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Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Methods for Characterizing the Co-development of Biofilm and Habitat Heterogeneity
Published on: March 11, 2015
Sediment heterogeneity shapes benthic microbial community assembly and co-occurrence network organization in the East
Lilian Wen1, Jiajia Dai2, Jinming Song2
1Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266404, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
Abstract:
Sediment microorganisms play important roles in coastal biogeochemical cycling, yet how sediment heterogeneity and coupled environmental gradients shape benthic microbial communities in marginal seas remains insufficiently understood. Here, we examined microbial communities in two contrasting sediment types from the East China Sea: fine-grained, organic-rich sediments (E1) and coarse-grained, organic-poor sediments (E2). We used an integrated approach to explore the relationships between sediment heterogeneity and microbial community composition, assembly processes, co-occurrence network organization, and functional potential. E2 showed higher α-diversity, broader niche breadth, and greater community heterogeneity than E1. Microbial community differentiation was jointly associated with sediment physicochemical properties, water-column conditions, and spatial/depth-related gradients. Community assembly analysis indicated that dispersal limitation was an important process in both sediment types, whereas E1 was more strongly influenced by drift and other stochastic processes and E2 exhibited relatively stronger heterogeneous selection. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed distinct network topologies: the E1 network was more modular and fragmented, whereas the E2 network was more connected and more dependent on connector nodes. PICRUSt2-inferred functional profiles suggested that core carbon-, nitrogen-, and sulfur-related pathways were broadly similar between E1 and E2, indicating potential functional redundancy. Meanwhile, E1 was associated with greater carbon-transformation potential, whereas E2 showed slightly higher potential for oxidative nitrogen transformation, particularly nitrification- and comammox-related pathways. Overall, sediment heterogeneity and coupled environmental gradients jointly shape benthic microbial community structure, assembly processes, network organization, and inferred functional potential in the East China Sea.
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