Seasonal Shifts in Metal-Associated Fungal Community Dynamics and Functional Potentials in Chinese Coastal Sediments.

Fungal community structure and metabolic potential in Chinese coastal sediments vary seasonally, with metals like Cd, Cu, Co, Pb, and Sr significantly influencing their dynamics, especially in summer.

• Why it matters: Understanding how sediment fungi respond to metal stress is crucial for assessing ecological resilience and managing metal-impacted coastal ecosystems, yet this knowledge remains limited.
• What they did: A large-scale seasonal survey across China's marginal seas analyzed fungal communities, their biogeography, and metabolic potentials, revealing how seasonal forces and metal stress shape these ecosystems.
• The result: Findings show fungi adapt through multifunctional strategies and metal associations, providing biomarkers and insights for ecological resilience and metal management in coastal sediments.