Research advances in microbial effects in marine oxygen minimum zones

Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs) were special habitats with very low dissolved oxygen content in the ocean.They were widely distributed in oceans or offshore areas around the world.Low level oxygen could damage ecosystem functions and affect economic development along the coast.In severe cases, they could lead to species extinction.Due to the low oxygen, there was almost no multicellular organism in the region, the internal elemental circulation was almost driven by microorganisms entirely, so the position of microorganisms was crucial.This paper first briefly described the formation mechanism of OMZs and the factors affected the formation and development of them, and then reviewed the unique respiratory patterns of microbes in order to adapt to the environmental change.The most direct impact of OMZs on microorganisms was that they formed community structures and functional activities different from the oxygen-rich environment, and this part was summarized as microbial effects.The study of microorganisms in OMZs was complex and challenging, at the same time, it provided a special way for us to understand the adaptability, diversity and evolution of microorganisms in the environment better.It had a great significance to improve our understanding of biogeochemical cycle.