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Work TM, Singhakarn C, Weatherby TM. Cytology in cnidaria using Exaiptasia as a model. Dis Aquat Organ 2024; 158:37-53. [PMID: 38661136 DOI: 10.3354/dao03781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
A need exists for additional methods to examine cnidaria at the cellular level to aid our understanding of health, anatomy, and physiology of this important group of organisms. This need is particularly acute given that disease is emerging as a major factor in declines of ecologically important functional groups such as corals. Here we describe a simple method to process cnidarian cells for microscopic examination using the model organism Exaiptasia. We show that this organism has at least 18 cell types or structures that can be readily distinguished based on defined morphological features. Some of these cells can be related back to anatomic features of the animal both at the light microscope and ultrastructural level. The cnidome of Exaiptasia may be more complex than what is currently understood. Moreover, cnidarian cells, including some types of cnidocytes, phagocytize cells other than endosymbionts. Finally, our findings shed light on morphologic complexity of cell-associated microbial aggregates and their intimate intracellular associations. The tools described here could be useful for other cnidaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, PO Box 50187, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA
| | - Chutimon Singhakarn
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, PO Box 50187, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA
| | - Tina M Weatherby
- University of Hawaii at Manoa, Biological Electron Microscope Facility, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
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2
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Hawthorn A, Berzins IK, Dennis MM, Kiupel M, Newton AL, Peters EC, Reyes VA, Work TM. An introduction to lesions and histology of scleractinian corals. Vet Pathol 2023; 60:529-546. [PMID: 37519147 DOI: 10.1177/03009858231189289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Stony corals (Scleractinia) are in the Phylum Cnidaria (cnidae referring to various types of stinging cells). They may be solitary or colonial, but all secrete an external, supporting aragonite skeleton. Large, colonial members of this phylum are responsible for the accretion of coral reefs in tropical and subtropical waters that form the foundations of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems. Coral reefs worldwide, but particularly in the Caribbean, are experiencing unprecedented levels of disease, resulting in reef degradation. Most coral diseases remain poorly described and lack clear case definitions, while the etiologies and pathogenesis are even more elusive. This introductory guide is focused on reef-building corals and describes basic gross and microscopic lesions in these corals in order to serve as an invitation to other veterinary pathologists to play a critical role in defining and advancing the field of coral pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aine Hawthorn
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
- U.S. Geological Survey, Seattle, WA
| | - Ilze K Berzins
- University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- One Water, One Health, LLC, Golden Valley, MN
| | | | | | - Alisa L Newton
- ZooQuatic Laboratory, LLC, Baltimore, MD
- OCEARCH, Park City, UT
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3
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Robertson EP, Walsh DP, Martin J, Work TM, Kellogg CA, Evans JS, Barker V, Hawthorn A, Aeby G, Paul VJ, Walker BK, Kiryu Y, Woodley CM, Meyer JL, Rosales SM, Studivan M, Moore JF, Brandt ME, Bruckner A. Rapid prototyping for quantifying belief weights of competing hypotheses about emergent diseases. J Environ Manage 2023; 337:117668. [PMID: 36958278 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Emerging diseases can have devastating consequences for wildlife and require a rapid response. A critical first step towards developing appropriate management is identifying the etiology of the disease, which can be difficult to determine, particularly early in emergence. Gathering and synthesizing existing information about potential disease causes, by leveraging expert knowledge or relevant existing studies, provides a principled approach to quickly inform decision-making and management efforts. Additionally, updating the current state of knowledge as more information becomes available over time can reduce scientific uncertainty and lead to substantial improvement in the decision-making process and the application of management actions that incorporate and adapt to newly acquired scientific understanding. Here we present a rapid prototyping method for quantifying belief weights for competing hypotheses about the etiology of disease using a combination of formal expert elicitation and Bayesian hierarchical modeling. We illustrate the application of this approach for investigating the etiology of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) and discuss the opportunities and challenges of this approach for addressing emergent diseases. Lastly, we detail how our work may apply to other pressing management or conservation problems that require quick responses. We found the rapid prototyping methods to be an efficient and rapid means to narrow down the number of potential hypotheses, synthesize current understanding, and help prioritize future studies and experiments. This approach is rapid by providing a snapshot assessment of the current state of knowledge. It can also be updated periodically (e.g., annually) to assess changes in belief weights over time as scientific understanding increases. Synthesis and applications: The rapid prototyping approaches demonstrated here can be used to combine knowledge from multiple experts and/or studies to help with fast decision-making needed for urgent conservation issues including emerging diseases and other management problems that require rapid responses. These approaches can also be used to adjust belief weights over time as studies and expert knowledge accumulate and can be a helpful tool for adapting management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen P Robertson
- Contract Quantitative Ecologist, US Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Daniel P Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA.
| | - Julien Martin
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Laurel, MD, USA.
| | - Thierry M Work
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Christina A Kellogg
- U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - James S Evans
- U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | | | - Aine Hawthorn
- U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Greta Aeby
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, USA
| | | | - Brian K Walker
- Nova Southeastern University, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Dania Beach, FL, USA
| | - Yasunari Kiryu
- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Cheryl M Woodley
- Hollings Marine Laboratory, Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Ocean Service, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Julie L Meyer
- Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Stephanie M Rosales
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Michael Studivan
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jennifer F Moore
- Moore Ecological Analysis and Management, LLC, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Marilyn E Brandt
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, USVI, USA
| | - Andrew Bruckner
- Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA, Key Largo, FL, USA
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4
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Hewson I, Ritchie IT, Evans JS, Altera A, Behringer D, Bowman E, Brandt M, Budd KA, Camacho RA, Cornwell TO, Countway PD, Croquer A, Delgado GA, DeRito C, Duermit-Moreau E, Francis-Floyd R, Gittens S, Henderson L, Hylkema A, Kellogg CA, Kiryu Y, Kitson-Walters KA, Kramer P, Lang JC, Lessios H, Liddy L, Marancik D, Nimrod S, Patterson JT, Pistor M, Romero IC, Sellares-Blasco R, Sevier ML, Sharp WC, Souza M, Valdez-Trinidad A, van der Laan M, Vilanova-Cuevas B, Villalpando M, Von Hoene SD, Warham M, Wijers T, Williams SM, Work TM, Yanong RP, Zambrano S, Zimmermann A, Breitbart M. A scuticociliate causes mass mortality of Diadema antillarum in the Caribbean Sea. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eadg3200. [PMID: 37075109 PMCID: PMC10115408 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg3200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Echinoderm mass mortality events shape marine ecosystems by altering the dynamics among major benthic groups. The sea urchin Diadema antillarum, virtually extirpated in the Caribbean in the early 1980s by an unknown cause, recently experienced another mass mortality beginning in January 2022. We investigated the cause of this mass mortality event through combined molecular biological and veterinary pathologic approaches comparing grossly normal and abnormal animals collected from 23 sites, representing locations that were either affected or unaffected at the time of sampling. Here, we report that a scuticociliate most similar to Philaster apodigitiformis was consistently associated with abnormal urchins at affected sites but was absent from unaffected sites. Experimentally challenging naïve urchins with a Philaster culture isolated from an abnormal, field-collected specimen resulted in gross signs consistent with those of the mortality event. The same ciliate was recovered from treated specimens postmortem, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates for this microorganism. We term this condition D. antillarum scuticociliatosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Hewson
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Isabella T. Ritchie
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - James S. Evans
- U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Ashley Altera
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Donald Behringer
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Erin Bowman
- Department of Planning and Natural Resources, Virgin Islands Government, Christiansted, VI, USA
- National Coral Reef Management Fellowship, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Marilyn Brandt
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas, VI, USA
| | - Kayla A. Budd
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas, VI, USA
| | - Ruleo A. Camacho
- Antigua and Barbuda National Parks Authority, Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua and Barbuda
| | - Tomas O. Cornwell
- St Eustatius National Parks Foundation, Oranjestad, Caribbean, Netherlands
| | | | - Aldo Croquer
- Central Caribbean Program, The Nature Conservancy, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
| | - Gabriel A. Delgado
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Marathon, FL, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Duermit-Moreau
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ruth Francis-Floyd
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Samuel Gittens
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas, VI, USA
| | - Leslie Henderson
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Alwin Hylkema
- Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, Netherlands
- Marine Animal Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Christina A. Kellogg
- U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Yasunari Kiryu
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Kimani A. Kitson-Walters
- Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute, St. Eustatius, Caribbean, Netherlands
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Oranjestad, Caribbean, Netherlands
| | - Patricia Kramer
- Ocean Research and Education Foundation, Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment, Big Pine Key, FL, USA
| | - Judith C. Lang
- Ocean Research and Education Foundation, Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment, Big Pine Key, FL, USA
| | - Harilaos Lessios
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama
| | | | - David Marancik
- School of Veterinary Sciences, St. George’s University, St. George’s, Grenada
| | - Stephen Nimrod
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Conservation, St. George’s University, St. George’s, Grenada
| | - Joshua T. Patterson
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Marit Pistor
- St Eustatius National Parks Foundation, Oranjestad, Caribbean, Netherlands
| | - Isabel C. Romero
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | | | - Moriah L. B. Sevier
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas, VI, USA
| | - William C. Sharp
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Marathon, FL, USA
| | - Matthew Souza
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas, VI, USA
| | | | | | | | - Maria Villalpando
- Fundación Dominicana de Estudios Marinos, Bayahibe, Dominican Republic
| | - Sarah D. Von Hoene
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas, VI, USA
| | - Matthew Warham
- Department of Planning and Natural Resources, Virgin Islands Government, Christiansted, VI, USA
| | - Tom Wijers
- Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, Netherlands
- Marine Animal Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Thierry M. Work
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Roy P. Yanong
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - Alizee Zimmermann
- Turks and Caicos Reef Fund, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands
| | - Mya Breitbart
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
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5
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Abstract
As grazers, sea urchins are keystone species in tropical marine ecosystems, and their loss can have important ecological ramifications. Die-offs of urchins are frequently described, but their causes are often unclear, in part because systematic examinations of animal tissues at gross and microscopic level are not done. In some areas, urchins are being employed to control invasive marine algae. Here, we describe the pathology of a mortality event in Tripneustes gratilla in Hawai`i where urchins were translocated to control invasive algae. Although we did not determine the cause of the mortality event, our investigation indicates that animals died from inflammation of the test and epidermal ulceration, followed by inability to maintain coelomic fluid volume, colonization of coelomic fluid by opportunists (diatom, algae), and inappetence. Parasites, bacteria, fungi, and viruses were not evident as a primary cause of death. Pathology was suggestive of a toxin or other environmental cause such as lack of food, possibilities that could be pursued in future investigations. These findings highlight the need for caution and additional tools to better assess health when translocating marine invertebrates to ensure maximal biosecurity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, Hawai`i, USA
