Correlations among environmental factors, antibiotic resistance genes, and microbial communities in Apostichopus japonicus nursery ponds

Marine aquaculture ponds remain among the least explored settings in terms of antibiotic resistance. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and bacterial communities in nursery ponds of Apostichopus japonicus . Both the taxonomic and functional structures of these communities were analyzed through metagenomic sequencing, and the biotic and abiotic factors influencing their dynamics as reservoirs for ARGs were analyzed. The shared microbial populations in water and sediment samples constituted 65% of the total microorganisms identified. Bacteroidetes and Planctomycetes may serve as main potential hosts of ARGs in water and sediments within the aquaculture ponds. A total of 22 types of ARGs were detected in the pond samples, predominantly associated with the antibiotic classes of multidrug, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin (MLS), glycopeptide, tetracycline, peptide, aminocoumarin, and mupirocin. Environmental factors, such as pH, NH 4 + -N and NO 3 - -N, significantly influenced the the microbial community structure and the presence of ARGs. Heavy metals especially exhibited a negative or positive correlation with ARGs. This research offers valuable insights into the diversity of ARGs and microbial communities in aquaculture ponds, providing theoretical foundations for the control and management of ARG pollution in marine aquaculture.