Abstract

AbstractThe eastern Arabian Sea has a unique and permanent oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) extending along the western continental margin of India. The Arabian Sea OMZ is a site of intense denitrification, contributing to 20% of the global oceanic denitrification, playing a significant role in the nitrogen cycle. This study reveals the members of the culturable marine bacterial communities thriving and functioning in the sediment underlying the Arabian Sea OMZ, through 16S rDNA phylogenetic analysis and elucidating their nitrate reduction potential. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that these cultured bacteria distributed into five phyla, viz. Firmicutes (45.7%) Gammaproteobacteria (36.84%), Actinobacteria (8.7%), Bacteroidetes (5.26%), and Alphaproteobacteria (3.5%). The presence of denitrification genes such as narG, nirS, and nosZ in the cultured bacteria (39%) explains their importance in this process. Present study on the diversity and distribution of bacterial communities in the OMZ surface sediment and their probable role in the nitrogen cycle will provide insight into the microbial biogeochemical processes occurring in this region.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.