Gill-associated microbiome as indicators of population stress and condition in Eastern Baltic Cod

The study examines the association between skin microbiota composition and body condition in two eastern Baltic cod populations from the Bornholm Basin and Aland Sea, which differ in hydrographic conditions like salinity, oxygen, and temperature. We used 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding to compare alpha and beta diversity and composition, identifying enriched Gene Ontology pathways. This study highlights the need to integrate microbiota data into aquatic population research, aligning with ongoing work in fish immunogenetics and microbiome analysis