Coastal sediment metagenome

Coastal ecosystems are recognized as efficient carbon (C) sinks and play key roles in mitigating global warming. Microbially-driven C, nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) cycling is crucial for mediating ecosystem functioning, but such underlying mechanisms of microbially-derived C storage in coastal sediments remain unclear. Here, we showed that chemoautotrophic sulfur oxidizers dominated microbial necromass C formation in coastal sediments through a comprehensive analysis of amino sugars, C, N and S cycling genes/pathways and their associated taxa in mudflat, native (Cyperus malaccensis and Kandelia obovata: CM and KO) and invasive (Spartina alterniflora and Sonneratia apetala: SA and SAP) vegetated coastal sediments.