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Sandow LM, Hanke FD. Aerial single target acuity of harbor seals ( Phoca vitulina) for stationary and moving targets of varying contrast. Vision Res 2024; 218:108389. [PMID: 38531191 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2024.108389] [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] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) need to detect single objects for example when orienting to landmarks or hunting prey. The detection of single objects, described by the single target acuity (STA), cannot be deduced from formerly determined grating acuity (GA) as different mechanisms underlie STA and GA. Thus, we assessed STA for stationary and moving single targets with varying contrast in two harbor seals in a first approach in air. In a two-alternative-forced-choice discrimination task, the seals had to indicate whether the single target was presented in a left or right stimulus field on a monitor. The STA for full-contrast stationary targets was determined as 0.27 deg of visual angle for both experimental animals. Contrary to our expectations, neither adding motion nor reducing contrast had a strong impact on STA. Additionally, we also determined GA in the two harbor seals (1.2 and 1.1 cycles/deg or 0.42 and 0.45 deg for a single stripe of the grating at threshold) to be slightly inferior to STA. Our results are in good correspondence with contrast sensitivity and allow calculating viewing distances in the context of for example visual orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura-Marie Sandow
- University of Rostock, Institute for Biosciences, Neuroethology, Albert-Einstein-Str. 3, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Frederike D Hanke
- University of Rostock, Institute for Biosciences, Neuroethology, Albert-Einstein-Str. 3, 18059 Rostock, Germany.
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McInnes JD, Lester KM, Dill LM, Mathieson CR, West-Stap PJ, Marcos SL, Trites AW. Foraging behaviour and ecology of transient killer whales within a deep submarine canyon system. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299291. [PMID: 38507673 PMCID: PMC10954312 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Transient killer whales have been documented hunting marine mammals across a variety of habitats. However, relatively little has been reported about their predatory behaviours near deep submarine canyons and oceanic environments. We used a long-term database of sightings and encounters with these predators in and around the Monterey Submarine Canyon, California to describe foraging behaviour, diet, seasonal occurrence, and habitat use patterns. Transient killer whales belonging to the outer coast subpopulation were observed within the study area 261 times from 2006-2021. Occurrences, behaviours, and group sizes all varied seasonally, with more encounters occurring in the spring as grey whales migrated northward from their breeding and calving lagoons in Mexico (March-May). Groups of killer whales foraged exclusively in open water, with individuals within the groups following the contours of the submarine canyon as they searched for prey. Focal follows revealed that killer whales spent 51% of their time searching for prey (26% of their time along the shelf-break and upper slope of the canyon, and 25% in open water). The remainder of their time was spent pursuing prey (10%), feeding (23%), travelling (9%), socializing (6%), and resting (1%). Prey species during 87 observed predation events included California sea lions, grey whale calves, northern elephant seals, minke whales, common dolphins, Pacific white-sided dolphins, Dall's porpoise, harbour porpoise, harbour seals, and sea birds. The calculated kill rates (based on 270 hours of observing 50 predation events) were 0.26 California sea lions per killer whale over 24 hours, 0.11 grey whale calves, and 0.15 for all remaining prey species combined. These behavioural observations provide insights into predator-prey interactions among apex predators over submarine canyons and deep pelagic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh D. McInnes
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, Marine Mammal Research Unit, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Pacific WildLife Foundation, Port Moody, BC, Canada
- Oceanic Ecology Research Group, Monterey Bay, California, United States of America
| | - Kevin M. Lester
- Oceanic Ecology Research Group, Monterey Bay, California, United States of America
| | - Lawrence M. Dill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Chelsea R. Mathieson
- Oceanic Ecology Research Group, Monterey Bay, California, United States of America
- School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | | | | | - Andrew W. Trites
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, Marine Mammal Research Unit, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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Zhuang H, Shao F, Zhang C, Xia W, Wang S, Qu F, Wang Z, Lu Z, Zhao L, Zhang Z. Spatial-temporal shifting patterns and in situ conservation of spotted seal ( Phoca largha) populations in the Yellow Sea ecoregion. Integr Zool 2024; 19:307-318. [PMID: 37231996 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12731] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the habitat shifting pattern is a prerequisite for implementing in situ conservation of migratory species. Spotted seals (Phoca largha) inhabiting the Yellow Sea ecoregion (YSE) comprise a small population with independent genes and represent a charismatic flagship species in this region. However, this population has declined by 80% since the 1940s, and increased support from the countries around the YSE is urgently needed to address the potential local extinction risk. A time-series niche model and life-history weighted systematic conservation planning were designed on the basis of a satellite beacon tracking survey (2010-2020) of the YSE population. The results showed clustering and spreading shifting patterns during the breeding and migratory seasons, respectively. The closed-loop migration route formed in the YSE indicated that this population might be geographically isolated from populations in other breeding areas around the world. The conservation priority area (CPA), with an area of 19 632 km2 (3.58% of the total YSE area), was the most effective response to the potential in situ risk. However, nearly 80% of the CPA was exposed outside the existing marine protected areas (MPAs). Future establishment of MPAs in China should strategically consider the conservation gap identified herein, and it is recommended for Korea's closed fishing season to be spatially set in the western Korean Peninsula from May to August. This study also exemplified that the lack of temporal information would lead to the dislocation of niche modeling for migratory species represented by spotted seals. Attention should be paid to protecting small and migratory populations in marine biodiversity conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongfei Zhuang
- First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China
| | - Fei Shao
- Department of Natural Resources of Shandong Province, Shandong Forestry Protection and Development Service Center, Jinan, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- National Park (Protected Areas) Development Center, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Wancai Xia
- College of Life Science, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Shouqiang Wang
- First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China
| | - Fangyuan Qu
- First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China
| | - Zongling Wang
- First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhichuang Lu
- Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian, China
| | - Linlin Zhao
- First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhaohui Zhang
- First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China
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Mollerup IM, Bjørneset J, Krock B, Jensen TH, Galatius A, Dietz R, Teilmann J, van den Brand JMA, Osterhaus A, Kokotovic B, Lundholm N, Olsen MT. Did algal toxin and Klebsiella infections cause the unexplained 2007 mass mortality event in Danish and Swedish marine mammals? Sci Total Environ 2024; 914:169817. [PMID: 38184244 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169817] [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] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
An unusual mass mortality event (MME) of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) occurred in Denmark and Sweden in June 2007. Prior to this incident, the region had experienced two MMEs in harbour seals caused by Phocine Distemper Virus (PDV) in 1988 and 2002. Although epidemiology and symptoms of the 2007 MME resembled PDV, none of the animals examined for PDV tested positive. Thus, it has been speculated that another - yet unknown - pathogen caused the June 2007 MME. To shed new light on the likely cause of death, we combine previously unpublished veterinary examinations of harbour seals with novel analyses of algal toxins and algal monitoring data. All harbour seals subject to pathological examination showed pneumonia, but were negative for PDV, influenza and coronavirus. Histological analyses revealed septicaemia in multiple animals, and six animals tested positive for Klebsiella pneumonia. Furthermore, we detected the algal Dinophysis toxin DTX-1b (1-115 ng g-1) in five seals subject to toxicology, representing the first time DTX-1b has been detected in marine vertebrates. However, no animals tested positive for both Klebsiella and toxins. Thus, while our relatively small sample size prevent firm conclusions on causative agents, we speculate that the unexplained MME may have been caused by a chance incidence of multiple pathogens acting in parallel in June 2007, including Dinophysis toxin and Klebsiella. Our study illustrates the complexity of wildlife MMEs and highlights the need for thorough sampling during and after MMEs, as well as additional research on and monitoring of DTX-1b and other algal toxins in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida-Marie Mollerup
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark; Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Juni Bjørneset
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark; Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Bernd Krock
- Alfred Wegener Institut-Helmholtz Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, D-27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Trine Hammer Jensen
- Aalborg Zoo/Section of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Aalborg, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7, H, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Anders Galatius
- Section for Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Rune Dietz
- Section for Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jonas Teilmann
- Section for Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | - Albert Osterhaus
- Research Center Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), University of Veterinary Medicine, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - Branko Kokotovic
- Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Bacteria, Parasites & Fungi, Statens Seruminstitut, Artillerivej 5, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark
| | - Nina Lundholm
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
| | - Morten Tange Olsen
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark; Section for Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
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McKeegan KA, Clayton K, Williams R, Ashe E, Reiss S, Mendez-Bye A, Janik VM, Goetz T, Zinkgraf M, Acevedo-Gutiérrez A. The effect of a startle-eliciting device on the foraging success of individual harbor seals ( Phoca vitulina). Sci Rep 2024; 14:3719. [PMID: 38355948 PMCID: PMC10866881 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54175-w] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Pinniped predation on commercially and ecologically important prey has been a source of conflict for centuries. In the Salish Sea, harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are suspected of impeding the recovery of culturally and ecologically critical Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.). In Fall 2020, a novel deterrent called Targeted Acoustic Startle Technology (TAST) was deployed at Whatcom Creek to deter harbor seals from preying on fall runs of hatchery chum (O. keta) and Chinook (O. tshawytscha) salmon in Bellingham, Washington, USA. Field observations were conducted in 2020 to compare the presence and foraging success of individual harbor seals across sound exposure (TAST-on) and control (TAST-off) conditions. Observations conducted the previous (2019) and following (2021) years were used to compare the effects observed in 2020 to two control years. Using photo-identification, individual seals were associated with foraging successes across all 3 years of the study. Generalized linear mixed models showed a significant 45.6% reduction in the duration (min) individuals remained at the creek with TAST on, and a significant 43.8% reduction in the overall foraging success of individuals. However, the observed effect of TAST varied across individual seals. Seals that were observed regularly within one season were more likely to return the year after, regardless of TAST treatment. Generalized linear models showed interannual variation in the number of seals present and salmon consumed. However, the effect of TAST in 2020 was greater than the observed variation across years. Our analyses suggest TAST can be an effective tool for managing pinniped predation, although alternate strategies such as deploying TAST longer-term and using multi-unit setups to increase coverage could help strengthen its effects. Future studies should further examine the individual variability found in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen A McKeegan
- Biology Department, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, 98225, USA.
