Analysis of the microbial diversity in faecal material of the endangered blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus.
Using bacterial and fungal tag-encoded FLX-Titanium amplicon pyrosequencing, the microbiota of the faecal material of two blue whales living in the wild off the coast of California was investigated. In both samples the most predominant bacterial phylum was the Firmicutes with Clostridium spp. being the most dominant bacteria. The most predominant fungi were members of the phylum Ascomycota with Metschnikowia spp. being the most dominant. In this study, we also preliminarily characterised the culturable anaerobic bacteria from the faecal material, using traditional culture and 16S rRNA gene sequencing approaches. In total, three bacterial species belonging to the phylum Firmicutes were identified.
General Studies, Gateway Technical College, Kenosha, WI, 53144, USA.
Olivia
O
Guass
General Studies, Gateway Technical College, Kenosha, WI, 53144, USA.
Lisa Meier
LM
Haapanen
MR DNA (Molecular Research LP), Shallowater, TX, USA.
Scot E
SE
Dowd
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, California, La Jolla, USA.
Ana
A
Širović
General Studies, Gateway Technical College, Kenosha, WI, 53144, USA. mclaughlinr@gtc.edu.
Richard William
RW
McLaughlin
D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D050616:Balaenoptera / Q000382:microbiology*; D044822:Biodiversity; D002140:California; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D064307:Microbiota; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA / Q000662:veterinary
D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012331:RNA, Fungal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
Balaenoptera musculus; Blue whale; Faecal material; Microbiota