Abstract
Bioluminescent bacteria, which inhabit various marine environments, exhibit diverse interactions with their surroundings. As ocean conditions deteriorate, there's concern that these conditions may favor the proliferation of marine pathogens. This study aims to evaluate the presence of bioluminescent bacteria on the epidermis of sharks in Biscayne Bay. We investigated how environmental factors (such as salinity and temperature) and biological factors (including maturity, sex, and species of sharks) influence the abundance of bioluminescent activity. Our analysis of colony-forming units allowed us to assess bacterial loads across different shark species. Additionally, we conducted a Phylogenetic analysis to better understand the evolutionary relationships among the bacteria we cultured. Our findings indicate that temperature exerts the most significant influence on bioluminescent bacteria. Nurse and Bull sharks exhibited the highest bacterial concentrations. Notably, we observed a high abundance of Vibrio spp. and Psychrobacter spp., organisms commonly associated with aquaculture settings. These results underscore the need for a comprehensive assessment of bioluminescent bacteria in Biscayne Bay to better understand their distribution and ecological implications.