Denitrifying bacterial communities play an important role in nitrogen removal. The diversity, abundance and distribution of denitrifiers can be applied in eutrophication assessment for the bay ecosystems. In this study, the composition and variation of cytochrome cd1-type nitrite reductase gene (nirS)-type denitrifiers in the sediments of Haizhou Bay were investigated by using a PCR-based cloning approach. A total of 156 valid sequences were grouped into 76 OTUs based on 97% sequence similarity. The nirS sequences were identified with their closest-matched sequences from sediments of estuary and eutrophied bay, indicating similarity of the denitrifying bacterial communities in similar coastal environments. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that nitrogen nutrient and dissolved oxygen were the major contributing parameters for the diversity and spatial distribution of denitrifying bacteria of Haizhou Bay.

反硝化细菌群落在脱氮中起重要作用。反硝化剂的多样性，丰度和分布可用于海湾生态系统的富营养化评估。本研究以PCR为基础，研究了海州湾沉积物中细胞色素cd1型亚硝酸还原酶基因（nirS）型反硝化酶的组成和变异。基于97％的序列相似性，将总共156个有效序列分为76个OTU。该NIRS从河口和富营养化海湾的沉积物中鉴定出最接近的序列，表明在相似的沿海环境中反硝化细菌群落的相似性。典型的对应分析表明，氮营养和溶解氧是影响海州湾反硝化细菌多样性和空间分布的主要因素。