Prokaryotic communities adapted to microhabitats on the Indian lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) growing in the high-altitude urban Dal Lake.

Indian lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is one of the dominant aquatic plants cultivated in Dal Lake, situated at 1586 m above mean sea level (MSL) in the northeast of Srinagar, Kashmir. Despite their economic and ecological role, the microbial communities associated with the lotus plant are still unexplored. In this study, we investigated the prokaryotic communities on surfaces of different lotus microhabitats (roots, rhizome, leaves, flowers, and fruits), lake water, and sediments using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.

Characterization of coral associated ciliates and their interactions with disease lesion progression of Indian Scleractinian corals.

Ciliates associated with advanced diseased lesions of Acropora sp. and Porites sp. in the field were isolated and characterised using microscopic and molecular analysis.