16S metagenome along a salinity gradient of the Pearl River: Sample C3_216S metagenome along a salinity gradient of the Pearl River: Sample 
Surface and bottom water samples of 8 sites at 1m depth and 1-2m above sediment respectively. Samples for nucleic acids were prefiltered through 3 mm pore size filters to remove larger organisms and particles and then filtered through 0.22 mm Millipore membranes. Filters were frozen at -20 oC onboard and -80 oC in the laboratory until nucleic acids were extracted. Bacterial universal primer 28F (5’-AGAGAGTTTGATCCTGGCTCAG-3’) 519R  (5’-TTACCGCGGCTGCTGGCAC-3’) that spanned 16S rRNA gene V1–V3 region were used to amplify metagenomic DNA.