Work

Vibrionaceae: sensitive bioindicators for identifying the ecological impacts of ocean warming

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Vibrionaceae (vibrios) are ubiquitous and opportunistic marine bacteria that are emerging as sensitive bioindicators of environmental change. However, their temporal dynamics in coastal environments and their taxon-specific temperature responses remain to be fully explored. Here, time-series temperature analyses were conducted and these revealed distinct temporal patterns (“Summer”, “Winter” and “Mixed-pattern”) within Vibrionaceae , primarily shaped by temperature but also modulated by physical–chemical parameters. Temperature emerged as the dominant driver, strongly correlating with the abundance (both free-living and culturable) and community structure of vibrios, shaping seasonal patterns and driving sharp shifts in key seasonal taxa (e.g. Vibrio bathopelagicus and V. caribbeanicus ) at specific thresholds. Crucially, machine learning models built on representative Vibrionaceae communities explained ~ 91% of the temperature variance in the testing dataset, validating their extreme thermal sensitivity and precise integrated multi-taxa responses. Furthermore, exploratory analyses of the taxa-specific correlations with inorganic nutrients suggest their potential for reflecting coastal nutrient dynamics. Together, these findings elucidate the temperature-driven succession of Vibrionaceae and highlight their potential as bioindicators providing vital insights into the ecological status and biological response processes of marine environments under climate change.

Source: Marine Life Science & Technology

DOI: 10.1007/s42995-026-00411-3