Contrasting diversity patterns between microeukaryotic and prokaryotic communities in cold-seep sediments.

ABSTRACT: Cold seeps are hotspots of biodiversity. However, the quantification of the microbial diversity, particularly that of microeukaryotes, remains scarce and little is known about the active groups. In this study we investigated the diversity and activity of prokaryotes and microeukaryotes in the Haima cold seep sediments in the northern South China Sea using both DNA (whole community) and RNA (active community) signatures. We found that, in general, prokaryotes had lower diversity in the seep sediment than in non-seep regions while microeukaryotes showed the opposite pattern. This finding could be explained by the dominance of homogeneous selection in the prokaryotic community while microeukaryotic communities were less affected by environmental selection, harboring high richness of abundant

SUBMITTER: Xu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11879339 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature