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First investigation of the environmental microbiome throughout a wild bivalve mollusc spawning event
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  • Hannah Farley,
  • Tim Regan,
  • Erica Chapman,
  • Ana Rodriguez Perez,
  • Tristan Hugh-Jones,
  • Karen Diele,
  • William Sanderson,
  • Frederico Batista,
  • Tim Bean
Hannah Farley
The University of Edinburgh The Roslin Institute
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Tim Regan
The University of Edinburgh Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies
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Erica Chapman
St Abbs Marine Satation
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Ana Rodriguez Perez
St Abbs Marine Station
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Tristan Hugh-Jones
Loch Ryan Oyster Fishery Company
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Karen Diele
Edinburgh Napier University School of Applied Sciences
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William Sanderson
Heriot-Watt University School of Energy Geoscience Infrastructure and Society
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Frederico Batista
Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Weymouth Laboratory
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Tim Bean
The University of Edinburgh The Roslin Institute

Corresponding Author:tim.bean@roslin.ed.ac.uk

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Abstract

The microbiome plays a key role in animal health, and is an important aspect of any natural or farmed ecosystem. Here we present the first environmental microbiome study of Ostrea edulis, as well as the first of a natural wild spawning event of any oyster species. Larval abundance was hypothesised to be correlated with specific microbial signatures. Water samples were collected throughout a natural spawning event of O. edulis at Loch Ryan, Scotland, UK. Samples were collected on 4 different dates from June to September 2019, across 8 different sampling sites on the loch at mid, bottom and surface levels within the water column to remove effects of salinity and tidal fluctuations. Larval count data was obtained from these samples before full-length sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene using Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Significant microbial differences were only found between samples collected on different dates, and not at different sites or water column depths. Differences in the microbiome throughout the spawning season were driven by changes in the abundance of certain taxa, most notably those belonging to the Rhodobacteraceae family. Inverse abundance profiles of Rhodobacteraceae and Vibrio over time are also discussed. This study provides important microbial baseline data about the spawning environment of O. edulis.
29 Aug 2024Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
06 Sep 2024Submission Checks Completed
06 Sep 2024Assigned to Editor
16 Sep 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned