Biofilm-forming bacteria have the potential to contribute to the health, physiology, behavior and ecology of the host and serve as its first line of defense against adverse conditions in the environment. While metabarcoding and metagenomic information furthers our understanding of microbiome composition, fewer studies use cultured samples to study the diverse interactions among the host and its microbiome, as cultured representatives are often lacking. This study examines the surface microbiomes cultured from three shallow-water coral species and two whale species. These unique marine animals place strong selective pressures on their microbial symbionts and contain members under similar environmental and anthropogenic stress. We developed an intense cultivation procedure, utilizing a suite of culture conditions targeting a rich assortment of biofilm-forming microorganisms. We identified 592 microbial isolates contained within 15 bacterial orders representing 50 bacterial genera, and two fungal species. Culturable bacteria from coral and whale samples paralleled taxonomic groups identified in culture-independent surveys, including 29% of all bacterial genera identified in the Megaptera novaeangliae skin microbiome through culture-independent methods. This microbial repository provides raw material and biological input for more nuanced studies which can explore how members of the microbiome both shape their micro-niche and impact host fitness.

中文翻译：

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表征不同海洋动物的可培养表面微生物组

形成生物膜的细菌有可能促进宿主的健康、生理、行为和生态，并作为其抵御环境不利条件的第一道防线。虽然元条形码和宏基因组信息加深了我们对微生物组组成的理解，但很少有研究使用培养样品来研究宿主与其微生物组之间的不同相互作用，因为培养的代表往往缺乏。这项研究检查了从三种浅水珊瑚物种和两种鲸鱼物种中培养的表面微生物群落。这些独特的海洋动物对其微生物共生体施加了强大的选择压力，并包含处于类似环境和人为压力下的成员。我们制定了密集的培养程序，利用一套针对各种生物膜形成微生物的培养条件。我们鉴定了 592 种微生物分离物，包含在 15 个细菌目中，代表 50 个细菌属和两种真菌物种。来自珊瑚和鲸鱼样本的可培养细菌与独立于培养的调查中确定的分类群相似，包括通过独立于培养的方法在 Megaptera novaeangliae 皮肤微生物组中确定的所有细菌属的 29%。这个微生物库为更细致入微的研究提供了原材料和生物输入，这些研究可以探索微生物组成员如何塑造它们的微生态位并影响宿主的适应性。来自珊瑚和鲸鱼样本的可培养细菌与独立于培养的调查中确定的分类群相似，包括通过独立于培养的方法在 Megaptera novaeangliae 皮肤微生物组中确定的所有细菌属的 29%。这个微生物库为更细致入微的研究提供了原材料和生物输入，这些研究可以探索微生物组成员如何塑造它们的微生态位并影响宿主的适应性。来自珊瑚和鲸鱼样本的可培养细菌与独立于培养的调查中确定的分类群相似，包括通过独立于培养的方法在 Megaptera novaeangliae 皮肤微生物组中确定的所有细菌属的 29%。这个微生物库为更细致入微的研究提供了原材料和生物输入，这些研究可以探索微生物组成员如何塑造它们的微生态位并影响宿主的适应性。