Hydropower dam alters the microbial structure of fish gut in different habitats in upstream and downstream rivers

Hydropower dams are an important green renewable energy technology, but their effect on the gut microbes of fish in different habitats surrounding the dams is unclear. We collected the gut of seven fish species both upstream and downstream of a dam in Xijiang River basin, China, and identified the microbes present by 16s rRNA pyrosequencing. These results are important for assessing the impact of hydroelectric power plants on fish gut microbes and their potential environmental risks.