Greenhouse gas emission potential of tropical coastal sediments in densely urbanized area inferred from metabarcoding microbial community data

• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174341
• Publication Date: 2024-07-01T06:08:13Z
• Authors: Vanessa Almeida M...; Cristiana Cravo-L...; Angelo Cezar Borg...; Alice Baldy; Edison Dausacker ...; Elisamara Sabadin...; Robert Duran

Although benthic microbial community offers crucial insights into ecosystem services, they are underestimated for coastal sediment monitoring. Sepetiba Bay (SB) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, holds long-term metal pollution. Currently, SB pollution is majorly driven by domestic effluents discharge. Here, functional prediction analysis inferred from 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding data reveals the energy metabolism profiles of assemblages along gradient. Methanogenesis, denitrification, and N2 fixation emerge as dominant pathways eutrophic/polluted internal sector (Spearman; p < 0.05). These metabolisms act natural attenuation sedimentary pollutants. The methane (CH4) emission (mcr genes) potential was found more abundant sector, while external exhibited higher CH4 consumption (pmo + mmo potential. Methanofastidiosales Exiguobacterium, possibly involved associated with consumers respectively, main taxa detected SB. Furthermore, exhibits nitrous oxide (N2O) since norB/C proportions surpass nosZ up to 4 times. Blastopirellula identified responsible N2O emissions. This study fundamental contributions prokaryotic functions greenhouse gas emissions, unveiling their possible use sentinels