Evaluating toxic impact on marine microbial community using combined genetic and phenotypic approaches

Preserving the oceans is a major challenge for the twenty-first century. In 2000, the Water Framework Directive harmonized European regulations on water management to protect and restore the good ecological status of aquatic ecosystems, including the marine environment. This study aims to address the need to understand how pollutants affect marine ecosystems, particularly microbial communities, which are vital for ecosystem balance and biogeochemical cycling. By combining genetic and phenotypic approaches, we aimed to predict the long-term ecological effects of marine pollution and develop improved management strategies. We used microcosms to expose a marine microbial community to various toxicant (anthracene, benzene, chlorpyrifos, copper chloride, and PFOA) and combined phenotypic and genetic approaches to assess i) changes in community structure, ii) phenotypic responses to pollutant, and iii) the benefits of integrating these methods to better evaluate the impact of pollutants on microbial communities and ecosystem services. The obtained results highlight a certain functional resilience despite a significant effect on genetic diversity. Moreover, only specific exposure conditions, such as higher pollutant concentrations, appear to significantly affect ecosystem functions. Leveraging this knowledge, the future challenge will be to develop a straightforward biosensor to estimate and predict the impact of pollutants on these ecosystems, in order to better protect them.