The Vertical Metabolic Activity and Community Structure of Prokaryotes along Different Water Depths in the Kermadec and Diamantina Trenches

Prokaryotes play a key role in particulate organic matter's decomposition and remineralization processes in the vertical scale of seawater, and prokaryotes contribute to more than 70% of the estimated remineralization. However, little is known about the microbial community and metabolic activity of the vertical distribution in the trenches. The composition and distribution of prokaryotes in the water columns and benthic boundary layers of the Kermadec Trench and the Diamantina Trench were investigated using high-throughput sequencing and quantitative PCR, together with the Biolog Ecoplate