Shifting seas and first feeds: gut microbiome dynamics in juvenile chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) and their climate vulnerability

This study demonstrates that the gut microbiota in juvenile chum salmon is assembled by both environmental microbial input from diet and water, and is ultimately filtered by the host. This selective process highlights potential vulnerabilities of chum salmon to shifts in feed and ambient microbial communities, both of which are sensitive to environmental changes. Our findings underscore the importance of understanding host-microbe-environment triads for predicting climate-related vulnerabilities in wild salmon and for guiding future microbiome-based aquaculture strategies.