- Research and Recovery Program, Skagit River System Cooperative, P.O. Box 368, La Conner, WA, 98257-0368, USA.
| | - Kate Clayton
- Biology Department, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, 98225, USA
| | - Rob Williams
- Oceans Initiative, 117 E Louisa St. #135, Seattle, WA, 98102, USA
| | - Erin Ashe
- Oceans Initiative, 117 E Louisa St. #135, Seattle, WA, 98102, USA
| | - Stephanie Reiss
- Oceans Initiative, 117 E Louisa St. #135, Seattle, WA, 98102, USA
| | | | - Vincent M Janik
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Thomas Goetz
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Matthew Zinkgraf
- Biology Department, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, 98225, USA
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Séon N, Amiot R, Suan G, Lécuyer C, Fourel F, Vinçon-Laugier A, Charbonnier S, Vincent P. Regional heterothermies recorded in the oxygen isotope composition of harbour seal skeletal elements. J Therm Biol 2024; 120:103825. [PMID: 38430855 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103825] [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] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Regional heterothermy is a strategy used by marine mammals to maintain a high and stable core body temperature, but its identification needs in situ measurements difficult to set up in extant wild organisms and inapplicable to extinct ones. We have analysed the oxygen isotope composition of bioapatite phosphate (δ18Op) from one permanent tooth and from thirty-six skeletal elements of one adult male harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) from the Baie de Somme (Hauts-de-France, France). We propose that the observed intra-skeletal δ18Op variability reflects tissue temperature heterogeneities typical of the pinniped regional heterothermy strategy. Our δ18Op data indicate that bone hydroxylapatite from harbour seal autopod skeletal elements (metacarpals, metatarsals, and phalanxes) mineralises at a lower temperature than that of the bone from the axial skeleton (e.g. vertebrae, ribs, and girdle bones). The results suggest that it is possible to locate a history of regional heterothermies in amphibious marine vertebrates using the δ18Op values of their mineralised tissues. This enables direct evaluation of the thermophysiology of both modern and fossil Pinnipedia from their skeletons opening perspectives on understanding their thermal adaptation to the marine environment in the fossil record. In addition to thermophysiology, oxygen isotope data from the permanent teeth of Pinnipedia, which are formed during the in utero phase from body fluid of the mother and at a stable temperature, could be valuable for locating the geographical areas inhabited by existing Pinnipedia females during their gestation period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Séon
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris (CR2P), CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, 57 rue Cuvier, Cedex 05, 75231, Paris, France; Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, LGL-TPE, UMR 5276, CNRS, ENSL, UJM, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Romain Amiot
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, LGL-TPE, UMR 5276, CNRS, ENSL, UJM, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Guillaume Suan
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, LGL-TPE, UMR 5276, CNRS, ENSL, UJM, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Christophe Lécuyer
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, LGL-TPE, UMR 5276, CNRS, ENSL, UJM, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - François Fourel
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, CNRS, UMR 5023, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Arnauld Vinçon-Laugier
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, LGL-TPE, UMR 5276, CNRS, ENSL, UJM, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Sylvain Charbonnier
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris (CR2P), CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, 57 rue Cuvier, Cedex 05, 75231, Paris, France.
| | - Peggy Vincent
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris (CR2P), CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, 57 rue Cuvier, Cedex 05, 75231, Paris, France.
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Andvik C, Bories P, Harju M, Borgå K, Jourdain E, Karoliussen R, Rikardsen A, Routti H, Blévin P. Phthalate contamination in marine mammals off the Norwegian coast. Mar Pollut Bull 2024; 199:115936. [PMID: 38154171 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115936] [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] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Phthalates are used in plastics, found throughout the marine environment and have the potential to cause adverse health effects. In the present study, we quantified blubber concentrations of 11 phthalates in 16 samples from stranded and/or free-living marine mammals from the Norwegian coast: the killer whale (Orcinus orca), sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas), white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris), harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), and harbour seal (Phoca vitulina). Five compounds were detected across all samples: benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP; in 50 % of samples), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP; 33 %), diisononyl phthalate (DiNP; 33 %), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP; 19 %), and dioctyl phthalate (DOP; 13 %). Overall, the most contaminated individual was the white-beaked dolphin, whilst the lowest concentrations were measured in the killer whale, sperm whale and long-finned pilot whale. We found no phthalates in the neonate killer whale. The present study is important for future monitoring and management of these toxic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Andvik
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway.
| | - Pierre Bories
- INRS, Eau Terre Environnement center, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Mikael Harju
- The Climate and Environmental Research Institute NILU, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Katrine Borgå
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Eve Jourdain
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Orca Survey, Andenes, Norway
| | | | - Audun Rikardsen
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT -The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Heli Routti
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
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Holmes AE, Chew BH, Laughlin R, Buckley J, Kiewice E, Dancel MJ, Blasko D, Wong VKF, Halawani A, Koo KC, Corl D, Fasolo P, Levy O, Thiel J, Bailey MR, Eichman J, Meegan JM, Haulena M. Application of novel burst wave lithotripsy and ultrasonic propulsion technology for the treatment of ureteral calculi in a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and renal calculi in a harbor seal ( Phoca vitulina). Urolithiasis 2024; 52:21. [PMID: 38189835 PMCID: PMC10774161 DOI: 10.1007/s00240-023-01515-6] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Marine mammals may develop kidney stones, which can be challenging to treat. We describe burst wave lithotripsy (BWL) and ultrasonic propulsion to treat ureteral calculi in a 48-year-old female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and to reduce renal stone burden in a 23-year-old male harbor seal (Phoca vitulina). BWL and ultrasonic propulsion were delivered transcutaneously in sinusoidal ultrasound bursts to fragment and reposition stones. Targeting and monitoring were performed with real-time imaging integrated within the BWL system. Four dolphin stones were obtained and fragmented ex vivo. The dolphin case received a 10-min and a 20-min BWL treatment conducted approximately 24 h apart to treat two 8-10 mm partially obstructing right mid-ureteral stones, using oral sedation alone. For the harbor seal, while under general anesthesia, retrograde ureteroscopy attempts were unsuccessful because of ureteral tortuosity, and a 30-min BWL treatment was targeted on one 10-mm right kidney stone cluster. All 4 stones fragmented completely to < 2-mm fragments in < 20 min ex vivo. In the dolphin case, the ureteral stones appeared to fragment, spread apart, and move with ultrasonic propulsion. On post-treatment day 1, the ureteral calculi fragments shifted caudally reaching the ureteral orifice on day 9. On day 10, the calculi fragments passed, and the hydroureter resolved. In the harbor seal, the stone cluster was observed to fragment and was not visible on the post-operative computed tomography scan. The seal had gross hematuria and a day of behavior indicating stone passage but overall, an uneventful recovery. BWL and ultrasonic propulsion successfully relieved ureteral stone obstruction in a geriatric dolphin and reduced renal stone burden in a geriatric harbor seal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo E Holmes
- Dept. of Urology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ben H Chew
- Department of Urological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Stone Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Robert Laughlin
- The Mirage Hotel, Hard Rock International, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Jean Buckley
- Department of Urological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Stone Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Erica Kiewice
- The Mirage Hotel, Hard Rock International, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | | | - David Blasko
- The Mirage Hotel, Hard Rock International, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Victor K F Wong
- Department of Urological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Stone Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Kyo Chul Koo
- Department of Urology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | | | - Jeff Thiel
- Ctr. for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound, Applied Physics Lab, Univ. of Washington, Washington, USA
| | - Michael R Bailey
- Dept. of Urology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Ctr. for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound, Applied Physics Lab, Univ. of Washington, Washington, USA.
| | - Jammy Eichman
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
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Baily JL, Paterson GK, Foster G, Davison NJ, Begeman L, Hall AJ, Dagleish MP. The first report of Listeria monocytogenes detected in pinnipeds. J Comp Pathol 2024; 208:54-60. [PMID: 38211467 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2023.12.003] [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] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to describe the pathology in seals from which Listeria monocytogenes was isolated and investigate if the lesions' nature and severity were related to the phylogeny of isolates. L. monocytogenes was isolated from 13 of 50 (26%) dead grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) pups, six (12%) in systemic distribution, on the Isle of May, Scotland. Similar fatal L. monocytogenes-associated infections were found in a grey seal pup from Carnoustie, Scotland, and a juvenile harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) in the Netherlands. Whole genome sequencing of 15 of the L. monocytogenes isolates identified 13 multilocus sequence types belonging to the L. monocytogenes lineages I and II, but with scant phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance and limited variation in virulence factors. The phylogenetic diversity present suggests there are multiple sources of L. monocytogenes, even for seal pups born in the same colony and breeding season. This is the first description of L. monocytogenes isolated from, and detected in lesions in, pinnipeds and indicates that infection can be systemic and fatal. Therefore, listeriosis may be an emerging or overlooked disease in seals with infection originating from contamination of the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna L Baily
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK; Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK
| | - Gavin K Paterson
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
| | - Geoffrey Foster
- SRUC Veterinary Services, An Lochran, 10 Inverness Campus, Inverness IV2 5NA, Scotland, UK
| | - Nicholas J Davison
- Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, UK
| | - Lineke Begeman
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ailsa J Hall
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 8LB, Scotland, UK
| | - Mark P Dagleish
- Department of Pathology, Public Health and Disease Investigation, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Jarrett Building, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow G61 1QH, Scotland, UK.
