Comparison of de novo assembly using long-read shotgun metagenomic sequencing of viruses in fecal and serum samples from marine mammals

The objectives of this study were to (i) use metagenomics to characterize viruses in stool and serum samples from bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) and California sea lions (Zalophus californiansus) with a long-read sequencing approach; (ii) compare two de novo assemblers, Canu v2.2 and Metaflye v2.9.1, in generating viral contigs for annotation. The improved knowledge on marine viruses and successful protocol development will lead to translational science that informs protection of animals and public health under a One Health framework.