Data from:Linking Hydrodynamic Disturbances to Microeukaryote Biogeography: Ciliate Community Shifts Reveal Freshwater Plume and Seawater Intrusion Dynamics

Variation partitioning analysis revealed that physical factors explained a substantial proportion of community variation in both seasons, and structural equation modelling further demonstrated that physical factors exerted the strongest total effects on community structure. In addition, species abundances closely followed a log-normal distribution in both seasons, which is consistent with predictions of niche-based community theory.

Niche differentiation along environmental gradients shaped by freshwater plumes and seawater intrusion may contribute to this pattern. Overall, our findings reveal a clear linkage between ciliate distribution and freshwater plume-seawater intrusion dynamics, suggesting that ciliate communities can sensitively reflect the spatial–temporal variability of these physical processes.