Metagenomics characterization of red snapper microbiome following CEWAF and pathogen exposure

The microbiome associated with organisms plays a vital role in disease susceptibility via competitive exclusion of opportunistic pathogens. Unbalanced bacterial communities (dysbiosis) can decrease the ability of the microbiome to exclude pathogens, leading to increased susceptibility to infection. This study used 16S rRNA sequencing in order to characterize the adherent gut microbiome of red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) during exposure to chemically enhanced water accommodated fraction of oil (CEWAF) to determine the impacts of exposure on microbiome structure as well as identify if dysbiosis plays a role in disease.