Microbial Diversity and Community Dynamics in Mangrove Ecosystems

Mangrove ecosystems host extraordinarily diverse microbial communities that underpin essential biogeochemical processes and support the broader health of coastal environments. These microorganisms, encompassing bacteria, archaea and fungi, occupy distinct niches within sediments, rhizospheres and root endospheres, and exhibit stratified distributions influenced by factors such as redox potential, nutrient availability and plant–microbe interactions. In surface sediments, aerobic and sulphur-oxidising bacteria dominate, while deeper anoxic layers are enriched in methanogens, sulphate-reducing bacteria and anaerobic methane oxidisers. Within root systems, the rhizosphere and endosphere harbour specialised consortia, with roots selecting taxa involved in nutrient acquisition and stress tolerance. Community assembly results from a balance of deterministic drivers—such as soil chemistry, salinity and host exudates—and stochastic processes, including dispersal and historical contingencies. Globally, microbial activities in mangroves contribute substantially to carbon sequestration, nitrogen fixation and sulphur cycling, with implications for greenhouse-gas fluxes and ecosystem resilience under climate change. Ongoing research has revealed intricate microbial interactions, keystone taxa and the capacity of mangrove microbiomes to respond to environmental perturbations, including pollution and habitat succession, highlighting their potential for restoration and biotechnological applications.

Research from Nature Portfolio

• A comprehensive assessment of microbial community structure in subtropical coastal wetland sediments demonstrated distinct spatial and seasonal patterns among bacteria, archaea and fungi. Co-occurrence network analysis identified keystone taxa and revealed temperature and interkingdom interactions as key drivers of community dynamics across mangrove and adjacent mudflat habitats.

• A comparative metagenomic survey of mangrove sediments from multiple continents uncovered a globally conserved resistome, with heavy-metal and antibiotic resistance genes ubiquitously present. This work highlighted the interplay between natural and anthropogenic factors in shaping functional gene repertoires across diverse mangrove regions.

• An analysis of sediment microbial succession along a chronosequence in South China showed progressive enrichment of total microbial biomass and diversity during mangrove forest development. Phospholipid fatty acid profiling linked changes in microbial groups to above-ground vegetation characteristics and sediment organic matter, emphasising the close coupling between plant succession and microbial community assembly.

Microbial Diversity and Community Dynamics in Mangrove Ecosystems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in microbial diversity and community dynamics in mangrove ecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Metagenomics: Culture-independent sequencing of DNA directly extracted from environmental samples to profile microbial community composition and functional potential.

Diazotroph: Microorganism capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into bioavailable ammonia through nitrogen fixation.

Syntrophy: Metabolic cooperation between microbial species in which the by-products of one organism serve as substrates for another.

Co-occurrence network analysis: Statistical method for inferring potential ecological interactions among taxa based on their co-presence or abundance patterns.

Resistome: Collection of all antibiotic and heavy-metal resistance genes present within a microbial community.

Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis: Technique for quantifying microbial biomass and community structure by profiling cell membrane fatty acids.

Rhizosphere: Narrow zone of soil influenced by root exudates and inhabited by specialised microbial communities.

References

1. Community Structure, Dynamics and Interactions of Bacteria, Archaea and Fungi in Subtropical Coastal Wetland Sediments. Scientific Reports (2018).
2. Comparative mangrove metagenome reveals global prevalence of heavy metals and antibiotic resistome across different ecosystems. Scientific Reports (2018).
3. Mangrove succession enriches the sediment microbial community in South China. Scientific Reports (2016).
4. Vertically stratified methane, nitrogen and sulphur cycling and coupling mechanisms in mangrove sediment microbiomes. Microbiome (2023).
5. Chemolithoautotrophic diazotrophs dominate dark nitrogen fixation in mangrove sediments. The ISME Journal: Multidisciplinary Journal of Microbial Ecology (2024).
6. The core mangrove microbiome reveals shared taxa potentially involved in nutrient cycling and promoting host survival. Environmental Microbiome (2023).