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Bivalve gut microbiome responses to sediment characteristics and anthropogenic activities in Cerastoderma edule (Linnaeus, 1758)
* 1, 2 , 2, 3 , 4 , 5, 6 , 7 , 7 , 6, 7 , 2, 4
1  MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ARNET - Aquatic Research Network Associate Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, Caparica, Portugal
2  IPMA – Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere, I.P., Av. Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1495-165 Algés, Portugal.
3  CIIMAR/CIMAR-LA, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
4  MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ARNET - Aquatic Research Network Associate Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, Caparica, Portugal.
5  MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre / ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Universidade de Évora, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Apartado 94, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal
6  HERCULES Laboratory, University of Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal.
7  BIOGEOCOM research group, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IRNAS-CSIC), Av. Reina Mercedes 10, 41012 Seville, Spain.
Academic Editor: Juan Soria

Abstract:

Estuaries are highly dynamic ecosystems that are influenced by fluctuating environmental conditions and sediment-associated contamination. These factors can significantly affect microbiomes associated with their hosts. In this study, we investigated the gut microbiome of the bivalve Cerastoderma edule by integrating bacteria (16S rRNA) and fungal (ITS) diversity data with sediment physicochemical parameters across three estuarine sites subjected to varying degrees of anthropogenic pressure. Sampling was conducted in the Sado Estuary (Portugal), a warm-temperate, mesotidal system. The selected areas, Tróia (TR), Gâmbia (GAM), and Navigator (NAV), represent contrasting environmental settings, from low-contaminated (TR) to more impacted zones influenced by industrial and aquaculture activities (GAM and NAV). Microbial diversity and composition were assessed on a seasonal basis using next-generation sequencing and multivariate analyses. Alpha diversity metrics revealed differences in bacterial communities between sites and seasons, whereas fungal diversity remained relatively stable across locations. This suggests that gut-associated fungi are more resilient to environmental pressures, although specific compositional shifts were observed in the impacted areas, with some taxa showing correlations with trace metal concentrations. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicated strong associations between gut microbial composition and sediment parameters, including organic matter, salinity, and trace metals. In particular, the bacterial communities exhibited strong responses to trace metals, such as Hg, Zn, and Pb. Functional inference (FAPROTAX) highlighted the microbial involvement in nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon cycling, indicating potential adaptive responses to contamination. Together, these findings support the utility of the C. edule gut microbiome as a sensitive indicator of estuarine environmental status and host–environment interactions. Moreover, they underscored the importance of including both bacterial and fungal components to obtain a more holistic understanding of microbiome-mediated ecosystem functions.

Keywords: Environmental disturbance; 16S rRNA; ITS sequencing; Estuarine ecotoxicology; Host–microbe interactions; Functional prediction

 
 
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