Nest microbiota and pathogen abundance in sea turtle hatcheries. (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hoh, Daphne Z.; Lin, Yu-Fei; Liu, Wei-An; Sidique, Siti Nordahliawate Mohamed; Tsai, Isheng Jason
• Is Part Of: Fungal ecology. Volume 47(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: Microbiota -- Sea turtle conservation -- FSSC -- STEF; Fungi -- Ecology -- Periodicals; Mycology -- Periodicals; 579.517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2020.100964
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1754-5048

Abstract

Abstract: Hatchery practices are pivotal to conservation success. In sea turtle hatcheries, reusing sand is a norm, but it remains unclear whether such an approach increases the risk of Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) infection and mortality in sea turtle eggs. We employed 16S and ITS amplicon sequencing in sands and isolated Fusarium strains from diseased eggs across seven turtle hatcheries and their neighbouring beaches in Malaysia. FSSC was isolated from all sampled hatcheries, and Fusarium falciforme was the predominant species (82.9%). All but one hatchery had a distinct microbiota and higher abundance of FSSC (mean = 5.2%) than the nesting beaches (mean = 1.3%). The hatchery that maintained the most stringent practice by not reusing sand had a microbiota resembling that of nesting beaches, and the lowest FSSC abundance. The results of the current study imply that sand should not be reused in sea turtle hatcheries. Highlights: Microbial compositions in sand varied between nesting beaches and hatcheries. Reused-sand in sea turtle hatcheries had higher pathogen abundance. Hatchery that did not reuse sand had a microbiota which resembled nesting beach.