Influence of aquaculture practices on microbiota composition and pathogen abundance in pond ecosystems in South China

To explore the relationship between pond water and sediment microbiota (especially potential pathogens) and physicochemical indicators under various aquaculture conditions, pond water and sediment samples were collected from 21 monitoring sites across eastern, western, and northern Guangdong, as well as the Pearl River Delta in November 2021, March 2022, and July 2022. The microbiota structures were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene.