Ports are hot spots of pollution; they receive pollution from land-based sources, marine traffic and port infrastructures. Marine ecosystems of nearby areas can be strongly affected by pollution from port-related activities. Here, we investigated the microbiomes present in sea floor sediments along a transect from the harbour of Livorno (Central Italy) to a nearby marine protected area. Results of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) analyses indicated the presence of different trends of specific bacterial groups (e.g. phyla NB1-j, Acidobacteriota and Desulfobulbales) along the transect, correlating with the measured pollution levels. Human pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were also found. These results demonstrate a pervasive impact of human port activities and highlight the importance of microbiological surveillance of marine sediments, which may constitute a reservoir of ARGs and pathogenic bacteria.
Metagenomic surveys show a widespread diffusion of antibiotic resistance genes in a transect from urbanized to marine protected area / Alonso, Tania; Fagorzi, Camilla; Mengoni, Alessio; Oliva, Matteo; Cavalieri, Duccio; Pretti, Carlo; Cangioli, Lisa; Bacci, Giovanni; Ugolini, Alberto. - In: MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN. - ISSN 0025-326X. - ELETTRONICO. - 213:(2025), pp. 117640.0-117640.0. [10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.117640]
Metagenomic surveys show a widespread diffusion of antibiotic resistance genes in a transect from urbanized to marine protected area
Alonso, Tania;Fagorzi, Camilla;Mengoni, Alessio;Cavalieri, Duccio;Cangioli, Lisa;Bacci, Giovanni
;Ugolini, Alberto
2025
Abstract
Ports are hot spots of pollution; they receive pollution from land-based sources, marine traffic and port infrastructures. Marine ecosystems of nearby areas can be strongly affected by pollution from port-related activities. Here, we investigated the microbiomes present in sea floor sediments along a transect from the harbour of Livorno (Central Italy) to a nearby marine protected area. Results of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) analyses indicated the presence of different trends of specific bacterial groups (e.g. phyla NB1-j, Acidobacteriota and Desulfobulbales) along the transect, correlating with the measured pollution levels. Human pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were also found. These results demonstrate a pervasive impact of human port activities and highlight the importance of microbiological surveillance of marine sediments, which may constitute a reservoir of ARGs and pathogenic bacteria.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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Alonso-Vasquez et al. 2025 Mar Poll Bull.pdf
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