Shifts in vegetation impact estuary microbiomes

ABSTRACT Coastal wetlands, including mangrove-cordgrass mosaics, are among Earth’s most effective carbon stores sequestering >1 Pg C/year. Rapid sea level rise, warming, and storm intensification are now reshaping these habitats. Vegetation type influences root exudates, sediment redox profiles, and organic matter quality. However, the impacts of vegetation on microbe–virus networks that mediate carbon burial and nutrient cycling remain unclear. Here, we sampled coastal sediment profiles in patches of cordgrass (dominated by Sporobolus alterniflorus ), black mangrove ( Avicennia germinans ), and seagrass on the Texas Gulf Coast. We obtained 491 bacterial and archaeal metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) and 1,097 viral MAGs (vMAGs) from 55 surface sediment samples spanning day and night during summer and fall. Phylogenetic and comparative analyses revealed dominant lineages across the distinct vegetation types, organized into metabolic guilds based on similar protein compositions, revealing contrasting and complementary sulfur, iron, and nitrogen cycling pathways that regulate greenhouse gas emissions and encode genes important for carbon metabolism. Inference from virus–host linkages revealed that dominant lineages were infected, and viral communities have genes for organic carbon degradation, potentially shaping the microbial community dynamics in this ecosystem. This spatio-temporal characterization of estuary ecotone microbiomes provides a framework to better understand the diversity and metabolism of these productive coastal ecosystems. IMPORTANCE Coastal wetlands are among the most effective environments for storing carbon and regulating climate. As sea level rise and changing weather patterns drive shifts in coastal vegetation, these vulnerable ecosystems are undergoing rapid transformation. Yet, little is known about the microbes that regulate carbon storage and nutrient cycling. Here, we characterized microbial and viral communities associated with coastal wetland sediments along the Texas Gulf Coast. We identified key microbial groups responsible for key carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, and iron cycling and showed that vegetation type influences their distribution and ecological roles. We also found that viruses interact with dominant microbial groups and carry genes linked to carbon processing, suggesting an important role in shaping ecosystem function. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms that sustain coastal wetlands and help predict how shifts in vegetation may affect nutrient cycling and ecosystem resilience in the future.