Elucidating the functional profiles of cultivable bacterial communities in the water and sediments during the southwest monsoon season, along the west coast of India.

Understanding the functional profiles of cultivable bacterial communities is crucial for comprehending their ecological significance in marine environments. This study investigates the functional profiles of cultivable bacterial communities in the water and sediments during the productive, southwest monsoon season, along the west coast of India. The southwest monsoon plays a vital role in shaping the hydrological and biogeochemical characteristics of this region, making it an ideal period to study bacterial communities and their functions. Our study utilizes a cultivation techniques to study taxonomy as well as functional assays to elucidate the diverse organic substrates utilization capabilities of bacterial communities. Cultivable bacteria were isolated from discrete water depths and sediment samples from the coastal and off-shore region. Subsequently the carbohydrase, lipase and protease assays were performed to assess its functional potential. The results of this study reveal a rich diversity of cultivable bacterial communities including, representative from Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacterial phylum with diverse functional profiles. The functional analyses provide insights into the metabolic capabilities of the bacteria, including organic substrates degradation, processes. The bacterial taxonomic diversity and enzymes activities were significantly different (p < 0.001) among the water and sediment bacterial morphotypes. In conclusion, this research sheds light on the functional profiles of cultivable bacterial communities in the water and sediments along the west coast of India during the productive southwest monsoon season. The comprehensive analysis of their functional capabilities provides insights into their ecological roles and potential significance in organic matter recycling. These findings contribute to our understanding of microbial diversity and ecosystem functioning in coastal environments and lay the groundwork for further research on harnessing the significance of these bacteria in biogeochemical cycling.