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6
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Oulhen N, Byrne M, Duffin P, Gomez-Chiarri M, Hewson I, Hodin J, Konar B, Lipp EK, Miner BG, Newton AL, Schiebelhut LM, Smolowitz R, Wahltinez SJ, Wessel GM, Work TM, Zaki HA, Wares JP. A Review of Asteroid Biology in the Context of Sea Star Wasting: Possible Causes and Consequences. Biol Bull 2022; 243:50-75. [PMID: 36108034 PMCID: PMC10642522 DOI: 10.1086/719928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
AbstractSea star wasting-marked in a variety of sea star species as varying degrees of skin lesions followed by disintegration-recently caused one of the largest marine die-offs ever recorded on the west coast of North America, killing billions of sea stars. Despite the important ramifications this mortality had for coastal benthic ecosystems, such as increased abundance of prey, little is known about the causes of the disease or the mechanisms of its progression. Although there have been studies indicating a range of causal mechanisms, including viruses and environmental effects, the broad spatial and depth range of affected populations leaves many questions remaining about either infectious or non-infectious mechanisms. Wasting appears to start with degradation of mutable connective tissue in the body wall, leading to disintegration of the epidermis. Here, we briefly review basic sea star biology in the context of sea star wasting and present our current knowledge and hypotheses related to the symptoms, the microbiome, the viruses, and the associated environmental stressors. We also highlight throughout the article knowledge gaps and the data needed to better understand sea star wasting mechanistically, its causes, and potential management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Oulhen
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Maria Byrne
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paige Duffin
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Marta Gomez-Chiarri
- Department of Fisheries, Animal, and Veterinary Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island
| | - Ian Hewson
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Jason Hodin
- Friday Harbor Labs, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, Washington
| | - Brenda Konar
- College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska
| | - Erin K. Lipp
- Department of Environmental Health Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Benjamin G. Miner
- Department of Biology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington
| | | | - Lauren M. Schiebelhut
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, California
| | - Roxanna Smolowitz
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island
| | - Sarah J. Wahltinez
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Gary M. Wessel
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Thierry M. Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, Hawaii
| | - Hossam A. Zaki
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - John P. Wares
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
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7
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Muñoz Tenería FA, Labrada-Martagón V, Herrera-Pavón RL, Work TM, González-Ballesteros E, Negrete-Philippe AC, Maldonado-Saldaña G. Fibropapillomatosis dynamics in green sea turtles Chelonia mydas over 15 years of monitoring in Akumal Bay, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Dis Aquat Organ 2022; 149:133-143. [PMID: 35735233 DOI: 10.3354/dao03669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a tumor disease that affects all sea turtle species but is mainly seen in green turtles Chelonia mydas. The pathology of FP has been described extensively, but its dynamics in populations over time have been less studied. We analyzed the dynamics of FP in a population of green turtles in Akumal Bay on the central coast of the Mexican Caribbean. A total of 475 green turtles were captured over 15 yr (2004-2018). The highest prevalence of FP was found in the largest turtles, and there was a positive relationship between FP prevalence and size of turtles. FP was first detected in 2008 at a prevalence of 1.6%, and annual prevalence increased markedly from 17.9% in 2015 to 54% by 2018. Likewise, severity of FP increased over time, with most turtles falling into moderately to severely diseased categories (tumor score 2). The average size of turtles with FP was significantly larger than the size of individuals without FP. Regression of tumors was seen in 21% of turtles, tumor score was higher in smaller individuals, and only tumor score 2 was present in the largest sea turtles. An increase in the prevalence and tumor score of FP coincided with the massive arrival of Sargassum in 2015, suggesting that altered environmental conditions may have played a role. The increased prevalence of FP in Akumal Bay prompts the need to explain what might be driving this phenomenon and how widespread it is in the Caribbean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando A Muñoz Tenería
- Laboratorio de Inmunología, Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, S.L.P., CP 78399, Mexico
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8
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Brunson S, Gaos AR, Kelly IK, Van Houtan KS, Swimmer Y, Hargrove S, Balazs GH, Work TM, Jones TT. Three decades of stranding data reveal insights into endangered hawksbill sea turtles in Hawai‘i&dagger. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2022. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hawksbill sea turtles Eretmochelys imbricata inhabiting the Hawaiian Islands are extremely rare and listed as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act. The paucity of data on basic hawksbill ecology continues to hinder effective management of the species. We analyzed stranding data collected between 1984 and 2018 to gain insights into the distribution, demography, and conservation challenges facing hawksbills in Hawai‘i. In doing so, we present a comprehensive description of the population across developmental stages and rank threats that may be impeding their successful recovery. Over the >30 yr data set, we recorded a total of only 111 juvenile and adult hawksbill stranding events. Interactions with nearshore recreational fishing gear were documented for a large proportion (48.6%) of stranding events in the Hawaiian Islands, identifying this as the primary management challenge for the species. Stranding events were biased towards females (female to male sex ratio of 4.8:1.0), which may be indicative of the population as a whole. Even though the majority of hawksbills nest on the islands of Hawai‘i Moloka‘i, and Maui, the greatest number of juvenile to adult strandings was found to be on the island of Oahu (n = 47). Temporal distribution of the majority of adult hawksbill strandings (72.2%) occurred during a 4 mo period between June and September. We discuss these and other findings that help identify future research and conservation efforts to mitigate anthropogenic threats in Hawai‘i for this enigmatic population.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Brunson
- NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment Program, 1845 Wasp Boulevard, Building 176, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96818, USA
| | - AR Gaos
- NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment Program, 1845 Wasp Boulevard, Building 176, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96818, USA
| | - IK Kelly
- NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1845 Wasp Boulevard, Building 176, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96818, USA
| | - KS Van Houtan
- Duke University, Nicholas School of the Environment, Box 90328, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Y Swimmer
- NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Fisheries Resources and Monitoring Division, 1845 Wasp Boulevard, Building 176, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96818, USA
| | - S Hargrove
- NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Office of Protected Resources, Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Conservation Division, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, Florida 33149, USA
| | - GH Balazs
- Golden Honu Services of Oceania, 992 Awa’awa’anoa Place, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96825, USA
| | - TM Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 5-231, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96850, USA
| | - TT Jones
- NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Fisheries Resources and Monitoring Division, 1845 Wasp Boulevard, Building 176, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96818, USA
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9
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Renaguli A, Fernando S, Holsen TM, Hopke PK, Adams DH, Balazs GH, Jones TT, Work TM, Lynch JM, Crimmins BS. Characterization of Halogenated Organic Compounds in Pelagic Sharks and Sea Turtles Using a Nontargeted Approach. Environ Sci Technol 2021; 55:16390-16401. [PMID: 34846854 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Halogenated organic compounds (HOCs) in marine species collected from the Atlantic Ocean [3 shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) and 1 porbeagle (Lamna nasus)], and 12 sea turtles collected from the Pacific Ocean [3 loggerhead (Caretta caretta), 3 green (Chelonia mydas), 3 olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), and 3 hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)] were analyzed with a nontargeted analytical method using two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Sharks and sea turtles had distinct HOC profiles. Halogenated methoxyphenols (halo-MeOPs) were the most abundant compound class identified in sea turtle livers, while polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were the most abundant in shark livers. In addition to legacy contaminants and halo-MeOPs, a total of 110 nontargeted/novel HOCs (NHOCs) were observed in the shark livers. Shortfin mako collected from the northern Gulf of Mexico contained the largest number (89) and most diverse structural classes of NHOCs. Among all NHOCs, a group of compounds with the elemental composition C14H12-nCln (n = 5-8) exhibited the highest concentrations, followed by chlorocarbazoles and tris(chlorophenyl) methanes (TCPMs). Using nontargeted workflows, a variety of known and unknown HOCs were observed, which demonstrate the need to develop more complete chemical profiles in the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aikebaier Renaguli
- Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
| | - Sujan Fernando
- Center for Air and Aquatic Resources Engineering and Science, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
| | - Thomas M Holsen
- Center for Air and Aquatic Resources Engineering and Science, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
| | - Philip K Hopke
- Center for Air and Aquatic Resources Engineering and Science, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
| | - Douglas H Adams
- Cape Canaveral Scientific Inc., 220 Surf Road, Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951, United States
| | - George H Balazs
- Golden Honu Services of Oceania, Honolulu, Hawaii 96825 United States
| | - T Todd Jones
- Golden Honu Services of Oceania, Honolulu, Hawaii 96825 United States
| | - Thierry M Work
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, Hawaii 96818, United States
| | - Jennifer M Lynch
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, 41-202 Kalaniana'ole Highway Ste #9, Waima̅nalo, Hawai'i 96795, United States
- Center for Marine Debris Research, Hawai'i Pacific University, 41-202 Kalaniana'ole Highway Ste #9, Waima̅nalo, Hawai'i 96795, United States
| | - Bernard S Crimmins
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
- AEACS, LLC, New Kensington, Pennsylvania 15068, United States
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Wood C, Balazs GH, Rice M, Work TM, Jones TT, Sterling E, Summers TM, Brooker J, Kurpita L, King CS, Lynch JM. Sea turtles across the North Pacific are exposed to perfluoroalkyl substances. Environ Pollut 2021; 279:116875. [PMID: 33770650 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) are global, persistent, and toxic contaminants. We assessed PFAS concentrations in green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles from the North Pacific. Fifteen compounds were quantified via liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry from 62 green turtle and 6 hawksbill plasma samples from Hawai'i, Palmyra Atoll, and the Northern Marianas Islands. Plasma from 14 green turtles severely afflicted with fibropapillomatosis, and eggs from 12 Hawaiian hawksbill nests from 7 females were analyzed. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) predominated in green turtle plasma; perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) predominated in hawksbill tissues. Concentrations were greater in hawksbill than green turtle plasma (p < 0.05), related to trophic differences. Green turtle plasma PFOS concentrations were related to human populations from highest to lowest: Hawai'i, Marianas, Palmyra. Influence on fibropapillomatosis was not evident. PFASs were maternally transferred to hawksbill eggs, with decreasing concentrations with distance from airports and with clutch order from one female. A risk assessment of PFOS showed concern for immunosuppression in Kailua green turtles and alarming concern for hawksbill developmental toxicity. Perfluoroundecanoic (PFUnA) and perfluorotridecanoic (PFTriA) acid levels were correlated with reduced emergence success (p < 0.05). Studies to further examine PFAS effects on sea turtle development would be beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathryn Wood
- Hawai'i Pacific University, Center for Marine Debris Research, Waimānalo, HI, USA
| | | | - Marc Rice
- Hawai'i Preparatory Academy, Waimea, HI, USA
| | - Thierry M Work
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - T Todd Jones
- NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | | | | | | | - Lauren Kurpita
- Hawai'i Island Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project, Hawai'i National Park, HI, USA
| | | | - Jennifer M Lynch
- Hawai'i Pacific University, Center for Marine Debris Research, Waimānalo, HI, USA; National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Waimānalo, HI, USA.
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Work TM, Weatherby TM, DeRito CM, Besemer RM, Hewson I. Sea star wasting disease pathology in Pisaster ochraceus shows a basal-to-surface process affecting color phenotypes differently. Dis Aquat Organ 2021; 145:21-33. [PMID: 34080580 DOI: 10.3354/dao03598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sea star wasting disease (SSWD) refers to a suite of poorly described non-specific clinical signs including abnormal posture, epidermal ulceration, and limb autotomy (sloughing) causing mortalities of over 20 species of sea stars and subsequent ecological shifts throughout the northeastern Pacific. While SSWD is widely assumed to be infectious, with environmental conditions facilitating disease progression, few data exist on cellular changes associated with the disease. This is unfortunate, because such observations could inform mechanisms of disease pathogenesis and host susceptibility. Here, we replicated SSWD by exposing captive Pisaster ochraceus to a suite of non-infectious organic substances and show that development of gross lesions is a basal-to-surface process involving inflammation (e.g. infiltration of coelomocytes) of ossicles and mutable collagenous tissue, leading to epidermal ulceration. Affected sea stars also manifest increases in a heretofore undocumented coelomocyte type, spindle cells, that might be a useful marker of inflammation in this species. Finally, compared to purple morphs, orange P. ochraceus developed more severe lesions but survived longer. Longer-lived, and presumably more visible, severely-lesioned orange sea stars could have important demographic implications in terms of detectability of lesioned animals in the wild and measures of apparent prevalence of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA
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12
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Work TM, Millard E, Mariani DB, Weatherby TM, Rameyer RA, Dagenais J, Breeden R, Beale AM. Cytology reveals diverse cell morphotypes and cellin-cell interactions in normal collector sea urchins Tripneustes gratilla. Dis Aquat Organ 2020; 142:63-73. [PMID: 33210613 DOI: 10.3354/dao03533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Echinoderms such as sea urchins are important in marine ecosystems, particularly as grazers, and unhealthy sea urchins can have important ecological implications. For instance, unexplained mortalities of Diadema antillarum in the Caribbean were followed by algal overgrowth and subsequent collapse of coral reef ecosystems. Unfortunately, few tools exist to evaluate echinoderm health, making management of mortalities or other health issues problematic. Hematology is often used to assess health in many animal groups, including invertebrates, but is seldom applied to echinoderms. We used a standard gravitometric technique to concentrate fixed coelomocytes from the collector sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla onto microscope slides, permitting staining and enumeration. Using Romanowsky stain and electron microscopy to visualize cell details, we found that urchin cells could be partitioned into different morphotypes. Specifically, we enumerated phagocytes, phagocytes with perinuclear cytoplasmic dots, vibratile cells, colorless spherule cells, red spherule cells, and red spherule cells with pink granules. We also saw cell-in-cell interactions characterized by phagocytes apparently phagocytizing mainly the motile cells including red spherule cells, colorless spherule cells, and vibratile cells disproportionate to underlying populations of circulating cells. Cell-in-cell interactions were seen in 71% of sea urchins, but comprised <1% of circulating cells. Finally, about 40% of sea urchins had circulating phagocytes that were apparently phagocytizing spicules. The coelomic fluid collection and slide preparation methods described here are simple, field portable, and might be a useful complementary tool for assessing health of other marine invertebrates, revealing heretofore unknown physiological phenomena in this animal group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA
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Stacy BA, Chapman PA, Stockdale-Walden H, Work TM, Dagenais J, Foley AM, Wideroff M, Wellehan JFX, Childress AL, Manire CA, Rodriguez M, Zachariah TT, Staggs L, Zirkelbach B, Nahvi N, Crowder W, Boylan SM, Marquardt S, Pelton C, Norton TM. Caryospora-Like Coccidia Infecting Green Turtles ( Chelonia mydas): An Emerging Disease With Evidence of Interoceanic Dissemination. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:372. [PMID: 31696124 PMCID: PMC6817580 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Protozoa morphologically consistent with Caryospora sp. are one of the few pathogens associated with episodic mass mortality events involving free-ranging sea turtles. Parasitism of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) by these coccidia and associated mortality was first reported in maricultured turtles in the Caribbean during the 1970s. Years later, epizootics affecting wild green turtles in Australia occurred in 1991 and 2014. The first clinical cases of Caryospora-like infections reported elsewhere in free-ranging turtles were from the southeastern US in 2012. Following these initial individual cases in this region, we documented an epizootic and mass mortality of green turtles along the Atlantic coast of southern Florida from November 2014 through April 2015 and continued to detect additional, sporadic cases in the southeastern US in subsequent years. No cases of coccidial disease were recorded in the southeastern US prior to 2012 despite clinical evaluation and necropsy of stranded sea turtles in this region since the 1980s, suggesting that the frequency of clinical coccidiosis has increased here. Moreover, we also recorded the first stranding associated with infection by a Caryospora-like organism in Hawai'i in 2018. To further characterize the coccidia, we sequenced part of the 18S ribosomal and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I genes of coccidia collected from 62 green turtles found in the southeastern US and from one green turtle found in Hawai'i. We also sequenced the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions from selected cases and compared all results with those obtained from Caryospora-like coccidia collected from green turtles found in Australia. Eight distinct genotypes were represented in green turtles from the southeastern US. One genotype predominated and was identical to that of coccidia collected from the green turtle found in Hawai'i. We also found a coccidian genotype in green turtles from Florida and Australia with identical 18S and mitochondrial sequences, and only slight inter-regional differences in the internal transcribed spacer 2. We found no evidence of geographical structuring based on phylogenetic analysis. Low genetic variability among the coccidia found in green turtle populations with minimal natural connectivity suggests recent interoceanic dissemination of these parasites, which could pose a risk to sea turtle populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian A Stacy
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, University of Florida (Duty Station), Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Phoebe A Chapman
- Veterinary-Marine Animal Research Teaching and Investigation Unit, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia
| | - Heather Stockdale-Walden
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Julie Dagenais
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Allen M Foley
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Jacksonville Field Laboratory, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Morgan Wideroff
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Jacksonville Field Laboratory, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - James F X Wellehan
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - April L Childress
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | | | | | | | - Lydia Staggs
- Veterinary Services, Zoological Operations, SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, FL, United States
| | | | - Nina Nahvi
- Sea Turtle, Inc., South Padre Island, TX, United States
| | - Whitney Crowder
- Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Facility, Boca Raton, FL, United States
| | | | | | - Craig Pelton
- Volusia Marine Science Center, Ponce Inlet, FL, United States
| | - Terry M Norton
- The Turtle Hospital, Marathon, FL, United States.,Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Jekyll Island, GA, United States
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Work TM, Dagenais J, Stacy BA, Ladner JT, Lorch JM, Balazs GH, Barquero-Calvo E, Berlowski-Zier BM, Breeden R, Corrales-Gómez N, Gonzalez-Barrientos R, Harris HS, Hernández-Mora G, Herrera-Ulloa Á, Hesami S, Jones TT, Morales JA, Norton TM, Rameyer RA, Taylor DR, Waltzek TB. A novel host-adapted strain of Salmonella Typhimurium causes renal disease in olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) in the Pacific. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9313. [PMID: 31249336 PMCID: PMC6597722 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45752-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Salmonella spp. are frequently shed by wildlife including turtles, but S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium or lesions associated with Salmonella are rare in turtles. Between 1996 and 2016, we necropsied 127 apparently healthy pelagic olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) that died from drowning bycatch in fisheries and 44 live or freshly dead stranded turtles from the west coast of North and Central America and Hawaii. Seven percent (9/127) of pelagic and 47% (21/44) of stranded turtles had renal granulomas associated with S. Typhimurium. Stranded animals were 12 times more likely than pelagic animals to have Salmonella-induced nephritis suggesting that Salmonella may have been a contributing cause of stranding. S. Typhimurium was the only Salmonella serovar detected in L. olivacea, and phylogenetic analysis from whole genome sequencing showed that the isolates from L. olivacea formed a single clade distinct from other S. Typhimurium. Molecular clock analysis revealed that this novel clade may have originated as recently as a few decades ago. The phylogenetic lineage leading to this group is enriched for non-synonymous changes within the genomic area of Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 suggesting that these genes are important for host adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96850, United States of America.
| | - Julie Dagenais
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96850, United States of America
| | - Brian A Stacy
- NOAA Fisheries, Office of Protected Resources, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32603, United States of America
| | - Jason T Ladner
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey M Lorch
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, 53711, United States of America
| | - George H Balazs
- Golden Honu Services of Oceania, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96825, United States of America
| | - Elías Barquero-Calvo
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria (EMV), Universidad Nacional Costa Rica, Heredia, 3000, Costa Rica
| | - Brenda M Berlowski-Zier
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, 53711, United States of America
| | - Renee Breeden
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96850, United States of America
| | | | - Rocio Gonzalez-Barrientos
- Pathology Area National Service of Animal Health (SENASA), Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Heredia, 3000, Costa Rica
| | - Heather S Harris
- NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region, Morro Bay, California, United States of America
| | - Gabriela Hernández-Mora
- Pathology Area National Service of Animal Health (SENASA), Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Heredia, 3000, Costa Rica
| | - Ángel Herrera-Ulloa
- Bacteriology Area, National Service of Animal Health (SENASA), Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Heredia, 3000, Costa Rica
| | - Shoreh Hesami
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32603, United States of America
| | - T Todd Jones
- NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96818, United States of America
| | - Juan Alberto Morales
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria (EMV), Universidad Nacional Costa Rica, Heredia, 3000, Costa Rica
| | - Terry M Norton
- Georgia Sea Turtle Center/Jekyll Island Authority, Jekyll Island, Georgia, 31527, United States of America
| | - Robert A Rameyer
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96850, United States of America
| | - Daniel R Taylor
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, 53711, United States of America
| | - Thomas B Waltzek
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32603, United States of America
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15
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Jung MR, Balazs GH, Work TM, Jones TT, Orski SV, Rodriguez C V, Beers KL, Brignac KC, Hyrenbach KD, Jensen BA, Lynch JM. Polymer Identification of Plastic Debris Ingested by Pelagic-Phase Sea Turtles in the Central Pacific. Environ Sci Technol 2018; 52:11535-11544. [PMID: 30207718 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b03118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Pelagic Pacific sea turtles eat relatively large quantities of plastic (median 5 g in gut). Using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, we identified the polymers ingested by 37 olive ridley, 9 green, and 4 loggerhead turtles caught as bycatch in Hawaii- and American Samoa-based longline fisheries. Unidentifiable samples were analyzed using high-temperature size exclusion chromatography with multiple detectors and/or X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Regardless of species differences in dive depths and foraging strategies, ingested plastics were primarily low-density, floating polymers (51% low-density polyethylene (LDPE), 26% polypropylene (PP), 10% unknown polyethylene (PE), and 5% high-density PE collectively). Albeit not statistically significant, deeper diving and deeper captured olive ridley turtles ate proportionally more plastics expected to sink (3.9%) than intermediate-diving green (1.2%) and shallow-diving loggerhead (0.3%) turtles. Spatial, but no sex, size, year, or hook depth differences were observed in polymer composition. LDPE and PP, some of the most produced and least recycled polymers worldwide, account for the largest percentage of plastic eaten by sea turtles in this region. These novel data inform managers about the threat of plastic ingestion to sea turtles and may motivate development of more environmentally friendly practices for plastic production, use, and waste management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa R Jung
- College of Natural and Computational Sciences , Hawai'i Pacific University , Kaneohe , Hawai'i 96744 , United States
| | - George H Balazs
- Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center , National Marine Fisheries Service , Honolulu , Hawai'i 96818 , United States
| | - Thierry M Work
- National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station , U.S. Geological Survey , Honolulu , Hawai'i 96818 , United States
| | - T Todd Jones
- Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center , National Marine Fisheries Service , Honolulu , Hawai'i 96818 , United States
| | - Sara V Orski
- Materials Science and Engineering Division , National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg , Maryland 20899 , United States
| | - Viviana Rodriguez C
- Materials Science and Engineering Division , National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg , Maryland 20899 , United States
| | - Kathryn L Beers
- Materials Science and Engineering Division , National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg , Maryland 20899 , United States
| | - Kayla C Brignac
- School of Ocean, Earth Science, and Technology , University of Hawai'i at Manoa , Honolulu , Hawai'i 96822 , United States
| | - K David Hyrenbach
- College of Natural and Computational Sciences , Hawai'i Pacific University , Kaneohe , Hawai'i 96744 , United States
| | - Brenda A Jensen
- College of Natural and Computational Sciences , Hawai'i Pacific University , Kaneohe , Hawai'i 96744 , United States
| | - Jennifer M Lynch
- College of Natural and Computational Sciences , Hawai'i Pacific University , Kaneohe , Hawai'i 96744 , United States
- Chemical Sciences Division , National Institute of Standards and Technology , 41-202 Kalanianaole Highway , Waimanalo , Hawai'i 96795 , United States
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Núñez-Pons L, Work TM, Angulo-Preckler C, Moles J, Avila C. Author Correction: Exploring the pathology of an epidermal disease affecting a circum-Antarctic sea star. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12822. [PMID: 30131602 PMCID: PMC6104101 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31112-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Núñez-Pons
- Section Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy. .,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), Tupper/Naos/Bocas del Toro Labs, Ancón, 0843-03092, Panamá City, Republic of Panama.
| | - Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI, 96850, USA
| | - Carlos Angulo-Preckler
- Department of Evolutionary Biology Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and Biodiversity Research Institute (IrBIO), University of Barcelona, Faculty of Biology, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Juan Moles
- Museum of Comparative Zoology & Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Conxita Avila
- Department of Evolutionary Biology Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and Biodiversity Research Institute (IrBIO), University of Barcelona, Faculty of Biology, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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Núñez-Pons L, Work TM, Angulo-Preckler C, Moles J, Avila C. Exploring the pathology of an epidermal disease affecting a circum-Antarctic sea star. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11353. [PMID: 30054527 PMCID: PMC6063859 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29684-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, unusual mortality outbreaks have decimated echinoderm populations over broad geographic regions, raising awareness globally of the importance of investigating such events. Echinoderms are key components of marine benthos for top-down and bottom-up regulations of plants and animals; population declines of these individuals can have significant ecosystem-wide effects. Here we describe the first case study of an outbreak affecting Antarctic echinoderms and consisting of an ulcerative epidermal disease affecting ~10% of the population of the keystone asteroid predator Odontaster validus at Deception Island, Antarctica. This event was first detected in the Austral summer 2012–2013, coinciding with unprecedented high seawater temperatures and increased seismicity. Histological analyses revealed epidermal ulceration, inflammation, and necrosis in diseased animals. Bacterial and fungal alpha diversity was consistently lower and of different composition in lesioned versus unaffected tissues (32.87% and 16.94% shared bacterial and fungal operational taxonomic units OTUs respectively). The microbiome of healthy stars was more consistent across individuals than in diseased specimens suggesting microbial dysbiosis, especially in the lesion fronts. Because these microbes were not associated with tissue damage at the microscopic level, their contribution to the development of epidermal lesions remains unclear. Our study reveals that disease events are reaching echinoderms as far as the polar regions thereby highlighting the need to develop a greater understanding of the microbiology and physiology of marine diseases and ecosystems health, especially in the era of global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Núñez-Pons
- Section Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy. .,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), Tupper/Naos/Bocas del Toro Labs, Ancón, 0843-03092, Panamá City, Republic of Panama.
| | - Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA
| | - Carlos Angulo-Preckler
- Department of Evolutionary Biology Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and Biodiversity Research Institute (IrBIO), University of Barcelona, Faculty of Biology, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Juan Moles
- Museum of Comparative Zoology & Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Conxita Avila
- Department of Evolutionary Biology Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and Biodiversity Research Institute (IrBIO), University of Barcelona, Faculty of Biology, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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18
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Morrison CL, Iwanowicz L, Work TM, Fahsbender E, Breitbart M, Adams C, Iwanowicz D, Sanders L, Ackermann M, Cornman RS. Genomic evolution, recombination, and inter-strain diversity of chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 from Florida and Hawaii green sea turtles with fibropapillomatosis. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4386. [PMID: 29479497 PMCID: PMC5824677 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) is a herpesvirus associated with fibropapillomatosis (FP) in sea turtles worldwide. Single-locus typing has previously shown differentiation between Atlantic and Pacific strains of this virus, with low variation within each geographic clade. However, a lack of multi-locus genomic sequence data hinders understanding of the rate and mechanisms of ChHV5 evolutionary divergence, as well as how these genomic changes may contribute to differences in disease manifestation. To assess genomic variation in ChHV5 among five Hawaii and three Florida green sea turtles, we used high-throughput short-read sequencing of long-range PCR products amplified from tumor tissue using primers designed from the single available ChHV5 reference genome from a Hawaii green sea turtle. This strategy recovered sequence data from both geographic regions for approximately 75% of the predicted ChHV5 coding sequences. The average nucleotide divergence between geographic populations was 1.5%; most of the substitutions were fixed differences between regions. Protein divergence was generally low (average 0.08%), and ranged between 0 and 5.3%. Several atypical genes originally identified and annotated in the reference genome were confirmed in ChHV5 genomes from both geographic locations. Unambiguous recombination events between geographic regions were identified, and clustering of private alleles suggests the prevalence of recombination in the evolutionary history of ChHV5. This study significantly increased the amount of sequence data available from ChHV5 strains, enabling informed selection of loci for future population genetic and natural history studies, and suggesting the (possibly latent) co-infection of individuals by well-differentiated geographic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl L Morrison
- National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Leetown Science Center, US Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, United States of America
| | - Luke Iwanowicz
- National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Leetown Science Center, US Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, United States of America
| | - Thierry M Work
- National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, US Geological Survey, Honolulu, HI, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Fahsbender
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, United States of America
| | - Mya Breitbart
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, United States of America
| | - Cynthia Adams
- National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Leetown Science Center, US Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, United States of America
| | - Deb Iwanowicz
- National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Leetown Science Center, US Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, United States of America
| | - Lakyn Sanders
- National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Leetown Science Center, US Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, United States of America
| | | | - Robert S Cornman
- Fort Collins Science Center, US Geological Survey, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
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Jung MR, Horgen FD, Orski SV, Rodriguez C V, Beers KL, Balazs GH, Jones TT, Work TM, Brignac KC, Royer SJ, Hyrenbach KD, Jensen BA, Lynch JM. Validation of ATR FT-IR to identify polymers of plastic marine debris, including those ingested by marine organisms. Mar Pollut Bull 2018; 127:704-716. [PMID: 29475714 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.12.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 470] [Impact Index Per Article: 78.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 12/23/2017] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Polymer identification of plastic marine debris can help identify its sources, degradation, and fate. We optimized and validated a fast, simple, and accessible technique, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR), to identify polymers contained in plastic ingested by sea turtles. Spectra of consumer good items with known resin identification codes #1-6 and several #7 plastics were compared to standard and raw manufactured polymers. High temperature size exclusion chromatography measurements confirmed ATR FT-IR could differentiate these polymers. High-density (HDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) discrimination is challenging but a clear step-by-step guide is provided that identified 78% of ingested PE samples. The optimal cleaning methods consisted of wiping ingested pieces with water or cutting. Of 828 ingested plastics pieces from 50 Pacific sea turtles, 96% were identified by ATR FT-IR as HDPE, LDPE, unknown PE, polypropylene (PP), PE and PP mixtures, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and nylon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa R Jung
- College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Hawai'i Pacific University, Kaneohe, HI, United States
| | - F David Horgen
- College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Hawai'i Pacific University, Kaneohe, HI, United States
| | - Sara V Orski
- Materials Science and Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, United States
| | - Viviana Rodriguez C
- Materials Science and Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, United States
| | - Kathryn L Beers
- Materials Science and Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, United States
| | - George H Balazs
- Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - T Todd Jones
- Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Thierry M Work
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Kayla C Brignac
- School of Ocean, Earth Science, and Technology, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Sarah-Jeanne Royer
- Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - K David Hyrenbach
- College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Hawai'i Pacific University, Kaneohe, HI, United States
| | - Brenda A Jensen
- College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Hawai'i Pacific University, Kaneohe, HI, United States
| | - Jennifer M Lynch
- Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Kaneohe, HI, United States.
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Clukey KE, Lepczyk CA, Balazs GH, Work TM, Li QX, Bachman MJ, Lynch JM. Persistent organic pollutants in fat of three species of Pacific pelagic longline caught sea turtles: Accumulation in relation to ingested plastic marine debris. Sci Total Environ 2018; 610-611:402-411. [PMID: 28806556 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In addition to eating contaminated prey, sea turtles may be exposed to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from ingesting plastic debris that has absorbed these chemicals. Given the limited knowledge about POPs in pelagic sea turtles and how plastic ingestion influences POP exposure, our objectives were to: 1) provide baseline contaminant levels of three species of pelagic Pacific sea turtles; and 2) assess trends of contaminant levels in relation to species, sex, length, body condition and capture location. In addition, we hypothesized that if ingesting plastic is a significant source of POP exposure, then the amount of ingested plastic may be correlated to POP concentrations accumulated in fat. To address our objectives we compared POP concentrations in fat samples to previously described amounts of ingested plastic from the same turtles. Fat samples from 25 Pacific pelagic sea turtles [2 loggerhead (Caretta caretta), 6 green (Chelonia mydas) and 17 olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) turtles] were analyzed for 81 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 20 organochlorine pesticides, and 35 brominated flame-retardants. The olive ridley and loggerhead turtles had higher ΣDDTs (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and metabolites) than ΣPCBs, at a ratio similar to biota measured in the South China Sea and southern California. Green turtles had a ratio close to 1:1. These pelagic turtles had lower POP levels than previously reported in nearshore turtles. POP concentrations were unrelated to the amounts of ingested plastic in olive ridleys, suggesting that their exposure to POPs is mainly through prey. In green turtles, concentrations of ΣPCBs were positively correlated with the number of plastic pieces ingested, but these findings were confounded by covariance with body condition index (BCI). Green turtles with a higher BCI had eaten more plastic and also had higher POPs. Taken together, our findings suggest that sea turtles accumulate most POPs through their prey rather than marine debris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine E Clukey
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, United States
| | - Christopher A Lepczyk
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, United States; Auburn University, School of Forestry and Wildlife Science, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - George H Balazs
- Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Thierry M Work
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Qing X Li
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, United States
| | - Melannie J Bachman
- Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Jennifer M Lynch
- Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Kaneohe, HI, United States.
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21
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Clukey KE, Lepczyk CA, Balazs GH, Work TM, Lynch JM. Investigation of plastic debris ingestion by four species of sea turtles collected as bycatch in pelagic Pacific longline fisheries. Mar Pollut Bull 2017; 120:117-125. [PMID: 28487057 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.04.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 04/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Ingestion of marine debris is an established threat to sea turtles. The amount, type, color and location of ingested plastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of 55 sea turtles from Pacific longline fisheries from 2012 to 2016 were quantified, and compared across species, turtle length, body condition, sex, capture location, season and year. Six approaches for quantifying amounts of ingested plastic strongly correlated with one another and included: number of pieces, mass, volume and surface area of plastics, ratio of plastic mass to body mass, and percentage of the mass of gut contents consisting of plastic. All olive ridley (n=37), 90% of green (n=10), 80% of loggerhead (n=5) and 0% of leatherback (n=3) turtles had ingested plastic; green turtles ingested significantly more than olive ridleys. Most debris was in the large intestines. No adverse health impacts (intestinal lesions, blockage, or poor body condition) due directly to plastic ingestion were noted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine E Clukey
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Christopher A Lepczyk
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, United States; Auburn University, School of Forestry and Wildlife Science, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - George H Balazs
- Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Thierry M Work
- National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, U.S. Geological Survey, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Jennifer M Lynch
- Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Kaneohe, HI, United States.
