Similar bacterial communities on healthy and injured skin of black-tip reef sharks

Summary: This study investigates the microbial communities present on the skin of black-tip reef sharks and compares profiles from healthy and visibly injured individuals. Contrary to expectations, the microbiomes of injured sharks showed remarkable consistency with those of uninjured counterparts, suggesting a high degree of stability and resilience. The results provide novel insights into elasmobranch skin ecology and support the hypothesis that shark skin maintains a robust microbial barrier. These findings have implications for our understanding of wound healing, disease resistance, and the role of host-associated microbiota in marine vertebrates.

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