Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing have enabled the large-scale interrogation of microbiota in the most diverse environments, including host-associated microbiota. This has led to the recognition that the skin microbiota of rorquals is specific and structurally different from that of the ocean. This study reveals the skin microbiome of 85 wild individuals along the Chilean coast belonging to Megaptera novaeangliae, Balaenoptera musculus and Balaenoptera physalus. Alpha diversity analysis revealed significant differences in richness and phylogenetic diversity, particularly among humpback whales from different locations and between blue and humpback whales. Beta diversity was partially explained by host and location but only accounting for up to 17% of microbiota variability (adjusted VPA). Overall, we found that microbiota composition was dominated by bacterial genera such as Cardiobacter, Moraxella, Tenacibaculum, Stenotrophomonas, Flavobacteria and Pseudomonas. We also found that no ASVs were associated with the three rorqual species. Up to four ASVs were specific of a location, indicating a great variability in the microbiota. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the composition and structure of the skin microbiota of whales off the coast of Chile, providing a foundational dataset to understand the microbiota's role in rorquals.

中文翻译：

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南太平洋东部 rorquals 皮肤微生物群的组成和结构

高通量测序的最新进展使得能够在最多样化的环境中对微生物群进行大规模研究，包括与宿主相关的微生物群。这导致人们认识到，rorquals的皮肤微生物群是特定的，并且在结构上与海洋的微生物群不同。这项研究揭示了智利海岸 85 个野生个体的皮肤微生物组，这些个体属于 Megaptera novaeangliae、Balaenoptera musculus 和 Balaenoptera physalus。阿尔法多样性分析揭示了丰富度和系统发育多样性的显着差异，特别是在来自不同地点的座头鲸之间以及蓝鲸和座头鲸之间。β 多样性部分由宿主和位置解释，但仅占微生物群变异性的 17%（调整后的 VPA）。全面的，我们发现微生物群组成以细菌属为主，如 Cardiobacter、Moraxella、Tenacibaculum、Stenotrophomonas、Flavobacteria 和 Pseudomonas。我们还发现，没有 ASV 与三种 rorqual 物种相关。多达四个 ASV 是特定位置的，表明微生物群的变异性很大。据我们所知，这是第一份关于智利沿海鲸鱼皮肤微生物群组成和结构的报告，为了解微生物群在 rorquals 中的作用提供了基础数据集。表明微生物群的变异性很大。据我们所知，这是第一份关于智利沿海鲸鱼皮肤微生物群组成和结构的报告，为了解微生物群在 rorquals 中的作用提供了基础数据集。表明微生物群的变异性很大。据我们所知，这是第一份关于智利沿海鲸鱼皮肤微生物群组成和结构的报告，为了解微生物群在 rorquals 中的作用提供了基础数据集。