Mangrove‑derived halophilic microbiome as a biocatalyst for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastic breakdown.

Harnessing a marine-derived Rhodococcus strain for cross-habitat bioaugmentation of malodorant skatole: Performance and ecological response.

Findings identify Rhodococcus sp.

Endophytic and rhizospheric plant growth-promoting bacterial diversity of Avicennia marina: implications for mangrove sustainability and resilience

Fungal Bioaugmentation and Plant-Based Biostimulation for Petroleum Hydrocarbon Degradation in Mangrove Sediments

Mangrove ecosystems are highly vulnerable to petroleum contamination, with long-lasting environmental consequences due to the persistence of complex hydrocarbon fractions. While bioremediation strategies such as bioaugmentation and biostimulation are widely studied, their comparative effectiveness in mangrove sediments remains poorly understood. This study evaluates the degradation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in mangrove sediments contaminated with Recôncavo Basin crude oil (1% w/w) using fungal bioaugmentation (Aspergillus sp.), plant-based biostimulation, and their combination. A controlled mesocosm experiment simulated tidal dynamics over 45 days using 80 bioreactors. Significant reductions in unresolved complex mixture (UCM) and TPH concentrations were observed across all treatments, with UCM reductions reaching up to 78.4% in the biostimulation treatment. However, no statistically significant differences were found among treatments at the end of the experiment (p > 0.05). This suggests a dominant role of intrinsic biodegradation processes, indicating that natural attenuation can be as effective as engineered strategies in specific mangrove environments over the long term. Changes in diagnostic ratios (pristane/phytane and n-alkanes) confirmed the preferential degradation of linear hydrocarbons. These findings highlight the potential of low-cost, nature-based remediation and suggest that intrinsic processes may suffice for long-term recovery, emphasizing the need for extended studies to fully evaluate engineered treatment advantages.

Isolation of Marine-Derived Microorganisms for PET Biodegradation

This study isolated 305 marine-derived microorganisms with potential PET-degrading capability from samples collected from mangrove areas of Zhanjiang and the intertidal zones of Daya Bay, Shenzhen, China, using PET powder as a major carbon source and reveals the genetic basis underlying PET degradation and associated metabolic pathways in strain SCSIO 85700.

Impacts of sulfamethoxazole on natural periphyton physiology and microbial community stability: Implications for aquatic ecosystem resilience.

Periphyton, a critical microbial consortium regulating energy flow and nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems, plays a pivotal role in shaping biogeochemical processes and biodiversity indicator. However, the structural and functional responses of natural periphyton to high-concentration sulfamethoxazole remain poorly unclear. Here, we investigated the multilevel impacts of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) on periphyton through integrated high-throughput sequencing, physiological functions, and nutrient utilization analysis. Our results suggested that SMX exposure induced concentration-dependent ecological potential impairment. High concentrations (25-100 mg/L) significantly elevated dissolved organic carbon levels (105.92-239.78% increase) in water, while low SMX (5 mg/L) suppressed photosynthetic pigments, extracellular polymeric substances, and triggered malondialdehyde increase. Microbial diversity underwent drastic restructuring, with eukaryotic richness declining by 18.70-21.77%. The microbial community restructuring was characterized by stress-tolerant genera, including Edaphobaculum, Flavobacterium, Kouleothrix, Tobrilidae and Stylonychia. Sensitive genera to SMX exposure showed significant reductions, including Pirellula, Rhodobacter, Scenedesmus and Acutodesmus. Co-occurrence network analysis indicated SMX-driven topological erosion (22.37-41.44% reduced connectivity at 25 and 100 mg/L) destabilized microbial interactions. Periphyton retained nitrogen and phosphorus utilization capacity, with several resistant taxa (Pseudomonadota, Chloroflexota, Ciliophora) partially potential maintaining nutrient assimilation functions despite SMX stress. This study suggests periphyton under antibiotic stress may function as both a selector for antibiotic-tolerant taxa and a contributor to potential bioremediation applications. Our findings advance the development of natural periphyton ecological resilience strategies to mitigate antibiotic polluted wastewater.

Bacterial Community and Predicted Functional Gene Dynamics Relevant to the Potential Biodegradation of Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate (PBAT)

Polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) is a widely used biodegradable plastic, but its microbial degradation mechanisms and environmental responses remain poorly understood. In this study, two compost inocula (K and I) were used to establish PBAT enrichment cultures under mesophilic (35 °C, M) and thermophilic (58 °C, T) conditions, and the effects of temperature and inoculum source on bacterial community structure and PICRUSt2-derived predicted functional profiles were investigated. Surface analyses revealed cracking, erosion, and structural collapse of PBAT under all conditions, with more pronounced degradation in compost I-derived cultures. Microbial diversity decreased during enrichment, accompanied by dominance of specific genera. Under mesophilic conditions, Pseudoxanthomonas dominated (72.6%–91.0%) and showed strong positive correlations with predicted ester bond hydrolysis-related KOs (p < 0.05), suggesting a potential association with initial hydrolysis. Under thermophilic conditions, compost K cultures were dominated by Thermoflavifilum and Rhodothermus, which were mainly associated with predicted hydrolysis-related KOs, whereas compost I cultures were dominated by Thermoflavifilum and Thermopolyspora and showed stronger associations with predicted KOs related to adipate and terephthalic acid metabolism. Predicted aromatic intermediate metabolism-related KOs, including K04101, K01055, and K01607, were also higher in compost I-derived thermophilic cultures. Overall, temperature and inoculum composition jointly shaped bacterial community assembly and predicted PBAT degradation-related functional potential. Thermophilic conditions combined with compost I were associated with functionally differentiated bacterial communities and higher predicted potential for downstream PBAT-derived intermediate metabolism. These findings provide a microbial ecological basis for temperature- and inoculum-guided enrichment strategies to improve PBAT biodegradation and biodegradable plastic waste treatment.