CHARACTERIZATION OF ENDOPHYTIC BACTERIA ASSOCIATED WITH MANGROVE SPECIES INHABITING FORESTS EXPOSED TO EXTREME CONDITIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ATLANTICO-COLOMBIA
Mangrove ecosystems are considered a critical transition zone of strategic importance between terrestrial and marine ecosystems of tropical and subtropical latitudes, in fact they are recognized as one of the most productive ecosystems on earth; however, these are seriously threatened since in recent decades 35% of their cover has disappeared, losing at the same time a large part of their biodiversity, including microbial diversity. In recent years, an endophytic microbial community of the different mangrove species has been studied, whose composition and function are barely being known despite the fact that they play a key role in promoting plant growth and in resisting extreme factors in mangroves. Thus, in the present work, it is intended to characterize endophytic bacteria associated with mangroves located in forests that are exposed to stress conditions in the department of Atlántico-Colombia, especially to conditions of high salinity; through the realization of isolations of bacteria, the study of some physiological characteristics of these isolates and metagenomic studies to elucidate the metabolic functions of these microorganisms related to resistance to extreme conditions such as salinity and resistance to heavy metals.