Spatiotemporal analysis of bacterial diversity in sediments of Sundarbans using parallel 16S rRNA gene tag sequencing

The influence of temporal and spatial variations on the microbial community composition was assessed in the unique coastal mangrove of Sundarbans using parallel 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. The total sediment DNA was extracted and subjected to the 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing, which resulted in 117 Mbp of data from three experimental stations. The taxonomic analysis of the pyrosequencing data was grouped into 24 different phyla. In general, Proteobacteria were the most dominant phyla with predominance of Deltaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria within the sediments. Besides Proteobacteria, there are a number of sequences affiliated to the following major phyla detected in all three stations in both the sampling seasons: Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria, Nitrospira, and Firmicutes. Further taxonomic analysis revealed abundance of micro-aerophilic and anaerobic microbial population in the surface layers, suggesting anaerobic nature of the sediments in Sundarbans. The results of this study add valuable information about the composition of microbial communities in Sundarbans mangrove and shed light on possible transformations promoted by bacterial communities in the sediments.