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Bacterial Species Identified on the Skin of Bottlenose Dolphins Off Southern California via Next Generation Sequencing Techniques

  • Microbiology of Aquatic Systems
  • Published:
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Abstract

The dermis of cetaceans is in constant contact with microbial species. Although the skin of the bottlenose dolphin provides adequate defense against most disease-causing microbes, it also provides an environment for microbial community development. Microbial community uniqueness and richness associated with bottlenose dolphin skin is a function of varying habitats and changing environmental conditions. The current study uses ribosomal DNA as a marker to identify bacteria found on the skin of coastal and offshore bottlenose dolphins off of Southern California. The unique microbial communities recovered from these dolphins suggest a greater microbial diversity on the skin of offshore ecotype bottlenose dolphins, while microbial populations associated with the coastal ecotype include species that are more closely related to each other and that suggest exposure to communities that are likely to be associated with terrestrial runoff.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge an award to DJG from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management through their Coastal Impact Assistance Program administered by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources that supported CDR. The authors would also like to acknowledge the kind support for sequencing supplied by the JCVI.

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Author notes

  1. Corey D. Russo

    Present address: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Clinical Next Gen Sequencing Division, 5781 Van Allen Way, Carlsbad, CA, 92008, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, The University of Southern Mississippi, 703 East Beach Drive, Ocean Springs, MS, 39564, USA

    Corey D. Russo & D. Jay Grimes

  2. Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, 8901 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA

    David W. Weller & Susan J. Chivers

  3. J. Craig Venter Institute, 4120 Capricorn Lane, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA

    Karen E. Nelson & Manolito Torralba

Authors
  1. Corey D. Russo
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  2. David W. Weller
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  3. Karen E. Nelson
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  4. Susan J. Chivers
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  5. Manolito Torralba
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  6. D. Jay Grimes
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. Jay Grimes.

Ethics declarations

Standard protocols for projectile biopsy sampling were followed to obtain skin and blubber samples from large research ships or small boats conducting research in the Southern California Bight [17]. Bottlenose dolphin samples from San Diego, CA (coastal and offshore), bottlenose dolphins, were collected under National Marine Fisheries Service Scientific Research Permit No. 774-1714, issued to the Southwest Fisheries Science Center.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Russo, C.D., Weller, D.W., Nelson, K.E. et al. Bacterial Species Identified on the Skin of Bottlenose Dolphins Off Southern California via Next Generation Sequencing Techniques. Microb Ecol 75, 303–309 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-017-1071-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-017-1071-2

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