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Gransier R, Kastelein RA. Similar susceptibility to temporary hearing threshold shifts despite different audiograms in harbor porpoises and harbor seals. J Acoust Soc Am 2024; 155:396-404. [PMID: 38240666 DOI: 10.1121/10.0024343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
When they are exposed to loud fatiguing sounds in the oceans, marine mammals are susceptible to hearing damage in the form of temporary hearing threshold shifts (TTSs) or permanent hearing threshold shifts. We compared the level-dependent and frequency-dependent susceptibility to TTSs in harbor seals and harbor porpoises, species with different hearing sensitivities in the low- and high-frequency regions. Both species were exposed to 100% duty cycle one-sixth-octave noise bands at frequencies that covered their entire hearing range. In the case of the 6.5 kHz exposure for the harbor seals, a pure tone (continuous wave) was used. TTS was quantified as a function of sound pressure level (SPL) half an octave above the center frequency of the fatiguing sound. The species have different audiograms, but their frequency-specific susceptibility to TTS was more similar. The hearing frequency range in which both species were most susceptible to TTS was 22.5-50 kHz. Furthermore, the frequency ranges were characterized by having similar critical levels (defined as the SPL of the fatiguing sound above which the magnitude of TTS induced as a function of SPL increases more strongly). This standardized between-species comparison indicates that the audiogram is not a good predictor of frequency-dependent susceptibility to TTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Gransier
- Research Group Experimental Oto-rhino-laryngology (ExpORL), Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, Box 721, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ronald A Kastelein
- Sea Mammal Research Company (SEAMARCO), Julianalaan 46, 3842 CC Harderwijk, The Netherlands
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11
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Rubio-Garcia A, Zomer AL, Guo R, Rossen JWA, van Zeijl JH, Wagenaar JA, Luiken REC. Characterising the gut microbiome of stranded harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina) in rehabilitation. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0295072. [PMID: 38051704 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal rehabilitation centres provide a unique opportunity to study the microbiome of wild animals because subjects will be handled for their treatment and can therefore be sampled longitudinally. However, rehabilitation may have unintended consequences on the animals' microbiome because of a less varied and suboptimal diet, possible medical treatment and exposure to a different environment and human handlers. Our study describes the gut microbiome of two large seal cohorts, 50 pups (0-30 days old at arrival) and 23 weaners (more than 60 days old at arrival) of stranded harbour seals admitted for rehabilitation at the Sealcentre Pieterburen in the Netherlands, and the effect of rehabilitation on it. Faecal samples were collected from all seals at arrival, two times during rehabilitation and before release. Only seals that did not receive antimicrobial treatment were included in the study. The average time in rehabilitation was 95 days for the pups and 63 days for the weaners. We observed that during rehabilitation, there was an increase in the relative abundance of some of the Campylobacterota spp and Actinobacteriota spp. The alpha diversity of the pups' microbiome increased significantly during their rehabilitation (p-value <0.05), while there were no significant changes in alpha diversity over time for weaners. We hypothesize that aging is the main reason for the observed changes in the pups' microbiome. At release, the sex of a seal pup was significantly associated with the microbiome's alpha (i.e., Shannon diversity was higher for male pups, p-value <0.001) and beta diversity (p-value 0.001). For weaners, variation in the microbiome composition (beta diversity) at release was partly explained by sex and age of the seal (p-values 0.002 and 0.003 respectively). We mainly observed variables known to change the gut microbiome composition (e.g., age and sex) and conclude that rehabilitation in itself had only minor effects on the gut microbiome of seal pups and seal weaners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rubio-Garcia
- Veterinary and Research Department, Sealcentre Pieterburen, Pieterburen, The Netherlands
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Aldert L Zomer
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ruoshui Guo
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - John W A Rossen
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases & Isala Academy, Isala hospital, Zwolle, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H van Zeijl
- Department of Medical Microbiology Friesland and Noordoostpolder, Certe, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap A Wagenaar
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Roosmarijn E C Luiken
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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12
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Griffin KR, Roffler GH, Dymit EM. Wolves on the Katmai coast hunt sea otters and harbor seals. Ecology 2023; 104:e4185. [PMID: 37788017 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey R Griffin
- National Park Service, Katmai National Park and Preserve, King Salmon, Alaska, USA
| | - Gretchen H Roffler
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Douglas, Alaska, USA
| | - Ellen M Dymit
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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13
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Switzer AD, Callahan BJ, Costello EK, Bik EM, Fontaine C, Gulland FMD, Relman DA. Rookery through rehabilitation: Microbial community assembly in newborn harbour seals after maternal separation. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2182-2202. [PMID: 37329141 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Microbial community assembly remains largely unexplored in marine mammals, despite its potential importance for conservation and management. Here, neonatal microbiota assembly was studied in harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) at a rehabilitation facility soon after maternal separation, through weaning, to the time of release back to their native environment. We found that the gingival and rectal communities of rehabilitated harbour seals were distinct from the microbiotas of formula and pool water, and became increasingly diverse and dissimilar over time, ultimately resembling the gingival and rectal communities of local wild harbour seals. Harbour seal microbiota assembly was compared to that of human infants, revealing the rapid emergence of host specificity and evidence of phylosymbiosis even though these harbour seals had been raised by humans. Early life prophylactic antibiotics were associated with changes in the composition of the harbour seal gingival and rectal communities and surprisingly, with transient increases in alpha diversity, perhaps because of microbiota sharing during close cohabitation with other harbour seals. Antibiotic-associated effects dissipated over time. These results suggest that while early life maternal contact may provide seeding for microbial assembly, co-housing of conspecifics during rehabilitation may help neonatal mammals achieve a healthy host-specific microbiota with features of resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra D Switzer
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Benjamin J Callahan
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Costello
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | | | | | - Frances M D Gulland
- The Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, California, USA
- Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - David A Relman
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Infectious Diseases Section, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, USA
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14
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Tidière M, Colchero F, Staerk J, Adkesson MJ, Andersen DH, Bland L, Böye M, Brando S, Clegg I, Cubaynes S, Cutting A, De Man D, Derocher AE, Dorsey C, Elgar W, Gaglione E, Anderson Hansen K, Jungheim A, Kok J, Laule G, Goya AL, Miller L, Monreal-Pawlowsky T, Mucha K, Owen MA, Petersen SD, Pilfold N, Richardson D, Richardson ES, Sabo D, Sato N, Shellabarger W, Skovlund CR, Tomisawa K, Trautwein SE, Van Bonn W, Van Elk C, Von Fersen L, Wahlberg M, Zhang P, Zhang X, Conde DA. Survival improvements of marine mammals in zoological institutions mirror historical advances in human longevity. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231895. [PMID: 37848064 PMCID: PMC10581765 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
An intense public debate has fuelled governmental bans on marine mammals held in zoological institutions. The debate rests on the assumption that survival in zoological institutions has been and remains lower than in the wild, albeit the scientific evidence in support of this notion is equivocal. Here, we used statistical methods previously applied to assess historical improvements in human lifespan and data on 8864 individuals of four marine mammal species (harbour seal, Phoca vitulina; California sea lion, Zalophus californianus; polar bear, Ursus maritimus; common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus) held in zoos from 1829 to 2020. We found that life expectancy increased up to 3.40 times, and first-year mortality declined up to 31%, during the last century in zoos. Moreover, the life expectancy of animals in zoos is currently 1.65-3.55 times longer than their wild counterparts. Like humans, these improvements have occurred concurrently with advances in management practices, crucial for population welfare. Science-based decisions will help effective legislative changes and ensure better implementation of animal care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Tidière
- Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics (CPop), University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark
- Conservation and Science Department, Species360, 7900 International Drive, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55425, USA
| | - Fernando Colchero
- Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics (CPop), University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Johanna Staerk
- Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics (CPop), University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark
- Conservation and Science Department, Species360, 7900 International Drive, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55425, USA
| | | | - Ditte H. Andersen
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Lucie Bland
- Conservation and Science Department, Species360, 7900 International Drive, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55425, USA
- Eureka Publishing, Thornbury, Australia
| | - Martin Böye
- Centre de Recherche et d'Etude pour l'Animal Sauvage, Planète Sauvage, 44710 Port Saint Pere, France
| | - Sabrina Brando
- AnimalConcepts, PO Box 378, 03725 Teulada, Alicante, Spain
| | - Isabella Clegg
- Animal Welfare Expertise, The Knoll, Woodlands, Combe Martin, EX34 0ATLittleton Manor, Winchester SO22 6QU, UK
| | - Sarah Cubaynes
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Amy Cutting
- Polar Bear International, PO Box 3008, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Danny De Man
- European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), Plantage Middelaan 45, 1018-DC Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew E. Derocher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Candice Dorsey
- Association of Zoos and Aquariums, 8403 Colesville Road Ste 710, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - William Elgar
- Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152 Street, Miami, FL 33177, USA
| | - Eric Gaglione
- Georgia Aquarium, 225 Baker Street, Atlanta, GA 30313, USA
| | - Kirstin Anderson Hansen
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark
- Marine Biological Research Center, University of Southern Denmark, Hindsholmvej 11, 5300 Kerteminde, Denmark
| | - Allison Jungheim
- Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, 1225 Estabrook Dr., Saint Paul, MN 55103, USA
| | - José Kok
- Ouwehands Zoo, Grebbeweg 111, 3911 AV Rhenen, The Netherlands
| | - Gail Laule
- Mandai Wildlife Group, 80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729826
| | | | - Lance Miller
- Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL, USA
| | | | - Katelyn Mucha
- Conservation and Science Department, Species360, 7900 International Drive, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55425, USA
| | - Megan A. Owen
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido, CA, USA
| | | | - Nicholas Pilfold
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido, CA, USA
| | - Douglas Richardson
- Zoological Consultancy Ltd, Columba Cottage, Mill Rd, Kingussie PH21 1LF, UK
- EAZA Polar Bear EEP, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Evan S. Richardson
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Unit 150–234 Donald Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 1M8, Canada
| | - Devon Sabo
- Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, 4850 W. Powell Road, PO Box 400, Powell, OH 43065-0400, USA
| | - Nobutaka Sato
- Asahiyama Zoological Park, Kuranuma, Higasiasahikawacho, Asahikawa city, Japan
| | | | - Cecilie R. Skovlund
- Conservation, Copenhagen Zoo, Roskildevej 38, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Section of Animal Welfare and Disease Control, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Grønnegårdsvej 8, 1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Kanako Tomisawa
- Omuta City Zoo, 163 Showa-machi, Omuta, Fukuoka 836-0871, Japan
| | - Sandra E. Trautwein
- Conservation and Science Department, Species360, 7900 International Drive, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55425, USA
| | - William Van Bonn
- A. Watson Armour III, Center for Animal Health and Welfare, Animal Care and Science Division, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
| | - Cornelis Van Elk
- Independent practitioner, Arendsweg 98, Enschede 7544RM, The Netherlands
| | | | - Magnus Wahlberg
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark
- Marine Biological Research Center, University of Southern Denmark, Hindsholmvej 11, 5300 Kerteminde, Denmark
| | - Peijun Zhang
- Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianfeng Zhang
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China
| | - Dalia A. Conde
- Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics (CPop), University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark
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15
