Streaming Media
Presentation Abstract
All organisms are hosts for a universe of microbes ("microbiome"), and the relationship is overwhelmingly neutral or mutually beneficial. When we evaluate the health status of a free-ranging animal such as killer whales or salmon, it typically includes searching for pathogens. But this approach tends to generate many negative results unless there are signs to suggest a particular pathogen. An alternative approach is examining the associated microbiomes, which are coupled to the host's physiology and varies depending on location on the host. Although the opportunity to collect samples from Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs) has always been limited, non-invasive samples such as mucus and breath provide access to the microbiomes associated with the respiratory tract, a critical system for deep-diving marine mammals. We analyzed mucus (N=62) and breath (N=13) samples collected over an 11-year period (2009-19) for bacterial microbiomes using high-throughput amplicon sequencing. In spite of potential for seawater contamination of these samples, there was little or no microbiome overlap between killer whale samples and seawater. Five bacterial phyla occurred exclusively or nearly exclusively in mucus samples (Tenericutes, Fusobacteria, Spirochaetes, Epsilonbacteraeota, Patescibacteria) and included taxa with unexpected abundance. For example, Mollicutes (Tenericutes), which include bacteria with a known parasitic lifestyle, had a relatively high abundance in mucus samples. One phylum, WPS-2 (Eremiobacterota), was present in breath but not mucus or water samples, although it was not present in all breath samples. A number of potentially pathogenic taxa, such as Campylobacter, Hemophilus, Streptococcus, and Serratia, were detected, but it is premature to assign a health implication without more context, such as the individual who generated the sample. Nonetheless, these microbiome profiles are a nascent tool that can complement existing health assessment evaluations being developed for SRKW.
Session Title
Poster Session 2: The Salish Sea Food Web and Cycles of Life
Conference Track
SSE14: Posters
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-posters-181
Start Date
26-4-2022 4:30 PM
End Date
26-4-2022 5:00 PM
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Killer whale--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Microbiomes--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Wildlife conservation--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Killer Whale Microbiomes for Health Assessment
All organisms are hosts for a universe of microbes ("microbiome"), and the relationship is overwhelmingly neutral or mutually beneficial. When we evaluate the health status of a free-ranging animal such as killer whales or salmon, it typically includes searching for pathogens. But this approach tends to generate many negative results unless there are signs to suggest a particular pathogen. An alternative approach is examining the associated microbiomes, which are coupled to the host's physiology and varies depending on location on the host. Although the opportunity to collect samples from Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs) has always been limited, non-invasive samples such as mucus and breath provide access to the microbiomes associated with the respiratory tract, a critical system for deep-diving marine mammals. We analyzed mucus (N=62) and breath (N=13) samples collected over an 11-year period (2009-19) for bacterial microbiomes using high-throughput amplicon sequencing. In spite of potential for seawater contamination of these samples, there was little or no microbiome overlap between killer whale samples and seawater. Five bacterial phyla occurred exclusively or nearly exclusively in mucus samples (Tenericutes, Fusobacteria, Spirochaetes, Epsilonbacteraeota, Patescibacteria) and included taxa with unexpected abundance. For example, Mollicutes (Tenericutes), which include bacteria with a known parasitic lifestyle, had a relatively high abundance in mucus samples. One phylum, WPS-2 (Eremiobacterota), was present in breath but not mucus or water samples, although it was not present in all breath samples. A number of potentially pathogenic taxa, such as Campylobacter, Hemophilus, Streptococcus, and Serratia, were detected, but it is premature to assign a health implication without more context, such as the individual who generated the sample. Nonetheless, these microbiome profiles are a nascent tool that can complement existing health assessment evaluations being developed for SRKW.
