Dilip Kumar Jha

Introduction The accumulation of heavy metals in marine and coastal ecosystems is a serious global issue that has recently received significant attention due to its environmental persistence, biogeochemical cycling, and ecological concerns. There are several reports of industrial activities that directly discharge wastewater and solid waste, as well as processes that recycle electrical and electronic trash (Youssef and El-Said, 2011; Pan and Wang, 2012; Wang et al., 2013; Ra et al., 2014).

1 Introduction The nearshore is a hub for terrestrial and marine ecosystems as well as an ecosystem that is jointly influenced by biological, chemical, and physical processes. Marine biodiversity is significantly impacted by the nearshore environment. In recent years, the increase in pollutant load caused by industrialization and urbanization has become a major constraint on the development of many regions of the world, resulting in water pollution (Wang et al., 2014; Chen et al., 2019).

1 Introduction Prokaryotes are critical components of the ocean ecosystem, accounting for 70% of the total biomass on the ocean surface and 75% of the total biomass in the deep ocean (Fuhrman et al., 1989; Arístegui et al., 2009). They significantly contribute to ocean biogeochemical cycles via energy transmission and organic matter remineralization (Mason et al., 2003).