A Preliminary Metabarcoding Study of Prokaryotes in Gökçeada Salt Lake Lagoon, Turkey

Objective: Microorganisms play an important role in all ecosystem processes and a growing body of molecular and ecological evidence has shown that microbial biodiversity is much more diverse and complex than previously anticipated. This study aimed to determine the prokaryotic microorganisms present in Gokceada Salt Lake Lagoon. Materials and Methods: A metabarcoding approach was used to determine the microbial diversity in Gokceada Salt Lake Lagoon. Results: 16S rDNA targeted sequencing revealed 5 Archaea and 31 Bacteria species and Archaea represented 63.2%. The most frequent Archaea genus was Halorubrum, which belongs to the Euryarchaeota phylum, and the dominant species of Bacteria was Halomonas sulfidaeris (Proteobacteria phylum). Conclusion: This work will contribute to our understanding of the microbial community structure and composition in coastal lagoons. Hovewer, further surveys will improve our knowledge on microbiota in Gokceada Salt Lake Lagoon.