Functional Potential of Microbial Communities and Their Roles in Degrading Microplastics and Other Compounds in The Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria, Kenya

The environmental impact of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems is an escalating concern due to their persistence and potential harm to aquatic life and human health. Hence, the objective of this paper was to investigate the functional potential of microbial communities and their roles in degrading microplastics and other compounds in the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria, Kenya using appropriate standard procedures entailing shotgun metagenomics analysis. The findings identified diverse functional categories within the microbial community, with clustering-based subsystems showing the highest abundance at 14%. Other prominent categories included carbohydrate metabolism (13%), amino acids and derivatives (9%), and miscellaneous functions (8%). Notably, pathways related to protein metabolism, cofactors, vitamins, and pigments were also well-represented, each comprising 6% of the abundance. These findings suggest the microorganisms' adaptability and versatility in this environment, enabling them to perform various metabolic functions. Further analysis using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) provided comprehensive insights into the microbial characteristics in the Winam Gulf. The mean scores for the three processes showed metabolism at 49.25, genetic information processing at 61.875 and signaling and cellular processes at 115.6923. These findings suggest that microorganisms in the Gulf could play a crucial role in mitigating microplastic pollution, offering promising prospects for bioremediation strategies. Future studies should explore specific microbial taxa and enzymes involved in plastic degradation to develop targeted bioremediation strategies. This study contributes to knowledge by providing functional metagenomic insight into microbial communities in Winam Gulf, highlighting their potential role in mitigating microplastic pollution.