Objective Planktonic bacteria are essential for marine ecosystem health, yet how mussel aquaculture influences planktonic microbial communities remains unclear. This study aims to clarify the effects of mussel aquaculture on the community structure, diversity, and assembly mechanisms of marine planktonic bacteria. Methods Sixty-eight water samples were collected from a mussel aquaculture area and surrounding areas in Shengsi, Zhejiang, during summer 2024. Integrated analyses of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing data and environmental factors were performed. Results The alpha diversity of particle-attached bacteria (PAB) significantly reduced in the aquaculture area, whereas free-living bacteria (FLB) showed no significant change in alpha diversity but exhibited clear shifts in beta diversity and phylogenetic structure. Random forest analysis identified Pseudomonadales and Bdellovibrionaceae as indicator taxa within the aquaculture area, and their changes might be associated with organic matter inputs and altered nutrient conditions. Functional prediction indicated enhanced nitrogen cycling (especially nitrification and aerobic ammonia oxidation) and a shift toward reductive acetogenesis in carbon cycling, alongside suppressed methanogenesis in the aquaculture area. Microbial community assembly was governed mainly by deterministic processes (e.g., heterogeneous selection) in the aquaculture area but by stochastic processes in surrounding waters. Conclusion This study demonstrates that mussel aquaculture can reconfigure the structures, functions, and assembly mechanisms of planktonic bacterial communities, providing insights for ecological impact assessment of mariculture.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |