Microbiome Shifts Associated With the Introduction of Wild Atlantic Horseshoe Crabs () Into a Touch-Tank Exhibit.

The Atlantic horseshoe crab () is a common marine aquarium species and model organism for research. There is potential monetary and conservation value in developing a stable captive population of horseshoe crabs, however, one major impediment to achieving captivity is a lack of knowledge regarding captive diseases. We utilized 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to track changes in the microbiomes of four body locations in three wild-caught (tracked over 14 months in captivity) and three tank-acclimated (>2 years in captivity) adult in a touch tank at Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, NV.