Metagenomic insights of zooplankton-associated bacterial communities

Zooplankton provide a complex microhabitat rich in organic and inorganic nutrients. Bacteria thrive in this nutrient-rich environment and are frequently several orders of magnitude more abundant in zooplankton than in the surrounding waters. In this study we aimed at assessing the phylogenetic composition and metabolic potential of microbial communities associated with crustacean zooplankton species collected in the North Atlantic.