Fecal and cloacal microbiomes of cold-stunned loggerhead Caretta caretta, Kemp’s ridley Lepidochelys kempii, and green sea turtles Chelonia mydas

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Endangered Species Research

Publication Date

1-1-2023

Abstract

Investigating animal gut microbiomes can lead to a better understanding of their foraging preferences and their overall health. In this study, the fecal and cloacal microbiomes of 4 cold-stunned, frozen loggerhead Caretta caretta, 9 Kemp’s ridley Lepidochelys kempii, and 5 green sea turtles Chelonia mydas that stranded on beaches in Massachusetts, USA, were surveyed. Cloacal swabs and in situ fecal samples were collected from each turtle. From the extracted DNA, the hypervariable V1−V3 regions of the 16S rRNA gene were amplified with PCR, then sequenced using next generation Illumina MiSeq technology. Fecal and cloacal microbiomes were primarily composed of the phyla Proteobacteria, Bactero idetes, and Firmicutes. Microbial communities varied significantly based on location of the gut sampled. Cloacal samples were largely dominated by Proteobacteria, while fecal samples ap peared to have a greater distribution of taxa and higher alpha diversity. Green turtles had a higher abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes than Kemp’s ridley and loggerhead turtles, but a lower abundance of Proteobacteria. The information gained from this study contributes to knowledge of cold-stunned sea turtle gut microbiomes and may eventually be applied to rehabilitation efforts

Volume

50

First Page

93

Last Page

105

DOI

10.3354/esr01220

ISSN

18635407

E-ISSN

16134796

Link to Full Text

Share

 
COinS