmental changes, making mangroves vulnerable to pollution (Ghose et al 2024), deforestation, and climate change impacts such as rising sea levels and increased storm frequency (Alongi, 2018;Palit et al, 2022).…”