Heterogeneity of the rearing environment enhances diversity of microbial communities in intensive farming.

ABSTRACT: Heterogeneity of the rearing environment in farmed animals can improve welfare and stocking success by enhancing natural behaviours, reducing stress, and decreasing pathogen occurrence. Although microbial diversity is often associated with well-being, their direct and indirect effects on health of farmed animals remain underexplored. We examined the impact of structural heterogeneity of aquaculture tanks on microbial communities in tank biofilm and fish gut microbiome. Enrichment (stones and shelters) significantly promoted microbial diversity and community homogeneity in tank biofilm. However, diversity of gut microbiome did not depend on rearing treatment or microbial composition of the environment. Fish in enriched tanks exhibited greater compositional variation in gut microbiome than t

SUBMITTER: Ashrafi R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11662696 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature