Anaerobic methane (CH₄) oxidation is an important process to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in paddy soil.The nitrite-dependent Denitrifying Anaerobic Methane Oxidation (n-DAMO) potential and its microbial mechanism in cultivated layer (0-10 cm) and deep layer (50-60 cm) of inland (Nanjing) and coastal (reclaimed Shanghai Chongming Island) paddy fields were studied.The results showed that n-DAMO rate of topsoil in Nanjing paddy field was 3.51 nmol ¹³CO₂·g^-1·d^-1,which was significantly higher than that of topsoil in reclaimed paddy field (1.43 nmol ¹³CO₂·g^-1·d^-1).The n-DAMO rates in the cultivated layer soil were significantly higher than those in the deep layer soil in the two types of paddy field.The copy numbers of 16S rRNA gene of functional microorganism M.oxyfera-like bacteria in Nanjing paddy field and reclaimed paddy field were 2.31×10⁷-4.82×10⁷ copies·g^-1 and 0.89×10⁷-2.12×10⁷ copies·g^-1,respectively,which was significantly positively correlated with nitrite-dependent anaerobic CH₄ oxidation rate.Regression analysis showed that soil organic carbon,total nitrogen and inorganic nitrogen were important factors for n-DAMO rate differentiation in paddy fields.In conclusion,the n-DAMO potential of inland paddy soil is higher than that in reclaimed paddy field,which is mainly caused by the different levels of soil background carbon and nitrogen and the abundance of functional microorganisms.