Spatiotemporal distributions and environmental drivers of diversity and community structure of nosZ-type denitrifiers and anammox bacteria in sediments of the Bohai Sea and North Yellow Sea, China

Abstract

Denitrification and anammox processes are major nitrogen removal processes in coastal ecosystems. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics and driving factors of the diversity and community structure of involved functional bacteria have not been well illustrated in coastal environments, especially in human-dominated ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the distributions of denitrifiers and anammox bacteria in the eutrophic Bohai Sea and the northern Yellow Sea of China in May and November of 2012 by constructing clone libraries employing nosZ and 16S rRNA gene biomarkers. The diversity of nosZ-denitrifier was much higher at the coastal sites compared with the central sites, but not significant among basins or seasons. Alphaproteobacteria were predominant and prevalent in the sediments, whereas Betaproteobacteria primarily occurred at the site near the Huanghe (Yellow) River estuary. Anammox bacteria Candidatus Scalindua was predominant in the sediments, and besides, Candidatus Brocadia and Candidatus Kuenenia were also detected at the site near the Huanghe River estuary that received strong riverine and anthropogenic impacts. Salinity was the most important in structuring communities of nosZ-denitrifier and anammox bacteria. Additionally, anthropogenic perturbations (e.g. nitrogen overloading and consequent high primary productivity, and heavy metal discharges) contributed significantly to shaping community structures of denitrifier and anammox bacteria, suggesting that anthropogenic activities would influence and even change the ecological function of coastal ecosystems.