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Work TM, Moeller PDR, Beauchesne KR, Dagenais J, Breeden R, Rameyer R, Walsh WJ, Abecassis M, Kobayashi DR, Conway C, Winton J. Pufferfish mortality associated with novel polar marine toxins in Hawaii. Dis Aquat Organ 2017; 123:87-99. [PMID: 28262632 DOI: 10.3354/dao03096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Fish die-offs are important signals in tropical marine ecosystems. In 2010, a mass mortality of pufferfish in Hawaii (USA) was dominated by Arothron hispidus showing aberrant neurological behaviors. Using pathology, toxinology, and field surveys, we implicated a series of novel, polar, marine toxins as a likely cause of this mass mortality. Our findings are striking in that (1) a marine toxin was associated with a kill of a fish species that is itself toxic; (2) we provide a plausible mechanism to explain clinical signs of affected fish; and (3) this epizootic likely depleted puffer populations. Whilst our data are compelling, we did not synthesize the toxin de novo, and we were unable to categorically prove that the polar toxins caused mortality or that they were metabolites of an undefined parent compound. However, our approach does provide a template for marine fish kill investigations associated with marine toxins and inherent limitations of existing methods. Our study also highlights the need for more rapid and cost-effective tools to identify new marine toxins, particularly small, highly polar molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center-Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA
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Rees AF, Alfaro-Shigueto J, Barata PCR, Bjorndal KA, Bolten AB, Bourjea J, Broderick AC, Campbell LM, Cardona L, Carreras C, Casale P, Ceriani SA, Dutton PH, Eguchi T, Formia A, Fuentes MMPB, Fuller WJ, Girondot M, Godfrey MH, Hamann M, Hart KM, Hays GC, Hochscheid S, Kaska Y, Jensen MP, Mangel JC, Mortimer JA, Naro-Maciel E, Ng CKY, Nichols WJ, Phillott AD, Reina RD, Revuelta O, Schofield G, Seminoff JA, Shanker K, Tomás J, van de Merwe JP, Van Houtan KS, Vander Zanden HB, Wallace BP, Wedemeyer-Strombel KR, Work TM, Godley BJ. Are we working towards global research priorities for management and conservation of sea turtles? ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2016. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Davenport J, Jones TT, Work TM, Balazs GH. Topsy-turvy: turning the counter-current heat exchange of leatherback turtles upside down. Biol Lett 2016; 11:rsbl.2015.0592. [PMID: 26445982 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Counter-current heat exchangers associated with appendages of endotherms feature bundles of closely applied arteriovenous vessels. The accepted paradigm is that heat from warm arterial blood travelling into the appendage crosses into cool venous blood returning to the body. High core temperature is maintained, but the appendage functions at low temperature. Leatherback turtles have elevated core temperatures in cold seawater and arteriovenous plexuses at the roots of all four limbs. We demonstrate that plexuses of the hindlimbs are situated wholly within the hip musculature, and that, at the distal ends of the plexuses, most blood vessels supply or drain the hip muscles, with little distal vascular supply to, or drainage from the limb blades. Venous blood entering a plexus will therefore be drained from active locomotory muscles that are overlaid by thick blubber when the adults are foraging in cold temperate waters. Plexuses maintain high limb muscle temperature and avoid excessive loss of heat to the core, the reverse of the accepted paradigm. Plexuses protect the core from overheating generated by muscular thermogenesis during nesting.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Davenport
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, North Mall Campus, Distillery Fields, Cork, Ireland
| | - T Todd Jones
- NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 1845 Wasp Boulevard, Building 176, Honolulu, HI 96818, USA
| | - Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA
| | - George H Balazs
- NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 1845 Wasp Boulevard, Building 176, Honolulu, HI 96818, USA
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25
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Aeby GS, Callahan S, Cox EF, Runyon C, Smith A, Stanton FG, Ushijima B, Work TM. Emerging coral diseases in Kāne'ohe Bay, O'ahu, Hawai'i (USA): two major disease outbreaks of acute Montipora white syndrome. Dis Aquat Organ 2016; 119:189-198. [PMID: 27225202 DOI: 10.3354/dao02996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In March 2010 and January 2012, we documented 2 widespread and severe coral disease outbreaks on reefs throughout Kāne'ohe Bay, Hawai'i (USA). The disease, acute Montipora white syndrome (aMWS), manifested as acute and progressive tissue loss on the common reef coral M. capitata. Rapid visual surveys in 2010 revealed 338 aMWS-affected M. capitata colonies with a disease abundance of (mean ± SE) 0.02 ± 0.01 affected colonies per m of reef surveyed. In 2012, disease abundance was significantly higher (1232 aMWS-affected colonies) with 0.06 ± 0.02 affected colonies m(-1). Prior surveys found few acute tissue loss lesions in M. capitata in Ka¯ne'ohe Bay; thus, the high number of infected colonies found during these outbreaks would classify this as an emerging disease. Disease abundance was highest in the semi-enclosed region of south Kāne'ohe Bay, which has a history of nutrient and sediment impacts from terrestrial runoff and stream discharge. In 2010, tagged colonies showed an average tissue loss of 24% after 1 mo, and 92% of the colonies continued to lose tissue in the subsequent month but at a slower rate (chronic tissue loss). The host-specific nature of this disease (affecting only M. capitata) and the apparent spread of lesions between M. capitata colonies in the field suggest a potential transmissible agent. The synchronous appearance of affected colonies on multiple reefs across Kāne'ohe Bay suggests a common underlying factor. Both outbreaks occurred during the colder, rainy winter months, and thus it is likely that some parameter(s) associated with winter environmental conditions are linked to the emergence of disease outbreaks on these reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta S Aeby
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
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26
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Raymundo LJ, Work TM, Miller RL, Lozada-Misa PL. Effects of Coralliophila violacea on tissue loss in the scleractinian corals Porites spp. depend on host response. Dis Aquat Organ 2016; 119:75-83. [PMID: 27068505 DOI: 10.3354/dao02982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We investigated interactions between the corallivorous gastropod Coralliophila violacea and its preferred hosts Porites spp. Our objectives were to experimentally determine whether tissue loss could progress in Porites during or after Coralliophila predation on corals with and without tissue loss and to histologically document snail predation. In 64% of feeding scars, tissue regenerated within 3 wk, leaving no trace of predation. However, in roughly 28% of scars, lesions progressed to subacute tissue loss resembling white syndrome. In feeding experiments, scars from snails previously fed diseased tissue developed progressive tissue loss twice as frequently as scars from snails previously fed healthy tissue. Scars from previously healthy-fed snails were 3 times as likely to heal as those from previously diseased-fed snails. Histology revealed marked differences in host responses to snails; P. cylindrica manifested a robust inflammatory response with fewer secondary colonizing organisms such as algae, sponges, and helminths, whereas P. rus showed no evident inflammation and more secondary colonization. We conclude that lesion progression associated with Coralliophila may be associated with secondary colonization of coral tissues damaged by predator-induced trauma and necrosis. Importantly, variation at the cellular level should be considered when explaining interspecific differences in host responses in corals impacted by phenomena such as predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- L J Raymundo
- University of Guam Marine Laboratory, Mangilao, Guam 96923, USA
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de Deus Santos MR, Silva Martins A, Baptistotte C, Work TM. Health condition of juvenile Chelonia mydas related to fibropapillomatosis in southeast Brazil. Dis Aquat Organ 2015; 115:193-201. [PMID: 26290504 DOI: 10.3354/dao02883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Packed cell volume (PCV), plasma biochemistry, visual body condition (BC), and calculated body condition index (BCI) were evaluated in 170 wild juvenile green sea turtles Chelonia mydas from an aggregation in the effluent canal of a steel mill in Brazil. Occurrence of cutaneous fibropapillomatosis (FP) was observed in 44.1% of the animals examined. BCI alone did not differ significantly between healthy animals and those afflicted with FP. However, all turtles with low BCI were severely afflicted and were uremic, hypoglycemic, and anemic in relation to healthy animals. Severe FP was not always reflected by a poor health condition of the individual. Clinical evaluation and plasma biochemistry indicated that most animals afflicted with FP were in good health condition. Differences in FP manifestations and associated health conditions in different geographic regions must be assessed by long-term health monitoring programs to help define priorities for conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Renan de Deus Santos
- Instituto de Ensino, Pesquisa e Preservação Ambiental Marcos Daniel, R. Fortunato Ramos 123, Santa Lucia, Vitória, Espírito Santo 29055-290, Brazil
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28
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Aeby GS, Work TM, Runyon CM, Shore-Maggio A, Ushijima B, Videau P, Beurmann S, Callahan SM. First record of black band disease in the Hawaiian archipelago: response, outbreak status, virulence, and a method of treatment. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0120853. [PMID: 25774800 PMCID: PMC4361573 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A high number of coral colonies, Montipora spp., with progressive tissue loss were reported from the north shore of Kaua'i by a member of the Eyes of the Reef volunteer reporting network. The disease has a distinct lesion (semi-circular pattern of tissue loss with an adjacent dark band) that was first observed in Hanalei Bay, Kaua'i in 2004. The disease, initially termed Montipora banded tissue loss, appeared grossly similar to black band disease (BBD), which affects corals worldwide. Following the initial report, a rapid response was initiated as outlined in Hawai'i's rapid response contingency plan to determine outbreak status and investigate the disease. Our study identified the three dominant bacterial constituents indicative of BBD (filamentous cyanobacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria, sulfide-oxidizing bacteria) in coral disease lesions from Kaua'i, which provided the first evidence of BBD in the Hawaiian archipelago. A rapid survey at the alleged outbreak site found disease to affect 6-7% of the montiporids, which is higher than a prior prevalence of less than 1% measured on Kaua'i in 2004, indicative of an epizootic. Tagged colonies with BBD had an average rate of tissue loss of 5.7 cm2/day over a two-month period. Treatment of diseased colonies with a double band of marine epoxy, mixed with chlorine powder, effectively reduced colony mortality. Within two months, treated colonies lost an average of 30% less tissue compared to untreated controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta S. Aeby
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne‘ohe, Hawaii, United States of America
- Marine Biology Graduate Program, University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Thierry M. Work
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Christina M. Runyon
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne‘ohe, Hawaii, United States of America
- Marine Biology Graduate Program, University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Amanda Shore-Maggio
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne‘ohe, Hawaii, United States of America
- Microbiology Department, University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Blake Ushijima
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne‘ohe, Hawaii, United States of America
- Microbiology Department, University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Patrick Videau
- Microbiology Department, University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Silvia Beurmann
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne‘ohe, Hawaii, United States of America
- Microbiology Department, University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Sean M. Callahan
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne‘ohe, Hawaii, United States of America
- Marine Biology Graduate Program, University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
- Microbiology Department, University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
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Abstract
The authors documented gross and microscopic morphology of lesions in corals on 7 islands spanning western, southern, and eastern Micronesia, sampling 76 colonies comprising 30 species of corals among 18 genera, with Acropora, Porites, and Montipora dominating. Tissue loss comprised the majority of gross lesions sampled (41%), followed by discoloration (30%) and growth anomaly (29%). Of 31 cases of tissue loss, most lesions were subacute (48%), followed by acute and chronic (26% each). Of 23 samples with discoloration, most were dark discoloration (40%), with bleaching and other discoloration each constituting 30%. Of 22 growth anomalies, umbonate growth anomalies composed half, with exophytic, nodular, and rugose growth anomalies composing the remainder. On histopathology, for 9 cases of dark discoloration, fungal infections predominated (77%); for 7 bleached corals, depletion of zooxanthellae from the gastrodermis made up a majority of microscopic diagnoses (57%); and for growth anomalies other than umbonate, hyperplasia of the basal body wall was the most common microscopic finding (63%). For the remainder of the gross lesions, no single microscopic finding constituted >50% of the total. Host response varied with the agent present on histology. Fragmentation of tissues was most often associated with algae (60%), whereas necrosis dominated (53%) for fungi. Two newly documented potentially symbiotic tissue-associated metazoans were seen in Porites and Montipora. Findings of multiple potential etiologies for a given gross lesion highlight the importance of incorporating histopathology in coral disease surveys. This study also expands the range of corals infected with cell-associated microbial aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - G S Aeby
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Kaneohe, HI, USA
| | - K A Hughen
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
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30
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Work TM, Dagenais J, Balazs GH, Schettle N, Ackermann M. Dynamics of Virus Shedding and In Situ Confirmation of Chelonid Herpesvirus 5 in Hawaiian Green Turtles With Fibropapillomatosis. Vet Pathol 2014; 52:1195-201. [PMID: 25445320 DOI: 10.1177/0300985814560236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cancers in humans and animals can be caused by viruses, but virus-induced tumors are considered to be poor sites for replication of intact virions (lytic replication). Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a neoplastic disease associated with a herpesvirus, chelonid herpesvirus 5 (ChHV5), that affects green turtles globally. ChHV5 probably replicates in epidermal cells of tumors, because epidermal intranuclear inclusions (EIIs) contain herpesvirus-like particles. However, although EIIs are a sign of herpesvirus replication, they have not yet been firmly linked to ChHV5. Moreover, the dynamics of viral shedding in turtles are unknown, and there are no serological reagents to confirm actual presence of the specific ChHV5 virus in tissues. The investigators analyzed 381 FP tumors for the presence of EIIs and found that overall, about 35% of green turtles had lytic replication in skin tumors with 7% of tumors showing lytic replication. A few (11%) turtles accounted for more than 30% cases having lytic viral replication, and lytic replication was more likely in smaller tumors. To confirm that turtles were actively replicating ChHV5, a prerequisite for shedding, the investigators used antiserum raised against F-VP26, a predicted capsid protein of ChHV5 that localizes to the host cell nucleus during viral replication. This antiserum revealed F-VP26 in EIIs of tumors, thus confirming the presence of replicating ChHV5. In this light, it is proposed that unlike other virus-induced neoplastic diseases, FP is a disease that may depend on superspreaders, a few highly infectious individuals growing numerous small tumors permissive to viral production, for transmission of ChHV5.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Work
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - J Dagenais
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - G H Balazs
- NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - N Schettle
- Institute of Virology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - M Ackermann
- Institute of Virology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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Keller JM, Balazs GH, Nilsen F, Rice M, Work TM, Jensen BA. Investigating the potential role of persistent organic pollutants in Hawaiian green sea turtle fibropapillomatosis. Environ Sci Technol 2014; 48:7807-16. [PMID: 24963745 DOI: 10.1021/es5014054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
It has been hypothesized for decades that environmental pollutants may contribute to green sea turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP), possibly through immunosuppression leading to greater susceptibility to the herpesvirus, the putative causative agent of this tumor-forming disease. To address this question, we measured concentrations of 164 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and halogenated phenols in 53 Hawaiian green turtle (Chelonia mydas) plasma samples archived by the Biological and Environmental Monitoring and Archival of Sea Turtle Tissues (BEMAST) project at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Marine Environmental Specimen Bank. Four groups of turtles were examined: free-ranging turtles from Kiholo Bay (0% FP, Hawaii), Kailua Bay (low FP, 8%, Oahu), and Kapoho Bay (moderate FP, 38%, Hawaii) and severely tumored stranded turtles that required euthanasia (high FP, 100%, Main Hawaiian Islands). Four classes of POPs and seven halogenated phenols were detected in at least one of the turtles, and concentrations were low (often <200 pg/g wet mass). The presence of halogenated phenols in sea turtles is a novel discovery; their concentrations were higher than most man-made POPs, suggesting that the source of most of these compounds was likely natural (produced by the algal turtle diet) rather than metabolites of man-made POPs. None of the compounds measured increased in concentration with increasing prevalence of FP across the four groups of turtles, suggesting that these 164 compounds are not likely primary triggers for the onset of FP. However, the stranded, severely tumored, emaciated turtle group (n=14) had the highest concentrations of POPs, which might suggest that mobilization of contaminants with lipids into the blood during late-stage weight loss could contribute to the progression of the disease. Taken together, these data suggest that POPs are not a major cofactor in causing the onset of FP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Keller
- Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Charleston, South Carolina 29412, United States
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Work TM, Aeby GS, Lasne G, Tribollet A. Gross and microscopic pathology of hard and soft corals in New Caledonia. J Invertebr Pathol 2014; 120:50-8. [PMID: 24927644 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2014.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2013] [Revised: 05/24/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
We surveyed the reefs of Grande Terre, New Caledonia, for coral diseases in 2010 and 2013. Lesions encountered in hard and soft corals were systematically described at the gross and microscopic level. We sampled paired and normal tissues from 101 and 65 colonies in 2010 and 2013, respectively, comprising 51 species of corals from 27 genera. Tissue loss was the most common gross lesion sampled (40%) followed by discoloration (28%), growth anomalies (13%), bleaching (10%), and flatworm infestation (1%). When grouped by gross lesions, the diversity of microscopic lesions as measured by Shannon-Wiener index was highest for tissue loss, followed by discoloration, bleaching, and growth anomaly. Our findings document an extension of the range of certain diseases such as Porites trematodiasis and endolithic hypermycosis (dark spots) to the Western Pacific as well as the presence of a putative cnidarian endosymbiont. We also expand the range of species infected by cell-associated microbial aggregates, and confirm the trend that these aggregates predominate in dominant genera of corals in the Indo-Pacific. This study highlights the importance of including histopathology as an integral component of baseline coral disease surveys, because a given gross lesion might be associated with multiple potential causative agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M Work
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, PO Box 50187, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA.
| | - Greta S Aeby
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, PO Box 1346, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Gregory Lasne
- BIOCENOSE MARINE Sarl, Centre IRD de Nouméa, 98848 Nouméa Cedex, New Caledonia
| | - Aline Tribollet
- UMR IPSL-LOCEAN (UPMC/CNRS/IRD/MNHN), Centre IRD France Nord, 32 Av. Henri Varagnat, 93143 Bondy Cedex, France
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Work TM, Aeby GS. Skin pathology in Hawaiian goldring surgeonfish, Ctenochaetus strigosus (Bennett). J Fish Dis 2014; 37:357-362. [PMID: 23617760 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.12112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2013] [Accepted: 03/16/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Twenty-eight goldring surgeonfish, Ctenochaetus strigosus (Bennett), manifesting skin lesions and originating from the north-western and main Hawaiian Islands were examined. Skin lesions were amorphous and ranged from simple dark or light discolouration to multicoloured tan to white sessile masses with an undulant surface. Skin lesions covered 2-66% of the fish surface, and there was no predilection for lesions affecting a particular part of the fish. Males appeared over-represented. Microscopy revealed the skin lesions to be hyperplasia, melanophoromas or iridophoromas. The presence of skin tumours in a relatively unspoiled area of Hawaii is intriguing. Explaining their distribution, cause and impact on survivorship of fish all merit further study because C. strigosus is an economically important fish in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI, USA; Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Kane'ohe, HI, USA
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Work TM, Farah Y. Lectins stain cells differentially in the coral, Montipora capitata. J Invertebr Pathol 2014; 117:42-50. [PMID: 24518620 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2014.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2013] [Revised: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A limitation in our understanding of coral disease pathology and cellular pathogenesis is a lack of reagents to characterize coral cells. We evaluated the utility of plant lectins to stain tissues of a dominant coral, Montipora capitata, from Hawaii. Of 22 lectins evaluated, nine of these stained structures in the upper or basal body wall of corals. Specific structures revealed by lectins that were not considered distinct or evident on routine hematoxylin and eosin sections of coral tissues included apical and basal granules in gastrodermis and epidermis, cnidoglandular tract and actinopharynx cell surface membranes, capsules of mature holotrichous isorhizas, and perivitelline and periseminal cells. Plant lectins could prove useful to further our understanding of coral physiology, anatomy, cell biology, and disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M Work
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, PO Box 50167, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA.
| | - Yael Farah
- University of Illinois, School of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana Champaign, IL 61820, USA
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Williams GJ, Price NN, Ushijima B, Aeby GS, Callahan S, Davy SK, Gove JM, Johnson MD, Knapp IS, Shore-Maggio A, Smith JE, Videau P, Work TM. Ocean warming and acidification have complex interactive effects on the dynamics of a marine fungal disease. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20133069. [PMID: 24452029 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.3069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Diseases threaten the structure and function of marine ecosystems and are contributing to the global decline of coral reefs. We currently lack an understanding of how climate change stressors, such as ocean acidification (OA) and warming, may simultaneously affect coral reef disease dynamics, particularly diseases threatening key reef-building organisms, for example crustose coralline algae (CCA). Here, we use coralline fungal disease (CFD), a previously described CCA disease from the Pacific, to examine these simultaneous effects using both field observations and experimental manipulations. We identify the associated fungus as belonging to the subphylum Ustilaginomycetes and show linear lesion expansion rates on individual hosts can reach 6.5 mm per day. Further, we demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, that ocean-warming events could increase the frequency of CFD outbreaks on coral reefs, but that OA-induced lowering of pH may ameliorate outbreaks by slowing lesion expansion rates on individual hosts. Lowered pH may still reduce overall host survivorship, however, by reducing calcification and facilitating fungal bio-erosion. Such complex, interactive effects between simultaneous extrinsic environmental stressors on disease dynamics are important to consider if we are to accurately predict the response of coral reef communities to future climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth J Williams
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, University of California San Diego, , La Jolla, CA 92093, USA, Department of Microbiology, University of California San Diego, , La Jolla, CA 92093, USA, Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, University of Hawaii at Manoa, , Honolulu, HI, USA, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, , Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, , PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), , NOAA, 1610 Kapiolani Boulevard, Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814, USA, US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, , Honolulu Field Station, PO Box 50167, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA
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Ackermann M, Koriabine M, Hartmann-Fritsch F, de Jong PJ, Lewis TD, Schetle N, Work TM, Dagenais J, Balazs GH, Leong JAC. The genome of Chelonid herpesvirus 5 harbors atypical genes. PLoS One 2012; 7:e46623. [PMID: 23056373 PMCID: PMC3462797 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2011] [Accepted: 09/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Chelonid fibropapilloma-associated herpesvirus (CFPHV; ChHV5) is believed to be the causative agent of fibropapillomatosis (FP), a neoplastic disease of marine turtles. While clinical signs and pathology of FP are well known, research on ChHV5 has been impeded because no cell culture system for its propagation exists. We have cloned a BAC containing ChHV5 in pTARBAC2.1 and determined its nucleotide sequence. Accordingly, ChHV5 has a type D genome and its predominant gene order is typical for the varicellovirus genus within the alphaherpesvirinae. However, at least four genes that are atypical for an alphaherpesvirus genome were also detected, i.e. two members of the C-type lectin-like domain superfamily (F-lec1, F-lec2), an orthologue to the mouse cytomegalovirus M04 (F-M04) and a viral sialyltransferase (F-sial). Four lines of evidence suggest that these atypical genes are truly part of the ChHV5 genome: (1) the pTARBAC insertion interrupted the UL52 ORF, leaving parts of the gene to either side of the insertion and suggesting that an intact molecule had been cloned. (2) Using FP-associated UL52 (F-UL52) as an anchor and the BAC-derived sequences as a means to generate primers, overlapping PCR was performed with tumor-derived DNA as template, which confirmed the presence of the same stretch of “atypical” DNA in independent FP cases. (3) Pyrosequencing of DNA from independent tumors did not reveal previously undetected viral sequences, suggesting that no apparent loss of viral sequence had happened due to the cloning strategy. (4) The simultaneous presence of previously known ChHV5 sequences and F-sial as well as F-M04 sequences was also confirmed in geographically distinct Australian cases of FP. Finally, transcripts of F-sial and F-M04 but not transcripts of lytic viral genes were detected in tumors from Hawaiian FP-cases. Therefore, we suggest that F-sial and F-M04 may play a role in FP pathogenesis.
