Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) hatch success (e.g., % eggs that hatch) is lower in Georgia than worldwide. Microbial infection of eggs during incubation is one threat sea turtles face. During deposition, eggs exit the mother’s cloaca, a mucus-lined orifice that also releases digestive waste. The egg surface, therefore, is coated with intestinal microbes that potentially influence egg health. Here, we seek to characterize the bacterial cloacal microbiome composition. Over 10 years, between 2013 and 2023, cloacal mucus was collected by swabbing 19 nesting loggerheads on Wassaw Island, GA. DNA was extracted from swabs and subjected to PCR targeting the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. PCR products were subjected to Illumina-based DNA sequencing. DNA sequences will be analyzed to identify bacterial groups most frequently detected among turtles. Ultimately, this project will lead to a better understanding of the loggerhead microbiome and its contribution to egg health.