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Pace CN, Haulena M, Drumm HE, Akhurst L, Raverty SA. CAUSES AND TRENDS OF HARBOR SEAL ( PHOCA VITULINA) MORTALITY ALONG THE BRITISH COLUMBIA COAST, CANADA, 2012-2020. J Wildl Dis 2023; 59:629-639. [PMID: 37540148 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-22-00172] [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] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
A retrospective study was conducted to categorize and describe the causes of mortality in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) along the British Columbia coast that presented to the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Centre (MMR) for rehabilitation from 2012 to 2020. Medical records for 1,279 predominantly perinatal live-stranded harbor seals recovered in this region were reviewed. Approximately 20.0% (256 individuals; 137 males, 118 females, 1 unknown) of these animals died while at MMR. Infectious disease was the most common cause of death, accounting for 60.5% of mortality across all age classes. This was followed by nonanthropogenic trauma (7.1%), metabolic illness (5.4%), nutritional deficiency (5.0%), parasitic illness (5.0%), congenital disorders (2.5%), and human-associated trauma (0.4%). Pups were the most common age class (87.4%) amongst mortalities and predominantly died of an infectious process (62.5%). Phocid herpesvirus-1 infection was identified in 18.9% of the mortalities, with the highest prevalence occurring in 2019 (30.8%). Fungal disease was detected in six seals: three cases of pulmonary mycosis due to Cryptococcus gattii and three cases consistent with mucormycosis. In six cases, mortality was attributed to congenital disorders. Two of these cases involved axial skeletal malformities that are not currently described in the literature. This is the first study to describe the causes of mortality in harbor seals undergoing rehabilitation in British Columbia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney N Pace
- Vancouver Aquarium, 845 Avison Way, Vancouver, British Columbia V6G 3E2, Canada
| | - Martin Haulena
- Vancouver Aquarium, 845 Avison Way, Vancouver, British Columbia V6G 3E2, Canada
| | - Hannah E Drumm
- Vancouver Aquarium, 845 Avison Way, Vancouver, British Columbia V6G 3E2, Canada
| | - Lindsaye Akhurst
- Vancouver Aquarium, 845 Avison Way, Vancouver, British Columbia V6G 3E2, Canada
| | - Stephen A Raverty
- Animal Health Center British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, 1767 Angus Campbell Rd., Abbotsford, British Columbia V3G 2M3, Canada
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16
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Liang Y, Hjulsager CK, Jensen TK, Hammer ASV, Ovesen MT, Larsen LE. Characterization of high pathogenicity avian influenza H5Nx viruses from a wild harbor seal and red foxes in Denmark, 2021 and 2022. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2023; 17:e13208. [PMID: 37850154 PMCID: PMC10577164 DOI: 10.1111/irv.13208] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In 2021 and 2022, clade 2.3.4.4b H5Nx high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses were detected in one harbor seal and in one adult and three fox cubs in Denmark. The viruses were closely related to contemporary viruses found in Europe, and some had obtained amino acid substitutions related to mammalian adaptation. Notably, the virus distribution appeared to have been different in the infected fox cubs, as one exclusively tested positive for the presence of HPAIV in the brain and the other two only in the lung. Collectively, these findings stress the need for increased disease surveillance of wild and farmed mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liang
- Department of Veterinary and Animal SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenFrederiksbergDenmark
| | - Charlotte K. Hjulsager
- Department of Virus and Microbiological Special DiagnosticsStatens Serum InstitutCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Tim K. Jensen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenFrederiksbergDenmark
| | - Anne Sofie V. Hammer
- Department of Veterinary and Animal SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenFrederiksbergDenmark
| | - Maibritt T. Ovesen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenFrederiksbergDenmark
| | - Lars E. Larsen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenFrederiksbergDenmark
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17
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Zhang L, Zheng X, Shaw S, Berger M, Roos A, Bäcklin BM, Sun J, Liu X, Chen D. Exposure to legacy and alternative flame retardants in two harbor seal populations and the association with blubber fatty acid profiles. Sci Total Environ 2023; 874:162170. [PMID: 36858217 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162170] [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] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Flame retardants (FRs) are ubiquitously present in various environmental compartments due to widespread application. However, there have been few reports on the alternative FRs in harbor seals, and their relationship with fatty acid (FA) profiles have largely been overlooked. Here, we investigated the levels of legacy and alternative FRs and FA profiles in the blubber of harbor seals from the coasts of South Sweden (2009-2016) and Northeastern US (NE US) (1999-2010). We observed different proportions of mono- and poly-unsaturated FAs (MUFAs and PUFAs) between the two populations, which may reflect variations in the diet. Significantly higher concentrations of ΣPBDE were also observed in harbor seals from US compared to those from Sweden, both dominated by BDE 47. By comparison, the levels of alternative FRs, noticeably HBBZ and PBEB were much lower compared to those of PBDEs. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between BDE 99 and Σn-6/Σn-3 PUFA in harbor seals from Sweden. In addition, BDE 153 and BDE 154 were positively correlated with ΣUFA/ΣSFA in seals from Sweden and US, respectively. Our results imply the influence of diet in FA profiles and FR concentrations in top predators, as well as the importance of blubber FA characteristics in indicating FR exposure. Further investigations are required to assess the risk of exposure in these harbor seals, as well as to elucidate the underlying mechanisms associating FA profiles with FR exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Zhang
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaoshi Zheng
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Susan Shaw
- Shaw Institute, Blue Hill Research Center, Blue Hill, ME 04614, United States
| | - Michelle Berger
- Shaw Institute, Blue Hill Research Center, Blue Hill, ME 04614, United States
| | - Anna Roos
- Department of Contaminant Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm SE-10405, Sweden
| | - Britt-Marie Bäcklin
- Department of Contaminant Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm SE-10405, Sweden
| | - Jiachen Sun
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, CN-266003 Qingdao, China.
| | - Xiaotu Liu
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Da Chen
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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18
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Wilson SC, Villanueva S, Jones KA, Dmitrieva L, Smyth W. Urinary glucocorticoids in harbour seal ( Phoca vitulina) pups during rehabilitation. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 335:114227. [PMID: 36774982 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114227] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
The glucocorticoid (GC) hormone cortisol is often measured in seals to indicate their stress levels, although other endogenous GCs are usually overlooked. We investigated concentrations of four endogenous GCs in the urine of "orphan" harbour seal pups in rehabilitation. We hypothesised that the GC levels would be elevated if pups were socially isolated, without water access, and with low body mass. Ninety-six samples were collected from 32 pups at four different rehabilitation centres and were analysed by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography and Tandem Mass Spectrometry. Median urinary creatinine (Cr) concentrations of endogenous prednisolone (31.6 ng/mg/Cr) and prednisone (31.1 ng/mg/Cr) occurred in similar magnitude to cortisol (37.0 ng/mg/Cr), while median cortisone concentrations were higher (390 ng/mg/Cr). Prednisolone and prednisone concentrations were more strongly inversely related to pup growth rate and pup mass than cortisol and cortisone. Concentrations of all four GCs decreased with mass gain for pups with water access but did not decrease for pups without water; linear mixed models indicated the interaction between these trends was significant for cortisol and cortisone, but not for prednisolone or prednisone. These results indicate the potential value of measuring all four of these endogenous GC hormones in phocid seal pups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Wesley Smyth
- Chemical and Immunodiagnostic Sciences Branch, Veterinary Sciences Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast BT4 3SD, N. Ireland.
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19
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Ferguson JM, González-González A, Kaiser JA, Winzer SM, Anast JM, Ridenhour B, Miura TA, Parent CE. Hidden variable models reveal the effects of infection from changes in host survival. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1010910. [PMID: 36812266 PMCID: PMC9987815 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The impacts of disease on host vital rates can be demonstrated using longitudinal studies, but these studies can be expensive and logistically challenging. We examined the utility of hidden variable models to infer the individual effects of infectious disease from population-level measurements of survival when longitudinal studies are not possible. Our approach seeks to explain temporal deviations in population-level survival after introducing a disease causative agent when disease prevalence cannot be directly measured by coupling survival and epidemiological models. We tested this approach using an experimental host system (Drosophila melanogaster) with multiple distinct pathogens to validate the ability of the hidden variable model to infer per-capita disease rates. We then applied the approach to a disease outbreak in harbor seals (Phoca vituline) that had data on observed strandings but no epidemiological data. We found that our hidden variable modeling approach could successfully detect the per-capita effects of disease from monitored survival rates in both the experimental and wild populations. Our approach may prove useful for detecting epidemics from public health data in regions where standard surveillance techniques are not available and in the study of epidemics in wildlife populations, where longitudinal studies can be especially difficult to implement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake M. Ferguson
- Department of Biology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
- Institute for Modeling Collaboration and Innovation, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Andrea González-González
- Institute for Modeling Collaboration and Innovation, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Johnathan A. Kaiser
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Sara M. Winzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Justin M. Anast
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Ben Ridenhour
- Department of Mathematics, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Tanya A. Miura
- Institute for Modeling Collaboration and Innovation, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Christine E. Parent
- Institute for Modeling Collaboration and Innovation, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
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20
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Facciola N, Houde M, Muir DCG, Ferguson SH, McKinney MA. Feeding and contaminant patterns of sub-arctic and arctic ringed seals: Potential insight into climate change-contaminant interactions. Environ Pollut 2022; 313:120108. [PMID: 36084741 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120108] [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] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
To provide insight into how climate-driven diet shifts may impact contaminant exposures of Arctic species, we compared feeding ecology and contaminant concentrations in ringed seals (Pusa hispida) from two Canadian sub-Arctic (Nain at 56.5°N, Arviat at 61.1°N) and two Arctic sites (Sachs Harbour at 72.0 °N, Resolute Bay at 74.7 °N). In the sub-Arctic, empirical evidence of changing prey fish communities has been documented, while less community change has been reported in the Arctic to date, suggesting current sub-Arctic conditions may be a harbinger of future Arctic conditions. Here, Indigenous partners collected tissues from subsistence-harvested ringed seals in 2018. Blubber fatty acids (FAs) and muscle stable isotopes (δ15N, δ13C) indicated dietary patterns, while measured contaminants included heavy metals (e.g., total mercury (THg)), legacy persistent organic pollutants (e.g., dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs)), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). FA signatures are distinct between sub-Arctic and Resolute Bay seals, likely related to higher consumption of southern prey species including capelin (Mallotus villosus) in the sub-Arctic but on-going feeding on Arctic species in Resolute Bay. Sachs Harbour ringed seals show FA overlap with all locations, possibly consuming both southern and endemic Arctic species. Negative δ13C estimates for PFAS models suggest that more pelagic, sub-Arctic type prey (e.g., capelin) increases PFAS concentrations, whereas the reverse occurs for, e.g., THg, ΣPBDE, and ΣDDT. Inconsistent directionality of δ15N estimates in the models likely reflects baseline isotopic variation not trophic position differences. Adjusting for the influence of diet suggests that if Arctic ringed seal diets become more like sub-Arctic seals due to climate change, diet-driven increases may occur for newer contaminants like PFASs, but not for more legacy contaminants. Nonetheless, temporal trends studies are still needed, as are investigations into the potential confounding influence of baseline isotope variation in spatial studies of contaminants in Arctic biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Facciola
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Magali Houde
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Montreal, QC H2Y 2E5, Canada
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Steven H Ferguson
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Central and Arctic Region, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Melissa A McKinney
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada.
