16S rRNA gene sequencing data on human skin microbiome samples collected before and after swimming in the ocean. This dataset contains raw sequencing data contained in fastq files produced from an Ion Torrent PGM sequencer. There were 2 sampling occurrences (041218 and 092718).</p><p>Our research has shown that the human skin microbiome was altered after swimming in the ocean. Normal commensals were washed off and simultaneously, exogenous bacteria were deposited on the skin. QIIME was used for initial analysis and indicated that the abundance and diversity of microbial communities on the skin increased after swimming and these changes persisted for more than 24 hours. Downstream analysis using PICRUSt to predict functional metagenomics indicated that there was an increase in antibiotic resistance genes, antibiotic biosynthesis genes, and virulence factor genes on the skin after ocean water exposure.