Response of the coastal bacterial community composition to antibiotic treatment

The growth of aquaculture has led to an increased antibiotics use, with unconsumed pharmaceuticals potentially being released into surrounding environments. This study aimed to examine the effects of antibiotics on coastal bacterial communities, as pharmaceutical contamination can alter bacterial composition. Coastal water samples were treated with erythromycin (EM) and oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTCHCl) at concentrations ranging from 20 ng L-1 to 200 mg L-1. Bacterial taxonomic composition was analyzed by sequencing a specific region of the 16S rRNA gene. The results of the experiments will afford significant information on the minimum concentrations of antibiotics which affect the coastal bacterial communities. Furthermore, the differences in the susceptibilities to antibiotics among the bacterial taxa will be elucidated.