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21
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Tian J, Lu Z, Sanganyado E, Gan Z, Wang Z, Kong Z, Wu J, Liu W. Tissue distribution and trophic magnification of trace elements in typical marine mammals in Bohai and north Yellow Seas. Mar Pollut Bull 2022; 184:114135. [PMID: 36152498 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114135] [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] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
A total of 20 stranded spotted seals (Phoca largha) and 9 stranded minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) were collected from Liaodong Bay and the northern part of the Yellow Sea to investigate the tissue distribution (liver, kidney, heart, lung, and muscle), risk, and trophic magnification of 13 trace elements (TEs, Hg, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sn, V, Zn). The 13 TEs were all detected in all spotted seal and minke whale tissue samples, with mean concentrations ranging from 0.041 to 136.3 mg kg-1 dry weight (dw) and 0.022 to 152.6 mg kg-1 dw, respectively. Zn was the dominant contaminant in all tissues for both spotted seals and minke whales. There was tissue-specific distribution of TEs in both marine mammals, and the TEs tended to accumulate in internal organs. Significant positive correlations were found in the body length of the spotted seals and minke whales among some of the TEs, especially for Cd in the internal organs. Gender-dependent distribution of the TEs was not obtained for the spotted seal. Ecological risk evaluation for spotted seals and minke whales suggested that greater concern should be given to Hg, As, and Se. Based on the TE concentrations detected in this study and trophic levels determined by stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes, trophic level-associated biodilution was obtained for As, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Pb, Se, Sn, and V in the spotted seal, while Zn displayed a significant biomagnification trend with increasing trophic levels. In the case of the minke whale, As, Cd, Co, Mn, Pb, Se, and V displayed significant biomagnification trends with increasing trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiashen Tian
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Marine Mammals, Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China; Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Marine Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhichuang Lu
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Marine Mammals, Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Edmond Sanganyado
- Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Zhiwei Gan
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Marine Mammals, Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Zhongren Kong
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Marine Mammals, Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Jinhao Wu
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Marine Mammals, Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China.
| | - Wenhua Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Marine Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
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22
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Byrne S, Seguinot-Medina S, Waghiyi V, Apatiki E, Immingan T, Miller P, von Hippel FA, Buck CL, Carpenter DO. PFAS and PBDEs in traditional subsistence foods from Sivuqaq, Alaska. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022; 29:77145-77156. [PMID: 35672645 PMCID: PMC9588546 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20757-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Arctic is a hemispheric sink for both legacy and current use persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Once in the Arctic, POPs biomagnify in food webs, potentially reaching concentrations in high trophic level animals that pose a health concern for people who subsist on those animals. Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic may be highly exposed to POPs through their traditional diets. The objective of this study was to assess concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in tissues of traditionally harvested foods from Sivuqaq (St. Lawrence Island), Alaska. Community health researchers identified volunteer households and local hunters to donate tissues from traditionally harvested animals. Target species included bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), ringed seal (Pusa hispida), bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata), spotted seal (Phoca largha), and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). PBDEs were frequently detected in all species and tissues. PBDE concentrations tended to be highest in lipid-rich tissues of seals. PFAS were infrequently detected and did not show obvious patterns among species or tissues. This and other studies demonstrate that POPs such as PBDEs are present in tissues of traditional food animals from Sivuqaq, as they are throughout the Arctic, and consumption of these animals likely contributes to exposure among Arctic Indigenous Peoples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Byrne
- Department of Biology, Global Health Program, Middlebury College, Bicentennial Hall, Bicentennial Way, VT, 05753, Middlebury, USA.
| | | | - Vi Waghiyi
- Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | | | | | - Pamela Miller
- Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Frank A von Hippel
- Department of Community, Environment & Policy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Charles Loren Buck
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - David O Carpenter
- Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
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23
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Tian J, Sanganyado E, Wang Z, Kong Z, Han J, Lu Z, Liu W. Spotted seals ( Phoca largha) harbor unique gut microbiota shaped by their host habitat. Sci Total Environ 2022; 832:155015. [PMID: 35395311 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Assessing the structure and composition of gut microbiota of sentinel species such as spotted seals (Phoca largha) is a potential tool for assessing the health of the marine mammals and their habitats. However, the link between the host microbiome and their habitat is poorly understood. In this study, microbial communities in the habitat (sea ice and water) and marine mammalian host (fecal matter from P. largha) were evaluated in samples obtained from the Liaodong Bay, China during population aggregation period. Results from high-throughput sequencing showed that the bacterial communities in P. largha fecal matter were less rich and diverse compared to those from the water and ice samples. Significant differences in the composition and function of bacterial communities were also found among the water, ice, and fecal samples, in which sample type and sampling site had the greatest impact on composition and function variations, respectively. Several potential pathogenic bacteria and bacteria with functions associated with human disease were significantly enhanced in the communities of P. largha feces compared to those of surrounding environments. The ratios of environmental microorganisms sourced from the P. largha fecal matter were estimated. The results showed that certain bacteria in P. largha-inhabited fecal matter were associated with sea ice and had specific antibiotic resistance and infectious capacity. These findings provide critical data for monitoring the health of marine mammals and their habitats, which is essential for predicting the impact of anthropogenic disturbances on marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiashen Tian
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Marine Mammals, Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China; Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Marine Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China
| | - Edmond Sanganyado
- Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Marine Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Marine Mammals, Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Zhongren Kong
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Marine Mammals, Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Jiabo Han
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Marine Mammals, Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Zhichuang Lu
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Marine Mammals, Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China.
| | - Wenhua Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Marine Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China.
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24
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Ruiz-Mar MG, Heckel G, Solana-Arellano E, Schramm Y, García-Aguilar MC, Arteaga MC. Human activities disturb haul out and nursing behavior of Pacific harbor seals at Punta Banda Estuary, Mexico. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270129. [PMID: 35793316 PMCID: PMC9258837 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans frequently interact with Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) at Punta Banda Estuary, Baja California, Mexico, due to the high incidence of recreational activities people undertake there. The immediate effect of these interactions is that seals flush to the water, reducing their time on land and, probably, increasing their energy expenditure. On-land observations were used to study the impact of different sources of disturbance on seal behavior and evaluate their effect on the amount of time dedicated to nursing over three pupping seasons, (2015–2017), with 0.58–0.81 disturbance events/hour recorded over the entire sampling period. Terrestrial vehicles were the source with the highest disturbance rate (number of disturbance events/h), followed closely by pedestrians. However, the proportion of seals affected was highest when pedestrians were the disturbance source. Recovery events (seals hauling out after flushing) occurred after 34% of disturbance events, after less than half of which the same number of hauled-out seals as there were prior to the disturbance were observed. Recovery time varied among the years studied, of which 2017 saw the longest recovery time. In addition, pedestrians were the disturbance source with the longest recovery time. Given that resting on land is essential for pup survival, which depends on both the establishment of the mother-pup bond from birth and its maintenance throughout nursing, flushing behavior may have significant implications for the entire colony during the nursing season. We recorded a decrease in nursing duration, which did not return to the same level even after recovery and the resumption of nursing. Terrestrial vehicles were found to be the disturbance source that shortened nursing events most significantly.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Guadalupe Ruiz-Mar
- Conservation Biology Department, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Gisela Heckel
- Conservation Biology Department, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
- * E-mail:
| | - Elena Solana-Arellano
- Marine Ecology Department, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Yolanda Schramm
- Faculty of Marine Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - María C. García-Aguilar
- Biological Oceanography Department, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Maria Clara Arteaga
- Conservation Biology Department, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
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25
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Berhane Y, Joseph T, Lung O, Embury-Hyatt C, Xu W, Cottrell P, Raverty S. Isolation and Characterization of Novel Reassortant Influenza A(H10N7) Virus in a Harbor Seal, British Columbia, Canada. Emerg Infect Dis 2022; 28:1480-1484. [PMID: 35731188 PMCID: PMC9239883 DOI: 10.3201/eid2807.212302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We isolated a novel reassortant influenza A(H10N7) virus from a harbor seal in British Columbia, Canada, that died from bronchointerstitial pneumonia. The virus had unique genome constellations involving lineages from North America and Eurasia and polymerase basic 2 segment D701N mutation, associated with adaptation to mammals.
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26
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Vail M, Beaufrère H, Gallini S, Paluch H, Brandão J, DiGeronimo PM. Hematologic and plasma biochemical prognostic indicators for stranded free-ranging phocids presented for rehabilitation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10546. [PMID: 35732807 PMCID: PMC9217849 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14923-2] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
This retrospective study used data obtained from medical records of 530 stranded free-ranging harbor (Phoca vitulina), grey (Halichoerus grypus), harp (Pagophilus groenlandicus), and hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) presented to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, New Jersey from January 1998 through December 2016. The objective was to identify hematological and plasma biochemical parameters of seals at time of presentation that were associated with successful rehabilitation and with duration of hospitalization using univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. At presentation, animals that subsequently survived rehabilitation had greater alkaline phosphatase activity and absolute lymphocyte and total calcium concentrations and lower blood urea nitrogen, sodium, chloride, phosphorus, and total bilirubin concentrations and lower aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities than animals that eventually died or were euthanized while under care. Results suggest that young, actively growing animals are more likely to survive rehabilitation and that bloodwork consistent with dehydration, systemic disease, and exhaustion are negative prognostic indicators. These results provide prognostic indicators that may aid clinical decision-making for seals presented for rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Vail
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3900 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Hugues Beaufrère
- Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Stefan Gallini
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3900 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Hubert Paluch
- Marine Mammal Stranding Center, 3625 Atlantic Brigantine Blvd., Brigantine, NJ, 08203, USA
| | - João Brandão
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, 2065 W. Farm Rd., Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
| | - Peter M DiGeronimo
- Adventure Aquarium, 1 Riverside Drive, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA.
- Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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27
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Tougaard J, Beedholm K, Madsen PT. Thresholds for noise induced hearing loss in harbor porpoises and phocid seals. J Acoust Soc Am 2022; 151:4252. [PMID: 35778178 DOI: 10.1121/10.0011560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Intense sound sources, such as pile driving, airguns, and military sonars, have the potential to inflict hearing loss in marine mammals and are, therefore, regulated in many countries. The most recent criteria for noise induced hearing loss are based on empirical data collected until 2015 and recommend frequency-weighted and species group-specific thresholds to predict the onset of temporary threshold shift (TTS). Here, evidence made available after 2015 in light of the current criteria for two functional hearing groups is reviewed. For impulsive sounds (from pile driving and air guns), there is strong support for the current threshold for very high frequency cetaceans, including harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). Less strong support also exists for the threshold for phocid seals in water, including harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). For non-impulsive sounds, there is good correspondence between exposure functions and empirical thresholds below 10 kHz for porpoises (applicable to assessment and regulation of military sonars) and between 3 and 16 kHz for seals. Above 10 kHz for porpoises and outside of the range 3-16 kHz for seals, there are substantial differences (up to 35 dB) between the predicted thresholds for TTS and empirical results. These discrepancies call for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Tougaard
- Department of Ecoscience, Marine Mammal Research, Aarhus University, C. F. Møllers Allé 3, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Kristian Beedholm
- Department of Biology, Zoophysiology, Aarhus University, C. F. Møllers Allé 3, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Peter T Madsen
- Department of Biology, Zoophysiology, Aarhus University, C. F. Møllers Allé 3, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
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28
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Murillo-Cisneros DA, McHuron EA, Zenteno-Savín T, Castellini JM, Field CL, O'Hara TM. Fetal mercury concentrations in central California Pacific harbor seals: Associated drivers and outcomes. Sci Total Environ 2022; 820:153246. [PMID: 35065116 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153246] [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] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a well-known toxicant in wildlife and humans. High total Hg concentrations ([THg]) have been reported in central California harbor seals Phoca vitulina richardii. We evaluated the effects of presence/absence of early natal coat (lanugo), year (2012 to 2017), sex, stranding location, and trophic ecology (ẟ13C and ẟ15N values) on hair [THg] along coastal central California. Also examined were [THg] effects on growth rates of pups in rehabilitation and probability of release (e.g., successful rehabilitation). The [THg] ranged from 0.46-81.98 mg kg-1 dw, and ẟ15N and ẟ13C ranged from 13.6-21.5‰, and -17.2 to -13.0‰, respectively. Stranding location, year, and presence of lanugo coat were important factors explaining variation in [THg]. Seals from Sonoma and San Mateo County had higher [THg] than other locations. Seals with full or partial lanugo coat had lower [THg]. Seals from 2016 and 2017 had higher [THg] than those from 2015. Hair [THg] exceeded lower and upper toxicological thresholds (>20 mg kg-1 by year (5.88% to 23.53%); >30 mg kg-1 (0% to 12.31%)) with a pronounced increase from 2015 to 2016. Pups in 2017 had significantly higher odds ratio of [THg] above 20 mg kg-1 than pups of 2015, and pups in 2016 had significantly higher odds ratio than those from 2013 and 2015 (similar when using 30 mg kg-1). Pups in Sonoma County had the highest odds ratio for [THg] in lanugo above 20 mg kg-1. ẟ15N values were higher in 2015-2017, particularly relative to 2014, probably associated with the El Niño event. The [THg] was not a good predictor for probability of release and mass-specific growth rates in captivity. Further investigation of temporal trends of [THg] in harbor seals is warranted given the relatively high percentage of samples exceeding threshold values, particularly in the most recent sampling years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela A Murillo-Cisneros
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. Planeación Ambiental y Conservación, Instituto Politécnico Nacional 195, Playa Palo de Santa Rita Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23096, Mexico
| | - Elizabeth A McHuron
- Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, 3737 Brooklyn Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98195-5672, USA
| | - Tania Zenteno-Savín
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. Planeación Ambiental y Conservación, Instituto Politécnico Nacional 195, Playa Palo de Santa Rita Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23096, Mexico.
| | - J Margaret Castellini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2141 Koyokuk Dr, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA
| | - Cara L Field
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
| | - Todd M O'Hara
- Bilingual Laboratory of Toxicology, Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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29
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Sun J, Shaw S, Berger M, Halaska B, Roos A, Bäcklin BM, Zheng X, Liu K, Wang Y, Chen D. Spatiotemporal Trends of Legacy and Alternative Flame Retardants in Harbor Seals from the Coasts of California, the Gulf of Maine, and Sweden. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:5714-5723. [PMID: 35442023 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c00626] [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: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Temporal trends of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been extensively studied in various environmental compartments globally. However, despite the increasing use of alternative flame retardants following PBDE bans, the spatiotemporal trends of these replacements have rarely been studied, and the available results are often inconsistent. In the present study, we retrospectively investigated the spatiotemporal trends of PBDEs and a suite of alternative brominated FRs (aBFRs) and chlorinated FRs (i.e., dechloranes or DECs) in three harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) populations from the coasts of California, the Gulf of Maine, and southern Sweden during 1999-2016. We observed significantly decreasing trends of ΣPBDEs in all the three populations at an annual rate of 9-11%, which were predominantly driven by the declining concentrations of tetra- and penta-BDEs. The levels of ΣaBFRs decreased significantly in seals from California (mainly 1,3,5-tribromobenzene) and Sweden (mainly hexabromobenzene), while no trend was observed for those from Maine. By contrast, DECs (dominated by DEC 602) did not decrease significantly in any population. Compared with the consistent PBDE congener profiles across regions, aBFRs and DECs exhibited varying compositional profiles between regions, likely indicating region-specific sources of these alternative FR mixtures. Spatial analysis also revealed regional differences in the concentrations of PBDEs, aBFRs, and DECs in harbor seals. Our reconstructed spatiotemporal trends suggest the effective regulation of commercial penta-BDE mix in these regions and warrant further monitoring of the higher brominated BDEs and alternative FRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiachen Sun
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Susan Shaw
- Shaw Institute, Blue Hill Research Center, Blue Hill ME-04614, Maine, United States
| | - Michelle Berger
- Shaw Institute, Blue Hill Research Center, Blue Hill ME-04614, Maine, United States
| | - Barbie Halaska
- The Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito CA-94965, California, United States
| | - Anna Roos
- Department of Contaminant Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Britt-Marie Bäcklin
- Department of Contaminant Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xiaoshi Zheng
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Kunyan Liu
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Research Center of Harmful Algae and Marine Biology, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Da Chen
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Sun J, Zhang L, Zhou F, Shaw S, Roos A, Berger M, Bäcklin BM, Huang Y, Zheng X, Wang X, Chen D. Hepatic Fatty Acid Profiles Associated with Exposure to Emerging and Legacy Halogenated Contaminants in Two Harbor Seal Populations across the North Atlantic. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:1830-1840. [PMID: 35068154 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c06512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fatty acids (FAs) have been extensively used as indicators of foraging ecology in marine mammals, yet their association with exposure to contaminants has rarely been investigated. The present study provided the first characterization of the relationship between hepatic FA profiles and exposure to a suite of contaminants in a sentinel species─the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina)─from the Gulf of Maine and the south coast of Sweden. FA profiles differed in the two seal populations, and the levels of legacy and alternative brominated flame retardants and polyhalogenated carbazoles were significantly elevated in Maine seals. Correlations between individual FAs and multiple flame retardants (FRs) and poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were found in seals from both populations. Moreover, several FR and PFAS chemicals were significantly associated with the estimated desaturating enzyme activity inferred from the FA profiles. The ratios of poly to monounsaturated FAs (∑PUFAs/∑MUFAs) and those of unsaturated to saturated FAs (∑UFAs/∑SFAs) were significantly associated with HBBZ, PFHxS, or BDE 47 in seals from Maine and Sweden, whereas ∑n - 6/∑n - 3 PUFAs was significantly associated with BDE 154 and 36-CCZ in Swedish and Maine seals, respectively. Our results suggest the lipid metabolism-disrupting potential of these contaminants in marine mammals and warrant continuous biomonitoring and risk assessment, considering the critical role of PUFAs in vital biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiachen Sun
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Long Zhang
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Fengli Zhou
- Research Center of Harmful Algae and Marine Biology, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Susan Shaw
- Shaw Institute, Blue Hill Research Center, Blue Hill, Maine 04614, United States
| | - Anna Roos
- Department of Contaminant Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 5007, Stockholm SE-10405, Sweden
| | - Michelle Berger
- Shaw Institute, Blue Hill Research Center, Blue Hill, Maine 04614, United States
| | - Britt-Marie Bäcklin
- Department of Contaminant Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 5007, Stockholm SE-10405, Sweden
| | - Yichao Huang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, CN-230032 Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaoshi Zheng
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaodong Wang
- Research Center of Harmful Algae and Marine Biology, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Da Chen
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Abstract
Vocal plasticity can occur in response to environmental and biological factors, including conspecifics' vocalizations and noise. Pinnipeds are one of the few mammalian groups capable of vocal learning, and are therefore relevant to understanding the evolution of vocal plasticity in humans and other animals. Here, we investigate the vocal plasticity of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina), a species with vocal learning abilities observed in adulthood but not puppyhood. To evaluate early mammalian vocal development, we tested 1-3 weeks-old seal pups. We tailored noise playbacks to this species and age to induce seal pups to shift their fundamental frequency (f0), rather than adapt call amplitude or temporal characteristics. We exposed individual pups to low- and high-intensity bandpass-filtered noise, which spanned-and masked-their typical range of f0; simultaneously, we recorded pups' spontaneous calls. Unlike most mammals, pups modified their vocalizations by lowering their f0 in response to increased noise. This modulation was precise and adapted to the particular experimental manipulation of the noise condition. In addition, higher levels of noise induced less dispersion around the mean f0, suggesting that pups may have actively focused their phonatory efforts to target lower frequencies. Noise did not seem to affect call amplitude. However, one seal showed two characteristics of the Lombard effect known for human speech in noise: significant increase in call amplitude and flattening of spectral tilt. Our relatively low noise levels may have favoured f0 modulation while inhibiting amplitude adjustments. This lowering of f0 is unusual, as most animals commonly display no such f0 shift. Our data represent a relatively rare case in mammalian neonates, and have implications for the evolution of vocal plasticity and vocal learning across species, including humans. This article is part of the theme issue 'Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part I)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Torres Borda
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Wundtlaan 1, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Research Department, Sealcentre Pieterburen, Hoofdstraat 94-A, 9968 AG Pieterburen, The Netherlands
| | - Yannick Jadoul
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Wundtlaan 1, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Artificial Intelligence Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Elsene/Ixelles, Belgium
| | - Heikki Rasilo
- Artificial Intelligence Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Elsene/Ixelles, Belgium
| | - Anna Salazar Casals
- Research Department, Sealcentre Pieterburen, Hoofdstraat 94-A, 9968 AG Pieterburen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea Ravignani
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Wundtlaan 1, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Research Department, Sealcentre Pieterburen, Hoofdstraat 94-A, 9968 AG Pieterburen, The Netherlands
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Simokon MV, Trukhin AM. Analysis of essential and non-essential trace elements in the organs of a mother-fetus pair of spotted seals ( Phoca largha) from the Sea of Japan. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2021; 28:60622-60634. [PMID: 34164788 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14971-7] [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] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Concentrations of 22 essential and non-essential trace elements (Be, Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sb, Ba, Tl, Pb, Th, U, and Hg) were measured in the organs of a mother-fetus pair (at the last trimester of pregnancy) of spotted seals from the Sea of Japan. The concentrations of eleven elements are reported for the first time. Eight organs of the pair were examined: lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, spleen, muscles, and bones. All trace elements detected in the organs of the mother were found also in the organs of the fetus at various concentrations. Placenta is not an effective barrier to prevent non-essential elements from getting into the fetus, but can control entry of some of them, e.g., aluminum, cadmium, and mercury. In most organs of the fetus, the concentrations of toxic trace elements (beryllium, antimony, thorium, and uranium) were noticeably higher than in the same organs of the mother, which indicates that during pregnancy female removes excess of non-essential trace elements by transferring them to the fetal body through the placental barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail V Simokon
- Pacific Branch, Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), per. Shevchenko 4, Vladivostok, Russia, 690091
| | - Alexey M Trukhin
- V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Baltiyskaya 43, Vladivostok, Russia, 690041.
