Evaluating the ecophysiological response of marine fungi to textile dye degradation potential

This study investigated the diversity, distribution and dye decolorization potential of marine fungi isolated from soil and water samples collected at Andikkadu and Sarabendrajanpattinam. Fungal enumeration using serial dilution and Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) revealed that Sarabendrajanpattinam exhibited higher fungal abundance and species richness than Andikkadu likely due to favorable environmental conditions. A total of 12 fungal species were identified, with Aspergillus fumigatus, A. flavus, Penicillium brevicompactum, and Trichoderma viride being common across all samples. Site-specific occurrences of species such as Aspergillus citrisporum and Cladosporium sp. highlighted localized environmental influences on fungal distribution. The decolorization potential of the fungal isolates was evaluated against increasing concentrations (25–100 μL) of textile dye. T. viride, Cladosporium sp., and Curvularia lunata showed strong tolerance and maintained high decolorization efficiency, whereas other species exhibited limited activity at higher dye levels. A one-way ANOVA revealed a significant effect of dye concentration on fungal growth (F = 3.53, p = 0.0247), indicating reduced viability at elevated effluent levels. Multivariate regression analysis showed that colour was removed positively correlated with fungal biomass (VSS; ρ = 0.76, p = 0.049), while growth was negatively impacted by nickel concentration (ρ = 0.79, p = 0.048). These findings suggest that marine fungi, particularly T. viride, possess potential for use in textile dye bioremediation under environmentally stressed conditions.