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Gastro-intestinal microbiota of two migratory shorebird species during spring migration staging in Delaware Bay, USA
Citation:
Grond, K., H. Ryu, A. Baker, J. Santodomingo, AND D. Buehler. Gastro-intestinal microbiota of two migratory shorebird species during spring migration staging in Delaware Bay, USA. Journal of Field Ornithology. Springer Berlin - Heidelberg, , Germany, 155(4):969-977, (2014).
Impact/Purpose:
Waterfowl are among the most important sources of fecal pollution in coastal waters. This study focuses on describing the microbial composition of migratory birds to better understand the potential populations that can be used as indicators of fecal pollution
Description:
Migratory birds travel long distances and use diverse habitats, potentially exposing them to a broad range of microbes that could negatively affect their health and survival. Gut microbiota composition has been shown to be closely related to organismal health through interactions with nutrient uptake and immune function. We provide a first insight into the composition of the gastrointestinal microbiota in migratory Red Knot (Calidris canutus) and Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) staging in Delaware Bay by analyzing fecal bacterial communities of three individuals per species with 16S rRNA clone libraries. In the 313 bacterial sequences we analysed from Red Knots, we identified 19 bacterial Classes across 29 Genera, and from the 218 Ruddy Turnstone sequences, we identified 11 bacterial Classes across 17 Genera. In Red Knots and Ruddy Turnstones 27% and 41% of all sequences were closely related to Campylobacter spp. which includes several human pathogens. Only five of the 46 Genera, and 8 out of 124 Operational Taxonomic Units were shared between species, suggesting that gut microbial community structure can be species specific under environmentally similar conditions. Our study provides baseline information that can be used in future studies to better understand diversity and function of gut microbes, and can be expanded to investigate how gut microbiota of migratory birds effects their body condition, immune function, and demographic performance.
