Microbial distortion? Impacts of delayed preservation on microbiome diversity and composition in a marine invertebrate

Field collections of marine invertebrates are often accompanied by delays in preservation, which may impact microbiome composition. Here, we tested the effects of delayed preservation and relaxation methods on microbiome diversity and composition in the colonial ascidian Trididemnum solidum using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Replicate samples collected from Belizean reefs were either (1) immediately preserved in ethanol, (2) held in ambient seawater for three hours before preservation, or (3) held in ambient seawater with menthol for three hours before preservation.