Sargassum Differentially Shapes the Microbiota Composition and Diversity at Coastal Tide Sites and Inland Storage Sites on Caribbean Islands

Abstract

Rafts of drifting pelagic Sargassum that are circulating across the Atlantic Ocean are complex ecosystems composed of a large number of associated species. Upon massive stranding, they lead to various socio-environmental issues including the inflow of contaminants and human health concerns. In this study, we used metabarcoding approaches to examine the differences in both the eukaryotic- and prokaryotic-associated communities from Sargassum present in two islands of the Lesser Antilles, namely Guadeloupe and Martinique. We detected significant differences in microbial community structure and composition between landing Sargassum, the surrounding seawater, and Sargassum from inland storage sites. In total we identified 22,214 prokaryotic and 17,679 eukaryotic OTUs. Among them, functional prediction analyses revealed a number of prokaryotes that might contribute to organic matter decomposition, nitrogen cycling and gas production, including sulfate-reducing bacteria at coastal landing sites, and methanogenic archaea at inland storage sites. We also found that Metazoan was the most abundant group in Sargassum samples, with nematode clades that presented exclusive or specific richness and abundance patterns depending on their Sargassum substrate. Together, these molecular inventories of the micro- and meiofauna communities provide baseline information for further characterization of trophic interactions, algal organic matter decomposition and nutrient transfers at coastal and inland storage sites.