Bacterial Community Composition and Structure in the Littoral of Rila Mountains Glacial Lakes

High-mountain lakes are biodiversity hotspots sensitive to increasing regional and global climate warming. However, their microbial communities remain insufficiently characterized due to their remoteness and limited accessibility. This study aimed to determine how seasonal environmental parameters shape the composition, structure and diversity of littoral bacterial communities in three glacial lakes in Rila Mountains (Bulgaria). Water samples were collected during ice-free periods in 2023 and 2024, and bacterial taxonomic composition was analysed by Next-generation sequencing. A total of 1158 bacterial OTUs were identified encompassing 18 phyla and 165 families. Actinomycetota, Pseudomonadota, and Bacteroidota were dominant at the phylum level, and Sporichthyaceae, Comamonadaceae, Chitinophagaceae and Mycobacteriaceae were most abundant among the families. Community richness and diversity peaked in June, immediately after ice melting, particularly in the highest-altitude lake (Sulzata Lake), and declined during the warm season (August), when the relative abundances of Sporichthyaceae and Mycobacteriaceae (Actinomycetota) increased. Seasonal restructuring occurred across phyla and families even in a single taxon, with water temperature and organic carbon availability identified as the main environmental drivers. The findings have improved our understanding of temperature-driven bacterial responses. They have also highlighted the vulnerability of cold-adapted taxa to regional climate warming which may contribute to more effective biodiversity conservation strategies for these unique ecosystems.