Effects of <italic>Spartina alterniflora</italic> invasion on environmental microbial community and <italic>Meretrix meretrix</italic> aquaculture in Nantong mudflat wetland

This study investigated the extent of environmental changes caused by Spartinaalterniflora invasion in the intertidal mudflat wetlands of Nantong, identified the key environmental factors shaping microbial community composition, and analyzed differences in microbial communities across non-invaded, partially invaded, and fully invaded zones. Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we examined the structure and diversity of microbial communities in different areas, and assessed the impact of S. alterniflora invasion on Meretrix meretrix mudflat aquaculture. Results showed that the invasion altered the original sand-burrowing habitat of M. meretrix, significantly reducing temperature while increasing salinity, dissolved oxygen concentration, nitrate concentration, and ammonia concentration (p p > 0.05). However, significant differences in diversity and abundance of microbial communities were observed between fully invaded and non-invaded zones (p p S. alterniflora invasion negatively affects M. meretrix by altering environmental and microbial conditions, leading to a marked decline in its population within the invaded areas.