Metabolic activity and community structure of prokaryotes associated with Particulate Organic Carbon in the Twilight Zone of the South China Sea

In our study, POC of three size-fractions were collected from the upper and lower boundary of twilight zone in the SCS, compared with those from the euphotic zone. Diversity and composition of the microbial community associated with POC of different size-fractions were studied with high-throughput sequencing and quantitative PCR. Biolog EcoPlatesTM method was applied as well to investigate the carbon metabolic capability of microbes to better understand the shifts and connectivity in the diversity and functional roles of microbial communities in the twilight zone.

本研究从南海（South China Sea, SCS）弱光层（twilight zone）的上下边界采集了三种粒级的颗粒有机碳（Particulate Organic Carbon, POC）样品，并以真光层（euphotic zone）的POC样品作为对照。研究采用高通量测序与定量PCR技术，解析不同粒级POC附着微生物群落的多样性与组成结构；同时借助Biolog EcoPlatesTM方法检测微生物的碳代谢能力，以期深入阐明弱光层微生物群落的多样性与功能角色的动态变化及其内在关联。