Despite their remarkable magnetic n

Despite their remarkable magnetic navigation capability
and proposed ecological functions [11, 13, 26, 29], our
understanding of MTB geographic distribution is still
insufficient and their diversity across heterogeneous habitats
remains unclear. In particular, the effect of pollution on
magnetotactic bacteria abundance and diversity is poorly
known. In this study, we investigate the diversity of MTB
in a pristine French Mediterranean coastal area, classified
as a natural zone of ecological interest (‘‘Natura 2000’’ site
of an ASPIM), in order to give insight on the MTB communities
of the Mediterranean coast