Eukaryotic microorganisms are ubiquitous in the marine environment, and have a wide variety of ecosystem functions. Shenzhen is one of the most developed cities in South China, but the eukaryotic communities in the water along its coastlines remain poorly understood. The study applied 18S rRNA gene ITS (internal transcribed spacer) sequencing to identify the eukaryotic community from twenty sites of Shenzhen coast water. The alpha-diversity of the samples between these sites were significantly different, and the seawater of eastern coast had higher alpha-diversity compared to that of the western coast. The abundance of Chlorophyta was notably higher in the seawater of western coast, but Picozoa was relatively depleted. Specifically, Cryptocaryon, Pseudovorticella, and Cyclotella were significantly higher in the water of western coast, while Guinardia, Minutocellus, and Amoebophrya were increased in eastern samples. The spatially variations of eukaryotic microorganism community in the seawater of Shenzhen coast were associated with the water quality. The results have important significance for the understanding of coastal eukaryotic community, their interaction network, and build a foundation for future management and protection of coastal water quality.

真核微生物在海洋环境中普遍存在，具有多种生态系统功能。深圳是华南地区最发达的城市之一，但其海岸线水域中的真核生物群落仍知之甚少。该研究应用 18S rRNA 基因 ITS（内部转录间隔区）测序来鉴定深圳沿海 20 个地点的真核生物群落。这些站点之间样本的α多样性差异显着，东海岸海水的α多样性高于西海岸。的丰度绿藻是在西海岸的海水特别高，但Picozoa相对枯竭。具体来说，Cryptocaryon，Pseudovorticella和Cyclotella在西海岸水域显着增加，而Guinardia、Minutocellus和Ameoebophrya在东部样本中增加。深圳沿海海域真核微生物群落的空间变化与水质有关。研究结果对了解沿海真核生物群落及其相互作用网络具有重要意义，为未来沿海水质的管理和保护奠定基础。