Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Variation in the gut microbiota of wild Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) likely reflects diet shifts between snow-free and snow seasons

Researchers studied the gut bacteria of wild Eurasian otters across two seasons, finding that their microbiome shifts significantly depending on what they eat — fish in summer versus high-fat prey in winter. The study notes that future comparisons with urban otters could reveal whether microplastic contamination in waterways disrupts their gut health.

2025 BMC Microbiology
Article Tier 2

The Characteristics of Intestinal Bacterial Community in Three Omnivorous Fishes and Their Interaction with Microbiota from Habitats

This study examined the gut bacterial communities of three omnivorous fish species in artificial fishery habitats, comparing them to bacteria in the surrounding water and sediment. Fish gut microbiomes partially reflected the environmental microbiota, suggesting habitat quality affects fish gut health. This is relevant to microplastics because microplastics alter both aquatic microbial communities and fish gut microbiomes.

2021 Microorganisms 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Seasonal variation and ecological risk assessment of microplastics ingested by economic fishes in Lake Chaohu, China

Researchers examined seasonal variation in microplastic concentrations in economic fish species from Lake Chaohu, China, finding differences between wet and dry seasons and assessing the ecological risk of microplastic contamination in freshwater fisheries.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into the Gut Microbiota of the Freshwater Crab Sinopotamon planum across Three Seasons and Its Associations with the Surrounding Aquatic Microbiota

Researchers characterized the gut microbiota of freshwater crab Sinopotamon planum across three seasons, finding seasonal shifts in microbial community composition that correlated with changes in surrounding aquatic microbiota and environmental conditions.

2023 Diversity 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Effectiveness assessment of using water environmental microHI to predict the health status of wild fish

Researchers tested whether measuring the health of microbial communities in river water could predict the health status of wild fish living there. The study found that the environmental microbiota health index was effective for bottom-dwelling fish but less reliable for fish living in the open water, suggesting this non-invasive monitoring approach works best for certain types of aquatic species.

2024 Frontiers in Microbiology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of host phylogeny and water physicochemistry on microbial assemblages of the fish skin microbiome

Researchers conducted a large-scale analysis of nearly 2,000 fish skin microbiome samples across 98 species to understand what factors shape microbial communities on fish surfaces. They found that host evolutionary history and water chemistry, particularly salinity and temperature, were the strongest predictors of skin microbiome composition. The study provides a broad framework for understanding how environmental stressors, including pollutants, may disrupt the beneficial microbial communities on fish.

2024 FEMS Microbiology Ecology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Exposure Across Trophic Levels: Effects on the Host Microbiota of Freshwater Organisms

Researchers investigated how microplastic exposure affects the gut bacteria communities of freshwater organisms including fish, invertebrates, and crustaceans. Microplastics—particularly when combined with pesticides—altered gut microbiota composition, which could impair digestion, immunity, and overall health of freshwater species.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Within-species variation in the gut microbiome of medaka ( Oryzias latipes ) is driven by the interaction of light intensity and genetic background

This study found that gut microbiome composition in medaka fish is shaped by the interaction between genetic background and light intensity, with fishing-like selective pressure reducing bacterial richness under low-light conditions, though this did not affect growth rates.

2023
Article Tier 2

Bacterioplankton Community Structure and Its Relationship with Environmental Factors in the Coastal Waters Around the Changli Gold Coast National Nature Reserve in Northern China

Researchers investigated bacterioplankton community structure in coastal waters around a Chinese nature reserve, finding significant seasonal variability in nutrients and identifying key environmental drivers—including nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon—of bacterial community composition.

2025 Water
Article Tier 2

Characterization of skin- and intestine microbial communities in migrating high Arctic lake whitefish and cisco

Researchers characterized the skin and intestinal microbiomes of migratory Arctic lake whitefish and cisco, finding that microbial communities varied between species and body sites, with implications for understanding fish health in changing Arctic environments.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics in our water: Fish microbiomes at risk?

This review examined how microplastics and leached plasticizers affect the gut microbiomes of freshwater and marine fish, summarizing evidence for dysbiosis and reduced microbial diversity and discussing potential consequences for fish immunity, metabolism, and environmental fitness.

2021 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part D Genomics and Proteomics 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of environmental factors on host-microbiota interactions in the guts of aquatic organisms: A review

This review synthesizes how environmental stressors — including microplastics, heavy metals, photoperiod, and aquaculture feed additives — alter gut microbiota in fish and aquatic invertebrates, identifying common patterns of microbial disruption and compromised gut barrier integrity.

2025 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Within-species variation in the gut microbiome of medaka (Oryzias latipes) is driven by the interaction of light intensity and genetic background

This paper is not about microplastics; it studies how light intensity and evolutionary history (lineages selected under fishing-like vs. natural mortality) interact to shape gut microbiome diversity and composition in medaka fish.

2023 Peer Community Journal 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Temporal dynamics of bacterial colonization on five types of microplastics in a freshwater lake

Researchers submerged five types of microplastics in a freshwater lake for about a year to study how bacterial communities colonize their surfaces over time. They found that different plastic types attracted distinct microbial communities, which changed significantly across seasons. The study reveals that microplastics serve as unique habitats for bacteria in freshwater, potentially influencing nutrient cycling and ecosystem dynamics.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Connection between the Gut Microbiota of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) and Microbiota of the aquaponics system Environment

Researchers investigated the relationship between gut microbiota composition in largemouth bass and the presence of microplastics in their digestive tracts, finding that microplastic-exposed fish showed distinct microbial community profiles. Certain bacterial taxa associated with plastic degradation were enriched in fish with higher microplastic burdens, suggesting gut microbiota adapt to plastic ingestion.

2024
Article Tier 2

Deciphering the gut microbiome of grass carp through multi-omics approach

Researchers used multiple layers of molecular data (multi-omics) to map the gut microbiome of grass carp, identifying key bacterial functions and potential targets for improving fish gut health — findings that could benefit aquaculture and our understanding of how gut microbes support digestion in fish.

2024 Microbiome 55 citations
Article Tier 2

A fishy gut feeling – current knowledge on gut microbiota in teleosts

This review summarizes what scientists know about the community of bacteria living in fish guts and how diet, environmental conditions, and pollutants shape that community. Microplastics and other pollutants can disrupt the gut microbiome in fish, harming their immune function and overall health. Since fish are a major food source for humans, understanding these effects matters for food safety.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic exposure across trophic levels: effects on the host–microbiota of freshwater organisms

Researchers examined how microplastic exposure across trophic levels affects the gut microbiota of freshwater organisms, finding that microplastics alter microbial community composition and that effects can transfer through food web interactions.

2022 Environmental Microbiome 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Responses of Free-Living Vibrio Community to Seasonal Environmental Variation in a Subtropical Inland Bay

Researchers used Vibrio-specific 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize seasonal distribution and diversity of free-living Vibrio communities in the Maowei Sea, finding that Shannon diversity peaked in summer while community composition shifted with temperature and nutrient availability, revealing how seasonal eutrophication shapes the dynamics of this pathogen-relevant bacterial genus.

2020 Frontiers in Microbiology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Multi-omics association pattern between gut microbiota and host metabolism of a filter-feeding fish in situ exposed to microplastics

Scientists exposed filter-feeding fish to environmentally realistic levels of microplastics and found that the particles reshaped gut bacteria communities, which in turn altered the fish's liver metabolism through changes in amino acid processing. This gut-microbiome-to-organ connection matters because it shows microplastics may affect human health not just through direct toxicity but by disrupting the beneficial bacteria in our digestive systems.

2025 Environment International 11 citations