Microbial Biodiversity in Sediment of Sundarban Mangrove Area

Abstract

Sundarban Mangrove forest sediment harbors large and diverse group microorganisms, which include archaebacteria, eubacteria, cyanobacteria, algae and fungi. This ecosystem encompasses over 102 islands in the Indian side. Studies on microbiological status of sediments show that halophilic archaebacteria like Halosarcina, Halorientalis, Halolamina, Halorussus, Halogranum, Haloferax, Haloplanus etc. and methanogens like Methanosarcina, Methanococcoides, Methanosalsum Methanogenium, Methanosaeta, etc. are very common including the hyperthermophiles like Thaumarchaeota and Thermoplasmatales. A number of species under Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes, Bacteroidetes (CFB), Firmicutes, Chloroflexi groups, Gemmatimonadetes are predominant. On the other hand, due to the accumulation of organic pollutants, excess growth of Oscillatoria, Lyptolyngbya, Phormidium of cyanobacteria and Oedogonium and Ulothrix like filamentous algae cause eutrophication too. Among the filamentous fungi Aspergillus and Penicillium show their common occurrence as decomposers. Apart from their variety of environmental functions, all of these microbes play the direct role in mongrove ecosystem, biogeochemical cycle and in foodweb.