Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2026 (Scopus)
Jellyfish blooms are significant events in marine ecosystems, profoundly impacting carbon and nutrient cycles. During these events, decomposing jellyfish release dissolved organic matter (DOM), which fuels bacterial growth and reshapes nutrient cycling. In this study, we employed an environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding approach to capture bacterial communities associated with Aurelia aurita, and in different body parts, as well as its ambient surface water column during bloom (December 2022) and post-bloom (March 2023) periods in the Golden Horn Estuary, İstanbul, Türkiye. The results reveal distinct temporal and regional variations in bacterial diversity, highlighting the pivotal role of jellyfish blooms in reshaping bacterial communities.