Defense Date

4-20-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Science

Degree Name

Biological Sciences

First Advisor

Andrew Ozga, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Jose Lopez, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Omar Eldakar, Ph.D.

Keywords

shark, bacteria, oral microbiomes, richness, microbial diversity, pathogenicity, antibiotic resistance

Abstract

Sharks are incredibly common in the Atlantic and Gulf waters surrounding Florida. Despite the prevalent nature of these animals, little research exists on the composition of their microbial communities (or “microbiomes”). Here we aim to determine the microbial makeup of the oral environment of sharks so that we can determine if there are any bacteria of clinical significance to humans, such as being antibiotic-resistant or having elevated capability for pathogenicity. A total of 41 samples were collected from the mouths and teeth of bull, Caribbean reef, great hammerhead, lemon, nurse, and sandbar sharks caught in Southeast Florida using sterile swabs during routine tagging expeditions out of the Guy Harvey Research Institute. Water samples were taken from the area where the sharks were caught and sampled. DNA was extracted, amplified, and sequenced using next-generation sequencing techniques. Relative abundance analysis reveals a wide range of taxa in the shark oral environment, namely genera that are pathogenic like Pseudomonas and Vibrio. The abundance of taxa found in sharks and those found in water tend to cluster separately from each other under distance metrics, demonstrating that the organisms present within the samples are specific to their respective origin and likely serve some benefit or occupy a niche within the mouth of the shark. Bacterial diversity tends to be higher in water, with shark samples displaying more taxonomic homogenization. Antibiotic regimens may have to be altered if future research reveals that the taxa within the oral environment display antibiotic resistance.

ORCID ID

0009-0005-2873-3606

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