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33
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Jefferson TA, Smultea MA, Ward EJ, Berejikian B. Estimating the stock size of harbor seals ( Phoca vitulina richardii) in the inland waters of Washington State using line-transect methods. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0241254. [PMID: 34106950 PMCID: PMC8189461 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) in the inland waters of Washington were reduced by predator control programs in the twentieth century, but stocks have rebounded since being protected in the 1970s. Three management stocks are recognized, but there is little information on their current abundance. We conducted 38,431 km of aerial line-transect surveys throughout the range of these stocks in 2013–2016, sighting a total of 4,678 groups of harbor seals. Line-transect analysis with Beaufort sea state as a covariate provided estimates of the number of seals in the water. We then incorporated tagging data from 15 instrumented seals to develop correction factors, both for seals missed in the water while diving, and those that were on shore. Tagging data were modeled with generalized linear mixed models to provide estimates of the proportions diving and hauled out. After applying these correction factors, we estimated that the Hood Canal stock contained 1,368 seals (CV = 16.8%), the Southern Puget Sound stock contained 1,976 seals (CV = 20.5%), and the Washington Northern Inland Waters stock contained 7,513 seals (CV = 11.5%). This study presents a non-traditional approach to estimating the size of Washington inland waters harbor seal stocks, which may also be applicable to other species for which survey and tagging data are available.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mari A. Smultea
- Smultea Environmental Sciences, Preston, WA, United States of America
| | - Eric J. Ward
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Barry Berejikian
- Environmental and Fisheries Sciences Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Port Orchard, WA, United States of America
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34
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Feddern ML, Holtgrieve GW, Ward EJ. Stable isotope signatures in historic harbor seal bone link food web-assimilated carbon and nitrogen resources to a century of environmental change. Glob Chang Biol 2021; 27:2328-2342. [PMID: 33749968 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15551] [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] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change will impact nutrient cycles, primary production, and ecosystem structure in the world's oceans, although considerable uncertainty exists regarding the magnitude and spatial variability of these changes. Understanding how regional-scale ocean conditions control nutrient availability and ultimately nutrient assimilation into food webs will inform how marine resources will change in response to climate. To evaluate how ocean conditions influence the assimilation of nitrogen and carbon into coastal marine food webs, we applied a novel dimension reduction analysis to a century of newly acquired molecular isotope data derived from historic harbor seal bone specimens. By measuring bulk δ13 C and δ15 N values of source amino acids of these top predators from 1928 to 2014, we derive indices of primary production and nitrogen resources that are assimilated into food webs. We determined coastal food webs responded to climate regimes, coastal upwelling, and freshwater discharge, yet the strength of responses to individual drivers varied across the northeast Pacific. Indices of primary production and nitrogen availability in the Gulf of Alaska were dependent on regional climate indices (i.e., North Pacific Gyre Oscillation) and upwelling. In contrast, the coastal Washington and Salish Sea food webs were associated with local indices of freshwater discharge. For some regions (eastern Bering Sea, northern Gulf of Alaska) food web-assimilated production was coupled with nitrogen sources; however, other regions demonstrated no production-nitrogen coupling (Salish Sea). Temporal patterns of environmental indices and isotopic data from Washington state varied about the long-term mean with no directional trend. Data from the Gulf of Alaska, however, showed below average harbor seal δ13 C values and above average ocean conditions since 1975, indicating a change in primary production in recent decades. Altogether, these findings demonstrate stable isotope data can provide useful indices of nitrogen resources and phytoplankton dynamics specific to what is assimilated by food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Feddern
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Gordon W Holtgrieve
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Eric J Ward
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Seattle, WA, USA
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35
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Damseaux F, Siebert U, Pomeroy P, Lepoint G, Das K. Habitat and resource segregation of two sympatric seals in the North Sea. Sci Total Environ 2021; 764:142842. [PMID: 33342563 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The study of ecological niche segregation in sympatric species is essential to understand ecosystem functioning and its response to potential changes. In the North Sea, sympatric grey and harbour seals may present competition for food resources sustained by intense fishing activities and recent increase of seal populations. In order to coexist and reduce inter-specific competition, sympatric species must segregate at least one aspect of their ecological niches: temporal, spatial or resource segregation. We aim to study the foraging resources and foraging distributions of grey seals and harbour seals and the potential competition between these species in the North Sea. Therefore, we analysed stable isotopic composition of C, N and S (δ13C, δ15N and δ34S values), and the concentrations of Hg and Se in blood of harbour and grey seals from the North Sea. Blood samples were collected on 45 grey seals and 37 harbour seals sampled along German and Scottish coasts. Stable isotope ratios were performed with an isotope ratio mass spectrometer coupled to an N-C-S elemental analyser for automated analyses. Total mercury concentrations (T-Hg) were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy and Se concentrations by ICP-MS. The multi-tracer approach shown spatial and resource partitioning within grey and harbour seal living along German and Scottish coasts. Data indicate 1) the offshore foraging distribution of grey seals as reflected by the lower δ15N values and T-Hg concentrations and higher Se concentrations and 2) the inshore foraging distribution of harbour seals because of higher δ15N values and T-Hg concentrations and lower Se concentrations. The SIAR mixing model revealed 3) a more selective diet of grey seals compared to harbour seals and 4) the importance of sandeels in grey seal diet reflected by their high δ34S values. Lastly, diet ellipse overlaps between grey seals and harbour seals sampled along the German coasts suggested 5) a potential sharing of food resources, possibly due to the increase number of grey seals number in this area during the foraging season - all year except breeding and moulting periods. The multi-tracer approach of this study provides a more robust discrimination among diet resources and spatial foraging distributions of grey seals and harbour seals in the North Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- France Damseaux
- Freshwater and Oceanic sciences Unit of reSearch (FOCUS), Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège B6c, 11 Allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | - Patrick Pomeroy
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, East Sands, University of St Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Gilles Lepoint
- Freshwater and Oceanic sciences Unit of reSearch (FOCUS), Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège B6c, 11 Allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Krishna Das
- Freshwater and Oceanic sciences Unit of reSearch (FOCUS), Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège B6c, 11 Allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
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36
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Lian M, Field CL, van Wijngaarden E, Rios C, Castellini JM, Greig DJ, Rea LD, Coleman DJ, Thomson CE, Gulland FMD, O'Hara TM. Assessment of clinical outcomes associated with mercury concentrations in harbor seal pups ( Phoca vitulina richardii) in central California. Sci Total Environ 2021; 758:143686. [PMID: 33279198 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143686] [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] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Monomethyl mercury (MeHg+) from the diet can cause mild to severe neurotoxicosis in fish-eating mammals. Chronic and low-level in utero exposure also can be neurotoxic, as documented in laboratory animal studies and epidemiologic investigations. In free-ranging animals, it is challenging to study low-level exposure related neurotoxicosis, and few studies have investigated the relationship between mercury (Hg) and adverse outcomes in wild populations. Relative to Hg concentrations on admission we evaluated different types of behaviors for 267 Pacific harbor seal (HS; Phoca vitulina richardii) pups at The Marine Mammal Center from 2015 to 2019 during rehabilitation after stranding and maternal separation. Admitted HS pups underwent a clinical exam; including sex and weight determination, and hair (partly lanugo grown in utero) and blood samples were collected for total Hg concentration ([THg]) determination. All pups were monitored weekly (behavior assessments included response to tactile stimulation, movement, swimming, interactions with other seals, hand feeding, and feeding independently), and days in rehabilitation and survival were recorded. There was a significant negative correlation between [THg] and responses to tactile stimulation and movements, measured in both hair and whole blood (p < 0.05). This relationship was found both during the intensive care unit (ICU) stage, and during the pool stage of rehabilitation. Additionally, there was a significant association between greater [THg] and number of days spent in rehabilitation, although there was no relationship between [THg] and survival. There was a significant sex difference, with greater [THg] in female pups, which contrasts with previously published findings in juvenile and adult harbor seals. Our findings support small, but significant associations between gestational THg exposure and clinical effects for tactile sensory response and movement, and longer rehabilitation durations for HS pups, although there was considerable variability among animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Lian
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2141 Koyokuk Dr, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 900 Yukon Dr Rm. 194, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6160, USA.
| | - Cara L Field
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
| | - Edwin van Wijngaarden
- University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Carlos Rios
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
| | - J Margaret Castellini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2141 Koyokuk Dr, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA
| | - Denise J Greig
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
| | - Lorrie D Rea
- Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1764 Tanana Loop, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Denver J Coleman
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
| | - Christine E Thomson
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2141 Koyokuk Dr, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA; Animal Referral Hospital Brisbane, Sinnamon Park, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Frances M D Gulland
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
| | - Todd M O'Hara
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2141 Koyokuk Dr, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA; Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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37
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Gismondi E, Daneels L, Damseaux F, Lehnert K, Siebert U, Das K. Preliminary study of oxidative stress biomarkers and trace elements in North Sea Harbour Seals. Mar Pollut Bull 2021; 163:111905. [PMID: 33360729 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111905] [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] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This preliminary study investigated the potential correlations between trace elements (mercury, zinc, cadmium, copper, selenium, lead, nickel, chromium, lithium and vanadium) concentrations, measured in red blood cells, and oxidative stress biomarkers (total thiols, total glutathione, total and selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidases, triglycerides, malondialdehyde) assessed in the respective serum, in males and females P. vitulina, sampled in the Wadden Sea in spring and autumn 2015. Only concentrations of total mercury and zinc showed significant differences by sex, and only lipid peroxidation was different by season. Moreover, significant positive and negative correlations were observed between biomarkers (triglycerides, thiols, malondialdehyde, glutathione) and trace element concentrations (copper, lead, mercury, nickel, zinc). These findings suggest that the studied biomarkers could be useful for the assessment of oxidative stress in harbour seals exposed to trace elements, but further research with larger sample sizes is needed to better understand their specific associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Gismondi
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Ecotoxicology (LEAE), Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS), University of Liège B6c, 11 allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
| | - Lucienne Daneels
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Ecotoxicology (LEAE), Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS), University of Liège B6c, 11 allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium; Laboratory of Oceanology, Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS), University of Liège B6c, 11 Allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - France Damseaux
- Laboratory of Oceanology, Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS), University of Liège B6c, 11 Allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Kristina Lehnert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | - Krishna Das
- Laboratory of Oceanology, Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS), University of Liège B6c, 11 Allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium
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38
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Guerrero AI, Rogers TL. Evaluating the performance of the Bayesian mixing tool MixSIAR with fatty acid data for quantitative estimation of diet. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20780. [PMID: 33247163 PMCID: PMC7695706 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77396-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
We test the performance of the Bayesian mixing model, MixSIAR, to quantitatively predict diets of consumers based on their fatty acids (FAs). The known diets of six species, undergoing controlled-feeding experiments, were compared with dietary predictions modelled from their FAs. Test subjects included fish, birds and mammals, and represent consumers with disparate FA compositions. We show that MixSIAR with FA data accurately identifies a consumer's diet, the contribution of major prey items, when they change their diet (diet switching) and can detect an absent prey. Results were impacted if the consumer had a low-fat diet due to physiological constraints. Incorporating prior information on the potential prey species into the model improves model performance. Dietary predictions were reasonable even when using trophic modification values (calibration coefficients, CCs) derived from different prey. Models performed well when using CCs derived from consumers fed a varied diet or when using CC values averaged across diets. We demonstrate that MixSIAR with FAs is a powerful approach to correctly estimate diet, in particular if used to complement other methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia I Guerrero
- Centro de Investigación y Gestión de Recursos Naturales (CIGREN), Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Gran Bretaña, 1111, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile.
