Exploring Fungal Diversity in South African Beach Sands: Insights from Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) and Implications for public Health
Understanding the microbial composition and functional potential of beach sand ecosystems is crucial for assessing their quality and potential risks to human health. In this study, we investigated the fungal diversity, functional predictions, heavy metal contamination, and presence of fungal pathogens in beach sand samples from different locations in Durban, South Africa.