The digestive tract microbiome has a significant role in health, digestion and development. In healthy organisms, the microbiome is considered to improve health by promoting the uptake of essential nutrients for development, regulating the immune system, and helping to prevent pathogenic infection. On the other hand, shifts in the microbiome that lead to imbalance, known as a state of dysbiosis, are associated with a number of diseases and adverse health conditions. The importance of the digestive tract microbiome in abalone, a commercially important aquaculture species, has not been well established.
The aim of this research was to identify the core microbiome, in terms of diversity and plasticity, of Australian abalone throughout the aquaculture grow-out cycle. Metabarcoding approaches were used to sequence the intestinal microbiome of commercially cultured green lip (Haliotis laevigata) and hybrid (Haliotis laevigata x H. rubra) abalone. The community composition and plasticity of the microbiome were examined throughout the first year of development and during periods of optimal growth and temperature stress.
The intestinal microbiome adapted to experimental treatments (e.g., temperature and diet). However, there was a core group of genera, including Vibrio spp., Psychrilyobacter spp., and Mycoplasma spp., that consistently populated the intestines of adult and juvenile abalone. This research provides novel and practical information for researchers and farmers.