Oyster larvae microbiomes

Aquaculture of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is a rapidly expanding and economically important industry. Probiotics are an increasingly popular approach for prevention of diseases in aquaculture. The marine bacterium Phaeobacter inhibens S4 (S4) protects larval eastern oysters against challenge with the bacterial pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus RE22. The goal of the study is to characterize the microbiota of oyster larvae treated with the probiotic Phaeobacter inhibens S4 from hatcheries in the east coast. This is to enhance our understand of how the larval bacterial community may change due to probiotic treatment and how it contributes to larval health, growth, and development.