Metagenomic analysis of Hong Kong pier surface microbiomes

This study provides insights into the taxonomic and functional composition of surface microbiomes of nine piers along the coastal lines of Hong Kong at both community and genome levels. The results of this study show that pier surfaces is a previously underappreciated reservoir of abundant novel bacterial species. Members in the surface microbial communities contain functions to counter the stresses under the oligotrophic conditions, with the mechanism in response to stresses varies between genomes of different phyla.