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Work TM, Russell R, Aeby GS. Tissue loss (white syndrome) in the coral Montipora capitata is a dynamic disease with multiple host responses and potential causes. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:4334-41. [PMID: 22951746 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.1827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Tissue loss diseases or white syndromes (WS) are some of the most important coral diseases because they result in significant colony mortality and morbidity, threatening dominant Acroporidae in the Caribbean and Pacific. The causes of WS remain elusive in part because few have examined affected corals at the cellular level. We studied the cellular changes associated with WS over time in a dominant Hawaiian coral, Montipora capitata, and showed that: (i) WS has rapidly progressing (acute) phases mainly associated with ciliates or slowly progressing (chronic) phases mainly associated with helminths or chimeric parasites; (ii) these phases interchanged and waxed and waned; (iii) WS could be a systemic disease associated with chimeric parasitism or a localized disease associated with helminths or ciliates; (iv) corals responded to ciliates mainly with necrosis and to helminths or chimeric parasites with wound repair; (v) mixed infections were uncommon; and (vi) other than cyanobacteria, prokaryotes associated with cell death were not seen. Recognizing potential agents associated with disease at the cellular level and the host response to those agents offers a logical deductive rationale to further explore the role of such agents in the pathogenesis of WS in M. capitata and helps explain manifestation of gross lesions. This approach has broad applicability to the study of the pathogenesis of coral diseases in the field and under experimental settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA.
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Corsaro D, Work TM. Candidatus Renichlamydia lutjani, a Gram-negative bacterium in internal organs of blue-striped snapper Lutjanus kasmira from Hawaii. Dis Aquat Organ 2012; 98:249-254. [PMID: 22535875 DOI: 10.3354/dao02441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The blue-striped snapper Lutjanus kasmira (Perciformes, Lutjanidae) are cosmopolitan in the Indo-Pacific but were introduced into Oahu, Hawaii, USA, in the 1950s and have since colonized most of the archipelago. Studies of microparasites in blue-striped snappers from Hawaii revealed chlamydia-like organisms (CLO) infecting the spleen and kidney, characterized by intracellular basophilic granular inclusions containing Gram-negative and Gimenez-positive bacteria similar in appearance to epitheliocysts when seen under light microscopy. We provide molecular evidence that CLO are a new member of Chlamydiae, i.e. Candidatus Renichlamydia lutjani, that represents the first reported case of chlamydial infection in organs other than the gill in fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Corsaro
- CHLAREAS Chlamydia Research Association, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
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Merino S, Hennicke J, Martínez J, Ludynia K, Torres R, Work TM, Stroud S, Masello JF, Quillfeldt P. Infection by Haemoproteus Parasites in Four Species of Frigatebirds and the Description of a New Species of Haemoproteus (Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae). J Parasitol 2012; 98:388-97. [DOI: 10.1645/ge-2415.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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Wilson B, Aeby GS, Work TM, Bourne DG. Bacterial communities associated with healthy and Acropora white syndrome-affected corals from American Samoa. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2012; 80:509-20. [PMID: 22283330 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2012.01319.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2011] [Revised: 01/03/2012] [Accepted: 01/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Acropora white syndrome (AWS) is characterized by rapid tissue loss revealing the white underlying skeleton and affects corals worldwide; however, reports of causal agents are conflicting. Samples were collected from healthy and diseased corals and seawater around American Samoa and bacteria associated with AWS characterized using both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods, from coral mucus and tissue slurries, respectively. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene clone libraries derived from coral tissue were dominated by the Gammaproteobacteria, and Jaccard's distances calculated between the clone libraries showed that those from diseased corals were more similar to each other than to those from healthy corals. 16S rRNA genes from 78 culturable coral mucus isolates also revealed a distinct partitioning of bacterial genera into healthy and diseased corals. Isolates identified as Vibrionaceae were further characterized by multilocus sequence typing, revealing that whilst several Vibrio spp. were found to be associated with AWS lesions, a recently described species, Vibrio owensii, was prevalent amongst cultured Vibrio isolates. Unaffected tissues from corals with AWS had a different microbiota than normal Acropora as found by others. Determining whether a microbial shift occurs prior to disease outbreaks will be a useful avenue of pursuit and could be helpful in detecting prodromal signs of coral disease prior to manifestation of lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Wilson
- Centre for Marine Microbiology and Genetics, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville MC, Qld, Australia
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Work TM, Forsman ZH, Szabó Z, Lewis TD, Aeby GS, Toonen RJ. Inter-specific coral chimerism: genetically distinct multicellular structures associated with tissue loss in Montipora capitata. PLoS One 2011; 6:e22869. [PMID: 21829541 PMCID: PMC3145771 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2011] [Accepted: 07/03/2011] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Montipora white syndrome (MWS) results in tissue-loss that is often lethal to Montipora capitata, a major reef building coral that is abundant and dominant in the Hawai'ian Archipelago. Within some MWS-affected colonies in Kane'ohe Bay, Oahu, Hawai'i, we saw unusual motile multicellular structures within gastrovascular canals (hereafter referred to as invasive gastrovascular multicellular structure-IGMS) that were associated with thinning and fragmentation of the basal body wall. IGMS were in significantly greater densities in coral fragments manifesting tissue-loss compared to paired normal fragments. Mesenterial filaments from these colonies yielded typical M. capitata mitochondrial haplotypes (CO1, CR), while IGMS from the same colony consistently yielded distinct haplotypes previously only found in a different Montipora species (Montipora flabellata). Protein profiles showed consistent differences between paired mesenterial filaments and IGMS from the same colonies as did seven microsatellite loci that also exhibited an excess of alleles per locus inconsistent with a single diploid organism. We hypothesize that IGMS are a parasitic cellular lineage resulting from the chimeric fusion between M. capitata and M. flabellata larvae followed by morphological reabsorption of M. flabellata and subsequent formation of cell-lineage parasites. We term this disease Montiporaiasis. Although intra-specific chimerism is common in colonial animals, this is the first suspected inter-specific example and the first associated with tissue loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M Work
- Honolulu Field Station, National Wildlife Health Center, United States Geological Survey, Honolulu, Hawai'i, United States of America.
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Santos RG, Martins AS, Farias JDN, Horta PA, Pinheiro HT, Torezani E, Baptistotte C, Seminoff JA, Balazs GH, Work TM. Coastal habitat degradation and green sea turtle diets in Southeastern Brazil. Mar Pollut Bull 2011; 62:1297-1302. [PMID: 21450314 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2010] [Revised: 02/28/2011] [Accepted: 03/02/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
To show the influence of coastal habitat degradation on the availability of food for green turtles (Chelonia mydas), we assessed the dietary preferences and macroalgae community at a feeding area in a highly urbanized region. The area showed low species richness and was classified as degraded. We examined stomach contents of 15 dead stranded turtles (CCL=44.0cm (SD 6.7cm)). The diet was composed primarily of green algae Ulva spp. (83.6%). In contrast, the macroalgae community was dominated by the green alga Caulerpa mexicana. We found a selection for red algae, seagrass and Ulva spp., and avoidance for C. mexicana and brown alga Dictyopteris delicatula. The low diversity of available food items, possibly a result of environmental degradation, likely contributed to the low dietary diversity. The nutritional implications of this restricted diet are unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robson G Santos
- Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, CCHN, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, 29075-910 Vitória, ES, Brazil.
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Aeby GS, Williams GJ, Franklin EC, Kenyon J, Cox EF, Coles S, Work TM. Patterns of coral disease across the Hawaiian archipelago: relating disease to environment. PLoS One 2011; 6:e20370. [PMID: 21655248 PMCID: PMC3105043 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2011] [Accepted: 05/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In Hawaii, coral reefs occur across a gradient of biological (host abundance), climatic (sea surface temperature anomalies) and anthropogenic conditions from the human-impacted reefs of the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) to the pristine reefs of the northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). Coral disease surveys were conducted at 142 sites from across the Archipelago and disease patterns examined. Twelve diseases were recorded from three coral genera (Porites, Montipora, Acropora) with Porites having the highest prevalence. Porites growth anomalies (PorGAs) were significantly more prevalent within and indicative of reefs in the MHI and Porites trematodiasis (PorTrm) was significantly more prevalent within and indicative of reefs in the NWHI. Porites tissue loss syndrome (PorTLS) was also important in driving regional differences but that relationship was less clear. These results highlight the importance of understanding disease ecology when interpreting patterns of disease occurrence. PorTrm is caused by a parasitic flatworm that utilizes multiple hosts during its life cycle (fish, mollusk and coral). All three hosts must be present for the disease to occur and higher host abundance leads to higher disease prevalence. Thus, a high prevalence of PorTrm on Hawaiian reefs would be an indicator of a healthy coral reef ecosystem. In contrast, the high occurrence of PorGAs within the MHI suggests that PorGAs are related, directly or indirectly, to some environmental co-factor associated with increased human population sizes. Focusing on the three indicator diseases (PorGAs, PorTrm, PorTLS) we used statistical modeling to examine the underlying associations between disease prevalence and 14 different predictor variables (biotic and abiotic). All three diseases showed positive associations with host abundance and negative associations with thermal stress. The association with human population density differed among disease states with PorGAs showing a positive and PorTrm showing a negative association, but no significant explanatory power was offered for PorTLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta S. Aeby
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawai'i, United States of America
- * E-mail: (GSA); (GJW)
| | - Gareth J. Williams
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (GSA); (GJW)
| | - Erik C. Franklin
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawai'i, United States of America
| | - Jean Kenyon
- Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, University of Hawai'i, and NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Honolulu, Hawai'i, United States of America
| | - Evelyn F. Cox
- University of Hawai'i — West Oahu, Pearl City, Hawai'i, United States of America
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Kane'ohe, Hawai'i, United States of America
| | - Steve Coles
- Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawai'i, United States of America
| | - Thierry M. Work
- U. S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, Hawai'i, United States of America
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Work TM, Aeby GS. Pathology of tissue loss (white syndrome) in Acropora sp. corals from the Central Pacific. J Invertebr Pathol 2011; 107:127-31. [PMID: 21457717 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2011.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2010] [Revised: 03/16/2011] [Accepted: 03/21/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
We performed histological examination of 69 samples of Acropora sp. manifesting different types of tissue loss (Acropora White Syndrome-AWS) from Hawaii, Johnston Atoll and American Samoa between 2002 and 2006. Gross lesions of tissue loss were observed and classified as diffuse acute, diffuse subacute, and focal to multifocal acute to subacute. Corals with acute tissue loss manifested microscopic evidence of necrosis sometimes associated with ciliates, helminths, fungi, algae, sponges, or cyanobacteria whereas those with subacute tissue loss manifested mainly wound repair. Gross lesions of AWS have multiple different changes at the microscopic level some of which involve various microorganisms and metazoa. Elucidating this disease will require, among other things, monitoring lesions over time to determine the pathogenesis of AWS and the potential role of tissue-associated microorganisms in the genesis of tissue loss. Attempts to experimentally induce AWS should include microscopic examination of tissues to ensure that potentially causative microorganisms associated with gross lesion are not overlooked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 5-231, Honolulu, Hawaii 96850, USA.
