Microbiome associated with bald sea urchin disease in the purple sea urchin

The goal of this study was to identify the causative agents underlying bald sea urchin disease (BSUD) in the California purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. BSUD causes the loss of spines in sea urchins, and may lead to death of the animal. The cause of BSUD is unknown, but it is likely caused by dysbiosis of the surface microbiome. The microbiome of infected sea urchins were sampled and the bacterial DNA was isolated and sequenced to identify possible pathogenic species.