Seals : a potential source of bacterial and viral fecal contamination of the littoral

Sampling of feces of seals (harbor seals, Phoca vitulina and grey seals, Halichoerus grypus) was carried out on the sites of BDS (Baie de Somme), WAL (Walde), MOL (Molène archipelargo), Saint-Pierre et Miquelon (SPM, Le grand barachois, Miquelon) in France. Bacterial communities were described by using 16S rRNA amplicon high-throughput sequencing. For RNA viruses, purification (elimination of bacteria) and concentration steps were performed before RNA extraction and metagenomic analysis after selection of viral RNAs.