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Aeby GS, Williams GJ, Franklin EC, Haapkyla J, Harvell CD, Neale S, Page CA, Raymundo L, Vargas-Ángel B, Willis BL, Work TM, Davy SK. Growth anomalies on the coral genera Acropora and Porites are strongly associated with host density and human population size across the Indo-Pacific. PLoS One 2011; 6:e16887. [PMID: 21365011 PMCID: PMC3041824 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2010] [Accepted: 01/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Growth anomalies (GAs) are common, tumor-like diseases that can cause significant morbidity and decreased fecundity in the major Indo-Pacific reef-building coral genera, Acropora and Porites. GAs are unusually tractable for testing hypotheses about drivers of coral disease because of their pan-Pacific distributions, relatively high occurrence, and unambiguous ease of identification. We modeled multiple disease-environment associations that may underlie the prevalence of Acropora growth anomalies (AGA) (n = 304 surveys) and Porites growth anomalies (PGA) (n = 602 surveys) from across the Indo-Pacific. Nine predictor variables were modeled, including coral host abundance, human population size, and sea surface temperature and ultra-violet radiation anomalies. Prevalence of both AGAs and PGAs were strongly host density-dependent. PGAs additionally showed strong positive associations with human population size. Although this association has been widely posited, this is one of the first broad-scale studies unambiguously linking a coral disease with human population size. These results emphasize that individual coral diseases can show relatively distinct patterns of association with environmental predictors, even in similar diseases (growth anomalies) found on different host genera (Acropora vs. Porites). As human densities and environmental degradation increase globally, the prevalence of coral diseases like PGAs could increase accordingly, halted only perhaps by declines in host density below thresholds required for disease establishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta S. Aeby
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States of America
- * E-mail: (GSA); (GJW)
| | - Gareth J. Williams
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (GSA); (GJW)
| | - Erik C. Franklin
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Jessica Haapkyla
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - C. Drew Harvell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stephen Neale
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Cathie A. Page
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Laurie Raymundo
- University of Guam Marine Lab, University of Guam (UOG) Station, Mangilao, Guam
| | - Bernardo Vargas-Ángel
- University of Hawaii, Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Bette L. Willis
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Thierry M. Work
- U. S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Simon K. Davy
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
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Williams GJ, Work TM, Aeby GS, Knapp IS, Davy SK. Gross and microscopic morphology of lesions in Cnidaria from Palmyra Atoll, Central Pacific. J Invertebr Pathol 2010; 106:165-73. [PMID: 20709072 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2010.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2010] [Revised: 08/05/2010] [Accepted: 08/07/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
We conducted gross and microscopic characterizations of lesions in Cnidaria from Palmyra Atoll, Central Pacific. We found growth anomalies (GA) to be the most commonly encountered lesion. Cases of discoloration and tissue loss were rare. GAs had a focal or multi-focal distribution and were predominantly nodular, exophytic, and umbonate. In scleractinians, the majority of GAs manifested as hyperplasia of the basal body wall (52% of cases), with an associated absence or reduction of polyp structure (mesenteries and filaments, actinopharynx and tentacles), and depletion of zooxanthellae in the gastrodermis of the upper body wall. In the soft corals Sinularia sp. and Lobophytum sp., GAs exclusively manifested as prominent hyperplasia of the coenenchyme with an increased density of solenia. In contrast to scleractinians, soft coral GAs displayed an inflammatory and necrotizing component with marked edema of the mesoglea, accompanied by infiltrates of variably-sized granular amoebocytes. Fungi, algae, sponges, and Crustacea were present in some scleractinian GAs, but absent in soft coral GAs. Fragmentation of tissues was a common finding in Acropora acuminata and Montipora cf. dilatata colonies with tissue loss, although no obvious causative agents were seen. Discoloration in the zoanthid, Palythoa tuberculosa, was found to be the result of necrosis, while in Lobophytum sp. discoloration was the result of zooxanthellar depletion (bleaching). Soft corals with discoloration or tissue loss showed a marked inflammatory response, however no obvious causative organisms were seen. Lesions that appeared similar at the gross level were revealed to be distinct by microscopy, emphasizing the importance of histopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth J Williams
- School of Biological Sciences & Centre for Marine Environmental and Economic Research, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
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Hamann M, Godfrey MH, Seminoff JA, Arthur K, Barata PCR, Bjorndal KA, Bolten AB, Broderick AC, Campbell LM, Carreras C, Casale P, Chaloupka M, Chan SKF, Coyne MS, Crowder LB, Diez CE, Dutton PH, Epperly SP, FitzSimmons NN, Formia A, Girondot M, Hays GC, Cheng IS, Kaska Y, Lewison R, Mortimer JA, Nichols WJ, Reina RD, Shanker K, Spotila JR, Tomás J, Wallace BP, Work TM, Zbinden J, Godley BJ. Global research priorities for sea turtles: informing management and conservation in the 21st century. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2010. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 409] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Flint M, Patterson-Kane JC, Limpus CJ, Work TM, Blair D, Mills PC. Postmortem diagnostic investigation of disease in free-ranging marine turtle populations: a review of common pathologic findings and protocols. J Vet Diagn Invest 2010; 21:733-59. [PMID: 19901275 DOI: 10.1177/104063870902100601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past few decades, there have been increasing numbers of reports of diseases in marine turtles. Furthermore, in recent years, there have been documented instances of apparently new diseases emerging in these species of which the etiology and/or pathogenesis remain unknown. These instances i) raise concern for the survival of marine turtles, and ii) question the health and stability of the benthic marine environments in which turtles live. Knowledge of common disease processes and pathologic changes in lesions, along with a standardized approach to postmortem and sample collection are required to document and understand the host-agent-environment interactions in marine turtle health. This review combines, for the first time, a standardized approach to the postmortem of marine turtles for veterinary clinicians, with a concurrent descriptive review of the gross and microscopic pathologic changes in lesions commonly seen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Flint
- Vet-MARTI, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
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dos Santos RG, Martins AS, Torezani E, Baptistotte C, da Nóbrega FJ, Horta PA, Work TM, Balazs GH. Relationship between fibropapillomatosis and environmental quality: a case study with Chelonia mydas off Brazil. Dis Aquat Organ 2010; 89:87-95. [PMID: 20391916 DOI: 10.3354/dao02178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
We documented the presence of fibropapillomatosis (FP), a debilitating tumor-forming disease, in marine turtles in Espirito Santo Bay (Brazil) from March 2007 to April 2008, and assessed the value of a specific environmental index for predicting the prevalence of FP. Turtles were captured monthly with entanglement nets and scored for presence and severity of FP. For the assessment of habitat quality, we used the ecological evaluation index (EEI) based on benthic macrophytes. The FP-free control area was classified as good quality (EEI = 8) and the study area, with high FP prevalence, was classified as bad quality (EEI= 2). Prevalence of FP in the study area was 58.3% with an average of 40 tumors per individual, and prevalence varied positively with curved carapace length (CCL). No FP was seen in the control area. The number of turtles heavily afflicted (tumor score category 3) was 10 times larger than those lightly affected (tumor score category 1). Most tumors were found on or near the front and rear flippers; no oral tumors or internal tumors were found. At recapture, 41% of formerly tumor-free turtles revealed FP, often increasing in severity with time, and very few turtles showed signs of disease regression. From the results of this study we concluded that FP is particularly severe in Espírito Santo Bay. Future studies should focus on evaluating how widespread FP is in Brazil, whether prevalence is increasing or decreasing, and elucidating the pathology and pathogenesis of FP in sea turtles in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robson Guimarães dos Santos
- Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, CCHN, Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, 29075-910, Vitória, ES, Brasil.
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Work TM, Dagenais J, Balazs GH, Schumacher J, Lewis TD, Leong JAC, Casey RN, Casey JW. In vitro biology of fibropapilloma-associated turtle herpesvirus and host cells in Hawaiian green turtles (Chelonia mydas). J Gen Virol 2009; 90:1943-1950. [PMID: 19386781 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.011650-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibropapillomatosis (FP) of green turtles has a global distribution and causes debilitating tumours of the skin and internal organs in several species of marine turtles. FP is associated with a presently non-cultivable alphaherpesvirus Chelonid fibropapilloma-associated herpesvirus (CFPHV). Our aims were to employ quantitative PCR targeted to pol DNA of CFPHV to determine (i) if DNA sequesters by tumour size and/or cell type, (ii) whether subculturing of cells is a viable strategy for isolating CFPHV and (iii) whether CFPHV can be induced to a lytic growth cycle in vitro using chemical modulators of replication (CMRs), temperature variation or co-cultivation. Additional objectives included determining whether non-tumour and tumour cells behave differently in vitro and confirming the phenotype of cultured cells using cell-type-specific antigens. CFPHV pol DNA was preferentially concentrated in dermal fibroblasts of skin tumours and the amount of viral DNA per cell was independent of tumour size. Copy number of CFPHV pol DNA per cell rapidly decreased with cell doubling of tumour-derived fibroblasts in culture. Attempts to induce viral replication in known CFPHV-DNA-positive cells using temperature or CMR failed. No significant differences were seen in in vitro morphology or growth characteristics of fibroblasts from tumour cells and paired normal skin, nor from CFPHV pol-DNA-positive intestinal tumour cells. Tumour cells were confirmed as fibroblasts or keratinocytes by positive staining with anti-vimentin and anti-pancytokeratin antibodies, respectively. CFPHV continues to be refractory to in vitro cultivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M. Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, PO Box 50167, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA
| | - Julie Dagenais
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, PO Box 50167, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA
| | - George H. Balazs
- NOAA-National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 2570 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Joanne Schumacher
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, PO Box 50167, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA
| | - Teresa D. Lewis
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, PO Box 1346, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Jo-Ann C. Leong
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, PO Box 1346, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Rufina N. Casey
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6401, USA
| | - James W. Casey
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6401, USA
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