Hydropower dam alters the microbial structure of fish gut in different habitats in upstream and downstream rivers

Hydropower dams are an important green renewable energy technology, but their effect on the gut microbes of fish in different habitats surrounding the dams is unclear. We collected the gut of seven fish species both upstream and downstream of a dam in Xijiang River basin, China, and identified the microbes present by 16s rRNA pyrosequencing. These results are important for assessing the impact of hydroelectric power plants on fish gut microbes and their potential environmental risks.

水力发电大坝是一类重要的绿色可再生能源技术，但其对大坝周边不同生境中鱼类肠道微生物的影响尚不明确。本研究采集了中国西江流域某大坝上下游7种鱼类的肠道样本，并通过16S rRNA焦磷酸测序（16S rRNA pyrosequencing）对样本中的微生物进行了物种鉴定。本研究结果对于评估水力发电设施对鱼类肠道微生物的影响及其潜在环境风险具有重要参考价值。