Comparison of fecal and gut microbiota in blue mussels

Bivalves have ecological and economic importance but information regarding their associated microbiomes is lacking. As suspension-feeders, bivalves capture and ingest a myriad of particles, and their digestive organs have a high throughput of particle-associated microbiota. To better understand the complement of transient and resident microbial communities, standard methods need to be developed. For example, fecal sampling could represent a convenient proxy for the gut microbiome and is simple, nondestructive, and allows for sampling of individuals through time. The goal of this study was to evaluate fecal sampling as a reliable proxy for gut microbiome assessment in the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis).