Metagenomic analysis of Polychaete Gut microbiome from Southeast Coast Indian Estuaries

Coastal habitats, especially estuaries, are under severe stress from urbanization, anthropogenic activities, and industrialization. Contaminants like metals, organic compounds, herbicides, and hydrocarbons are constantly affecting biodiversity, fisheries resources, and resident species. The key activities contributing to coastal pollution in Tamil Nadu include untreated industrial waste discharge, harbor activities, ship waste disposal, cargo spills, chemicals, metal ores, fishing, chemical and fertiliser manufacturing, large-scale heated effluent discharges, fly ash emissions, oil spills, and untreated prawn farm effluents. The gut microbiota is a dynamic biological system containing various microbial communities, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. These microbes perform metabolic tasks, regulating physiological activities like nutrient absorption and energy metabolism, and enhancing host fitness. They also communicate with the host immune system, contributing to immunity and disease prevention. The gastrointestinal microbial community can improve host resistance to environmental pollutants, as it can change 1369 environmental contaminants through 1500 biocatalytic processes. Gut flora health significantly contributes to overall host well-being. Advances in analytical platforms and culture-independent methodologies, such as next-generation sequencing, have led to significant advancements in understanding microbial diversity and communities. Metagenomics and meta-transcriptomic analysis can help study changes in gut microbiota gene flux, antibiotic and chemical resistance, and the effects of host exposure to contaminants. Advances in analytical platforms and culture-independent methodologies, such as next-generation sequencing, have led to significant advancements in understanding microbial diversity and communities.