Fungal diversity in deep-sea sediments revealed by culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches

► Fungi diversity in deep-sea sediment of ∼40 cmbsf at ∼5 100 m depth in the Indian Ocean. ► Diversity by culture-dependent and -independent methods in the same sediment samples. ► Forty six OTUs representing 42 distinct fungal phylotypes by culture-independent approach. ► Nine new fungal phylotypes from two sediment cores. ► Nineteen cultures with 12 distinct genera out of which two are novel.