Respiratory microbiomes reflect whale health.

ABSTRACT: As important members of the marine ecosystem, baleen whales are frequently managed and protected, but methodology to assess their health remains limited. Recent technological advances, such as the use of drones, support the non-invasive collection of promising health-associated data, including respiratory exhalant microbiota. Here, we considered five health metrics paired with respiratory exhalant samples to examine the utility of characterizing respiratory microorganisms for health diagnostics of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), one of the most endangered baleen whale species. In 2016-2024, we used drones to collect 103 exhalant samples from 85 individuals to examine the associated microbiome, using amplicon sequencing methods targeting bacteria and archaea. The health s

SUBMITTER: Miller CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12599319 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature