| The aim of this study was to analyze planktonic protistan assemblages under different environmental pressures at 2 adjacent coastal stations (inshore and offshore; similar to 6.4 km apart) in the eastern English Channel (EEC). Samples were collected between March 2012 and June 2013, and analyzed using bioinformatic analysis and tag pyrosequencing of the V2-V3 hypervariable region of the 18S rRNA gene. In addition to the taxonomic composition of the protistan communities, the detected operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were sorted into 6 major functional groups based on their trophic roles in marine systems. Comparisons of 13 environmental factors, including physical and chemical variables, indicated significant differences between the 2 stations. However,... |
