Functional diversity profiling of Healthy vs Degraded mangrove ecosystems of Goa, using Shotgun metagenomics

Mangrove ecosystems are crucial Blue Carbon Ecosystems, with their soil acting as a rich carbon reservoir for millennia. Microbes are the key players in regulating these ecosystems' functioning and carbon dynamics. Nowadays, mangrove diversity has declined drastically. However, the exact functional role of these microorganisms remains largely unknown to us. This study aims to elucidate the functional diversity of soil microbial communities of Healthy and degraded mangrove ecosystems, to report their change happened potential capacity for carbon utilization and storage. The shotgun sequencing method was used for functional profiling analysis of microbial communities.