Shrimp microbiomes in the ghauts of Montserrat: Microbial diversity in the tropical freshwater systems
Faculty Mentor
Jenifer Walke
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-14-2026 4:00 PM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Biology
Abstract
The freshwater shrimp that are in the tropical stream ecosystems interact closely with diverse microbial communities, but not very much is known about how these host-associated microbes are different across different environmental gradients. This study aims to examine the microbial community diversity and the composition of the freshwater shrimp that were collected from different guts on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. Shrimp samples were collected in the month of January, and we collected 24 shrimp swab samples and 14 environmental water samples from four separate ghauts: Lawyers Ghaut, Soldier Ghaut, Bugby Ghaut, and Bunkum Ghaut. Microbial DNA was extracted using a DNeasy protocol, and the bacterial communities were categorized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing on an aluminum platform. Our results revealed that diverse microbial communities on shrimp surfaces do differ among guts. The microbial communities on the shrimp were also distinct from the microbial communities that were in the surrounding water, which indicates a host-associated microbial assemblage. Our findings support our hypothesis that environmental variation among ghauts shapes the shrimp microbiomes, which contributes to our understanding of host microbe interactions and microbial ecology in tropical freshwater systems.
Recommended Citation
Nemnich, Lydia, "Shrimp microbiomes in the ghauts of Montserrat: Microbial diversity in the tropical freshwater systems" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 49.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p3_2026/49
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Shrimp microbiomes in the ghauts of Montserrat: Microbial diversity in the tropical freshwater systems
PUB NCR
The freshwater shrimp that are in the tropical stream ecosystems interact closely with diverse microbial communities, but not very much is known about how these host-associated microbes are different across different environmental gradients. This study aims to examine the microbial community diversity and the composition of the freshwater shrimp that were collected from different guts on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. Shrimp samples were collected in the month of January, and we collected 24 shrimp swab samples and 14 environmental water samples from four separate ghauts: Lawyers Ghaut, Soldier Ghaut, Bugby Ghaut, and Bunkum Ghaut. Microbial DNA was extracted using a DNeasy protocol, and the bacterial communities were categorized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing on an aluminum platform. Our results revealed that diverse microbial communities on shrimp surfaces do differ among guts. The microbial communities on the shrimp were also distinct from the microbial communities that were in the surrounding water, which indicates a host-associated microbial assemblage. Our findings support our hypothesis that environmental variation among ghauts shapes the shrimp microbiomes, which contributes to our understanding of host microbe interactions and microbial ecology in tropical freshwater systems.
