Coffee fermentation is a complex process, mainly involving bacteria and yeasts, whose interaction influences beverage quality. The way this process is conducted affects the interactions between these microorganisms. To identify microbial diversity in fermenting coffee, samples were collected from 20 farms in the Department of Quindío, Colombia. Metataxonomic analyses using high-throughput sequencing and volatile organic compound identification in green coffee beans were performed with HS-SPME and GC-MS. Potential relationships between some families and genera with different fermentation types and coffee quality were evaluated. In our results, samples presented with high richness and diversity were greater for bacteria than for yeast/fungi. The Enterobacteriaceae family dominated at the beginning of fermentation, while Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, Gluconobacter, and Acetobacter genera dominated at the end, a finding related to pH reduction and final coffee quality. Overall, 167 fungal families were identified, but Saccharomyceaceae dominated from the beginning. Alcohols and esters were the main chemical classes identified in green coffee bean samples from these fermentations. These results will facilitate the identification process conditions that influence the presence and abundance of microorganisms related to quality as well as contributing to the design of strategies to conduct fermentations to improve the final quality of coffee.

Coral reefs are increasingly threatened by environmental stressors, resulting in substantial ecological losses. Yet, resilient coral reef systems—such as urban reefs—offer a promising reservoir of beneficial microorganisms capable of supporting coral health under stress. In this study, we characterized, and functionally screened bacteria associated with an urban reef dominated by the coral Madracis auretenra . From 22 previously selected isolates, all exhibited catalase activity, with several showing notably high levels. Pigmented strains likely produce carotenoids with potential photoprotective and antioxidant functions. Most isolates inhibited biofilm formation in multiple reporter strains. While quorum sensing inhibition, and antagonism against Vibrio coralliilyticus were observed, both effects were generally low, suggesting that suppression of pathogens may occur primarily through interference of biofilm formation rather than direct inhibition. Growth kinetics revealed strain-specific dynamics, with fast-growing isolates offering potential advantages for probiotic application. Multidimensional functional profiling indicated trait overlap and redundancy among strains, reflecting niche specialization and the co-expression of multiple beneficial traits—features desirable for the design of stable probiotic consortia. These findings underscore the probiotic potential of bacteria associated with urban M. auretenra , particularly for traits related to oxidative stress mitigation and microbial regulation. Further in vivo validation is needed to assess their efficacy under reef-relevant stress conditions.