Colony Location and Captivity Influence the Gut Microbial Community Composition of the Australian Sea Lion (Neophoca cinerea).

ABSTRACT:

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Gut microbiota play an important role in maintenance of mammalian metabolism and immune system regulation, and disturbances to this community can have adverse impacts on animal health. To better understand the composition of gut microbiota in marine mammals, fecal bacterial communities of the Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea), an endangered pinniped with localized distribution, were examined. A comparison of samples from individuals across 11 wild colonies in South and Western Australia and three Australian captive populations showed five dominant bacterial phyla: Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Fusobacteria The phylum Firmicutes was dominant in both wild (76.4% ± 4.73%) and captive animals (61.4% ± 10.8%), while Proteobacteria contrib

SUBMITTER: Delport TC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4959163 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature