FIGURE 2.

Microbiome of an active Wiltshire brine sampled 2 years after the initial sampling (2016) to test the consistency of the microbiota within the brine. Samples were taken from three random curing containers in three sampling replicates (A–C). Genera are represented as a percentage of the total reads for the sample. Illustrated in this figure is an average bacterial consortium in Wiltshire brine collected in 2014 and 2016. The core microbiome in all of the brine samples over the 2 years consists of Marinilactibacillus, Carnobacterium, Leuconostoc, Vibrio, and “Other.” The genera of Marinomonas and Pseudoalteromonas were not part of the Wiltshire brine core microbiome in 2016, however, Photobacterium was present as a dominant bacterium. A microbial signature is present within both the 2014 and 2016 samples, showing a core consistent microbiome of Wiltshire brine.