DNA metabarcoding of eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbial communities in the coastal stratified water bodies of the Kandalaksha shore (White Sea)

A number of coastal stratified lakes at different stages of separation from the White Sea are located on the Kandalaksha shore. They have been formed due to postglacial isostatic uplift that goes on currently. In separating lakes, different water layers provide different ecological conditions and formation of different microbial communities. Taking into account the leading biogeochemical role of the eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms in rapidly changing ecosystems, this research on microbial communities composition is essential for understanding of biological processes taking place in these lakes. Trends in the microbial community composition and quantitative indicators of isolation stages of the lakes could serve as a model of ecological succession. The aim of this survey is to investigate taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of microbial communities in the coastal stratified lakes of the Kandalaksha shore by high-throughput sequencing of the 18S and 16S rRNA genes, and to assess the similarities and differences between the studied communities.