Extensive Core Microbiome in Drone-Captured Whale Blow Supports a Framework for Health Monitoring
ABSTRACT The pulmonary system is a common site for bacterial infections in cetaceans, but very little is known about their respiratory microbiome. We used a small, unmanned hexacopter to collect exhaled breath condensate (blow) from two geographically distinct populations of apparently healthy humpb...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:823dfe7da6a2478ea4cf3e5610501a80 2023-05-15T16:36:10+02:00 Extensive Core Microbiome in Drone-Captured Whale Blow Supports a Framework for Health Monitoring Amy Apprill Carolyn A. Miller Michael J. Moore John W. Durban Holly Fearnbach Lance G. Barrett-Lennard 2017-10-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00119-17 https://doaj.org/article/823dfe7da6a2478ea4cf3e5610501a80 EN eng American Society for Microbiology https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSystems.00119-17 https://doaj.org/toc/2379-5077 doi:10.1128/mSystems.00119-17 2379-5077 https://doaj.org/article/823dfe7da6a2478ea4cf3e5610501a80 mSystems, Vol 2, Iss 5 (2017) SSU rRNA gene bacteria drone humpback whale microbiome Microbiology QR1-502 article 2017 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00119-17 2022-12-31T13:53:07Z ABSTRACT The pulmonary system is a common site for bacterial infections in cetaceans, but very little is known about their respiratory microbiome. We used a small, unmanned hexacopter to collect exhaled breath condensate (blow) from two geographically distinct populations of apparently healthy humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), sampled in the Massachusetts coastal waters off Cape Cod (n = 17) and coastal waters around Vancouver Island (n = 9). Bacterial and archaeal small-subunit rRNA genes were amplified and sequenced from blow samples, including many of sparse volume, as well as seawater and other controls, to characterize the associated microbial community. The blow microbiomes were distinct from the seawater microbiomes and included 25 phylogenetically diverse bacteria common to all sampled whales. This core assemblage comprised on average 36% of the microbiome, making it one of the more consistent animal microbiomes studied to date. The closest phylogenetic relatives of 20 of these core microbes were previously detected in marine mammals, suggesting that this core microbiome assemblage is specialized for marine mammals and may indicate a healthy, noninfected pulmonary system. Pathogen screening was conducted on the microbiomes at the genus level, which showed that all blow and few seawater microbiomes contained relatives of bacterial pathogens; no known cetacean respiratory pathogens were detected in the blow. Overall, the discovery of a shared large core microbiome in humpback whales is an important advancement for health and disease monitoring of this species and of other large whales. IMPORTANCE The conservation and management of large whales rely in part upon health monitoring of individuals and populations, and methods generally necessitate invasive sampling. Here, we used a small, unmanned hexacopter drone to noninvasively fly above humpback whales from two populations, capture their exhaled breath (blow), and examine the associated microbiome. In the first extensive examination of the ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles mSystems 2 5 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
SSU rRNA gene bacteria drone humpback whale microbiome Microbiology QR1-502 |
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SSU rRNA gene bacteria drone humpback whale microbiome Microbiology QR1-502 Amy Apprill Carolyn A. Miller Michael J. Moore John W. Durban Holly Fearnbach Lance G. Barrett-Lennard Extensive Core Microbiome in Drone-Captured Whale Blow Supports a Framework for Health Monitoring |
topic_facet |
SSU rRNA gene bacteria drone humpback whale microbiome Microbiology QR1-502 |
description |
ABSTRACT The pulmonary system is a common site for bacterial infections in cetaceans, but very little is known about their respiratory microbiome. We used a small, unmanned hexacopter to collect exhaled breath condensate (blow) from two geographically distinct populations of apparently healthy humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), sampled in the Massachusetts coastal waters off Cape Cod (n = 17) and coastal waters around Vancouver Island (n = 9). Bacterial and archaeal small-subunit rRNA genes were amplified and sequenced from blow samples, including many of sparse volume, as well as seawater and other controls, to characterize the associated microbial community. The blow microbiomes were distinct from the seawater microbiomes and included 25 phylogenetically diverse bacteria common to all sampled whales. This core assemblage comprised on average 36% of the microbiome, making it one of the more consistent animal microbiomes studied to date. The closest phylogenetic relatives of 20 of these core microbes were previously detected in marine mammals, suggesting that this core microbiome assemblage is specialized for marine mammals and may indicate a healthy, noninfected pulmonary system. Pathogen screening was conducted on the microbiomes at the genus level, which showed that all blow and few seawater microbiomes contained relatives of bacterial pathogens; no known cetacean respiratory pathogens were detected in the blow. Overall, the discovery of a shared large core microbiome in humpback whales is an important advancement for health and disease monitoring of this species and of other large whales. IMPORTANCE The conservation and management of large whales rely in part upon health monitoring of individuals and populations, and methods generally necessitate invasive sampling. Here, we used a small, unmanned hexacopter drone to noninvasively fly above humpback whales from two populations, capture their exhaled breath (blow), and examine the associated microbiome. In the first extensive examination of the ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Amy Apprill Carolyn A. Miller Michael J. Moore John W. Durban Holly Fearnbach Lance G. Barrett-Lennard |
author_facet |
Amy Apprill Carolyn A. Miller Michael J. Moore John W. Durban Holly Fearnbach Lance G. Barrett-Lennard |
author_sort |
Amy Apprill |
title |
Extensive Core Microbiome in Drone-Captured Whale Blow Supports a Framework for Health Monitoring |
title_short |
Extensive Core Microbiome in Drone-Captured Whale Blow Supports a Framework for Health Monitoring |
title_full |
Extensive Core Microbiome in Drone-Captured Whale Blow Supports a Framework for Health Monitoring |
title_fullStr |
Extensive Core Microbiome in Drone-Captured Whale Blow Supports a Framework for Health Monitoring |
title_full_unstemmed |
Extensive Core Microbiome in Drone-Captured Whale Blow Supports a Framework for Health Monitoring |
title_sort |
extensive core microbiome in drone-captured whale blow supports a framework for health monitoring |
publisher |
American Society for Microbiology |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00119-17 https://doaj.org/article/823dfe7da6a2478ea4cf3e5610501a80 |
genre |
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae |
genre_facet |
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae |
op_source |
mSystems, Vol 2, Iss 5 (2017) |
op_relation |
https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSystems.00119-17 https://doaj.org/toc/2379-5077 doi:10.1128/mSystems.00119-17 2379-5077 https://doaj.org/article/823dfe7da6a2478ea4cf3e5610501a80 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00119-17 |
container_title |
mSystems |
container_volume |
2 |
container_issue |
5 |
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1766026477365624832 |