Marine archaeal dynamics and interactions with the microbial community over 5 years from surface to seafloor

Marine archaea are critical contributors to global carbon and nitrogen redox cycles, but their temporal variability and microbial associations across the water column are poorly known. We evaluated seasonal variability of free living (0.2–1 μm size fraction) Thaumarchaea Marine Group I (MGI) and Euryarchaea Marine Group II (MGII) communities and their associations with the microbial community from surface to seafloor (890 m) over 5 years by 16S rRNA V4-V5 gene sequencing. MGI and MGII communities demonstrated distinct compositions at different depths, and seasonality at all depths. Microbial association networks at 150 m, 500 m and 890 m, revealed diverse assemblages of MGI (presumed ammonia oxidizers) and Nitrospina taxa (presumed dominant nitrite oxidizers, completing the nitrification process), suggesting distinct MGI- Nitrospina OTUs are responsible for nitrification at different depths and seasons, and depth- related and seasonal variability in nitrification could be affected by alternating MGI- Nitrospina assemblages. MGII taxa also showed distinct correlations to possibly heterotrophic bacteria, most commonly to members of Marine Group A, Chloroflexi, Marine Group B, and SAR86. Thus, both MGI and MGII likely have dynamic associations with bacteria based on similarities in activity or other interactions that select for distinct microbial assemblages over time. The importance of MGII taxa as members of the heterotrophic community previously reported for photic zone appears to apply throughout the water column.