| | - Tracey L Rogers
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia
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Foster G, Baily JL, Howie F, Brownlow AC, Wagenaar JA, Gilbert MJ, Miller WG, Byrne BA, Clothier KA, Schmitt T, Patterson T, Reid RJ, Dagleish MP. Campylobacter pinnipediorum subsp. caledonicus and C. pinnipediorum subsp. pinnipediorum recovered from abscesses in pinnipeds. Dis Aquat Organ 2020; 142:41-46. [PMID: 33210610 DOI: 10.3354/dao03544] [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: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Campylobacter pinnipediorum was described recently for isolates recovered from pinnipeds. The novel species was further split into 2 subspecies based on host and geography, with C. pinnipediorum subsp. pinnipediorum recovered from otariid seals in California (USA) and C. pinnipediorum subsp. caledonicus recovered from phocid seals in Scotland. We report details of the infections of 7 pinnipeds from which C. pinnipediorum was isolated: C. pinnipediorum subsp. caledonicus was isolated from 2 harbour seals Phoca vitulina and a single grey seal Halichoerus grypus, and C. pinnipediorum subsp. pinnipediorum was isolated from California sea lions Zalophus californianus. Six of the isolates were recovered from samples collected at post-mortem investigation. In 2 of the Scottish seals and in 3 of the California seals, C. pinnipediorum was the sole bacterial isolate recovered from abscesses present and suggests they may have resulted from conspecific or intraspecific bite wounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Foster
- SRUC Veterinary Services, An Lochran, 10 Inverness Campus, Inverness IV2 5NA, UK
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40
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Adams A, Vogl W, Dawson C, Raverty S, Haulena M, Skoretz SA. Laryngeal and soft palate valving in the harbour seal ( Phoca vitulina). J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb230201. [PMID: 32895326 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.230201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Effective 'valving' in the upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) is essential to temporarily separate the digestive and respiratory pathways. Marine mammals are largely dedicated to feeding underwater, and in many cases swallowing prey whole. In seals, little work has been done to explore the anatomy and function of the UAT in the context of valving mechanisms that function to separate food and air pathways. Here we use videofluoroscopy, gross dissection, histology and computed tomography (CT) renderings to explore the anatomy of the larynx and soft palate in the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina), and generate models for how valving mechanisms in the head and neck may function during breathing, phonating, diving and swallowing. Harbour seals have an elevated larynx and the epiglottis may rise above the level of the soft palate, particularly in pups when sucking. In addition, the corniculate and arytenoid cartilages with associated muscles form most of the lateral margins of the laryngeal inlet and vestibule, and move independently to facilitate airway closure. The corniculate cartilages flex over the laryngeal inlet beneath the epiglottis to completely close the laryngeal vestibule and inlet. The vocal folds are thick and muscular and the medial margin of the folds contains a small vocal ligament. The soft palate has well-defined levator veli palatini muscles that probably function to elevate the palate and close the pharyngeal isthmus during feeding. Our results support the conclusion that harbour seals have evolved UAT valving mechanisms as adaptations to a marine environment that are not seen in terrestrial carnivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arlo Adams
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z3
| | - Wayne Vogl
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z3
| | - Camilla Dawson
- School of Audiology and Speech Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z3
- University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK
| | | | | | - Stacey A Skoretz
- School of Audiology and Speech Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z3
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2B7
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 1Y6
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Schmidt B, Sonne C, Nachtsheim D, Dietz R, Oheim R, Rolvien T, Persson S, Amling M, Siebert U. Variation in skull bone mineral density of ringed seals ( Phoca hispida) from the Gulf of Bothnia and West Greenland between 1829 and 2019. Environ Int 2020; 143:105968. [PMID: 32702596 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105968] [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] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Bone is remodelled constantly through a balance of bone formation and resorption. This process can be affected by various factors such as hormones, vitamins, nutrients and environmental factors, which can create an imbalance resulting in systemic or local bone alteration. The aim of the present study was to analyse the changes in bone mineral density (BMD) over time in skulls of ringed seals (Pusa hispida) from the Baltic and Greenland using museum samples. Overall, 303 skulls (102 Male, 89 Female, 112 unknown) were used for bone investigations and were divided into three periods according to collection year: before 1958 (n = 167), between 1958 and 1989 (n = 40) and after 1994 up to 2019 (n = 96). All skulls were examined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to obtain the BMD. Skull BMD of the Baltic seals was positively correlated with the historical polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) contamination having potential effects on the constitution of bones. BMD fluctuated between the three study periods (LM: p-value < 0.001, F-value = 47.5) with the lowest BMD found between 1897 and 1957, in the Gulf of Bothnia, where the highest peak of contaminant concentration was in the second period. BMD levels increased with increasing PCB concentration (LM: p < 0.001). The Greenland population showed significant lower BMD levels in the pollution and post-pollution period than the Baltic population (LM: p < 0.001). It also revealed a higher BMD in males than in females (LM: p = 0.03). In conclusion, the variations between 1829 and 2019 in the Baltic Sea and Greenland may to a certain extent reflect normal fluctuations; however, this study revealed several factors affecting BMD, including sex and PCB levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britta Schmidt
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | - Christian Sonne
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Dominik Nachtsheim
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | - Rune Dietz
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Ralf Oheim
- Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Lottestr. 59, 22529 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tim Rolvien
- Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Lottestr. 59, 22529 Hamburg, Germany; Department of Orthopedics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sara Persson
- Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael Amling
- Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Lottestr. 59, 22529 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany; Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
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Matthiopoulos J, Fieberg J, Aarts G, Barraquand F, Kendall BE. Within Reach? Habitat Availability as a Function of Individual Mobility and Spatial Structuring. Am Nat 2020; 195:1009-1026. [PMID: 32469662 DOI: 10.1086/708519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Organisms need access to particular habitats for their survival and reproduction. However, even if all necessary habitats are available within the broader environment, they may not all be easily reachable from the position of a single individual. Many species distribution models consider populations in environmental (or niche) space, hence overlooking this fundamental aspect of geographical accessibility. Here, we develop a formal way of thinking about habitat availability in environmental spaces by describing how limitations in accessibility can cause animals to experience a more limited or simply different mixture of habitats than those more broadly available. We develop an analytical framework for characterizing constrained habitat availability based on the statistical properties of movement and environmental autocorrelation. Using simulation experiments, we show that our general statistical representation of constrained availability is a good approximation of habitat availability for particular realizations of landscape-organism interactions. We present two applications of our approach, one to the statistical analysis of habitat preference (using step-selection functions to analyze harbor seal telemetry data) and a second that derives theoretical insights about population viability from knowledge of the underlying environment. Analytical expressions for habitat availability, such as those we develop here, can yield gains in analytical speed, biological realism, and conceptual generality by allowing us to formulate models that are habitat sensitive without needing to be spatially explicit.
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Sonne C, Lakemeyer J, Desforges JP, Eulaers I, Persson S, Stokholm I, Galatius A, Gross S, Gonnsen K, Lehnert K, Andersen-Ranberg EU, Tange Olsen M, Dietz R, Siebert U. A review of pathogens in selected Baltic Sea indicator species. Environ Int 2020; 137:105565. [PMID: 32070804 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Here we review the state-of-the-art of pathogens in select marine and terrestrial key species of the Baltic Sea, i.e. ringed seal (Pusa hispida), harbour seal (Phoca vitulina), grey seal (Halichoerus grypus), harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), common eider (Somateria mollissima), pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) and white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla). This review is the first to merge and present available information and baseline data for the FP7 BONUS BaltHealth project: Baltic Sea multilevel health impacts on key species of anthropogenic hazardous substances. Understanding the spread, prevalence and effects of wildlife pathogens is important for the understanding of animal and ecosystem health, ecosystem function and services, as well as human exposure to zoonotic diseases. This review summarises the occurrence of parasites, viruses and bacteria over the past six decades, including severe outbreaks of Phocine Distemper Virus (PDV), the seroprevalence of Influenza A and the recent increase in seal parasites. We show that Baltic high trophic key species are exposed to multiple bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases. Parasites, such as C. semerme and P. truncatum present in the colon and liver Baltic grey seals, respectively, and anisakid nematodes require particular monitoring due to their effects on animal health. In addition, distribution of existing viral and bacterial pathogens, along with the emergence and spread of new pathogens, need to be monitored in order to assess the health status of key Baltic species. Relevant bacteria are Streptococcus spp., Brucella spp., Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, Mycoplasma spp. and Leptospira interrogans; relevant viruses are influenza virus, distemper virus, pox virus and herpes virus. This is of special importance as some of the occurring pathogens are zoonotic and thus also pose a potential risk for human health. Marine mammal handlers, as well as civilians that by chance encounter marine mammals, need to be aware of this risk. It is therefore important to continue the monitoring of diseases affecting key Baltic species in order to assess their relationship to population dynamics and their potential threat to humans. These infectious agents are valuable indicators of host ecology and can act as bioindicators of distribution, migration, diet and behaviour of marine mammals and birds, as well as of climate change and changes in food web dynamics. In addition, infectious diseases are linked to pollutant exposure, overexploitation, immune suppression and subsequent inflammatory disease. Ultimately, these diseases affect the health of the entire ecosystem and, consequently, ecosystem function and services. As global warming is continuously increasing, the impact of global change on infectious disease patterns is important to monitor in Baltic key species in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Sonne
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Jan Lakemeyer
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstrasse 6, 25761 Buesum, Germany.
| | - Jean-Pierre Desforges
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Sara Persson
- Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Iben Stokholm
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstrasse 6, 25761 Buesum, Germany; Evolutionary Genomics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
| | - Anders Galatius
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Stephanie Gross
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstrasse 6, 25761 Buesum, Germany.
| | - Katharina Gonnsen
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstrasse 6, 25761 Buesum, Germany.
| | - Kristina Lehnert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstrasse 6, 25761 Buesum, Germany.
| | - Emilie U Andersen-Ranberg
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health, Dyrlægevej 16, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
| | - Morten Tange Olsen
- Evolutionary Genomics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstrasse 6, 25761 Buesum, Germany.
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Lakemeyer J, Lehnert K, Woelfing B, Pawliczka I, Silts M, Dähne M, von Vietinghoff V, Wohlsein P, Siebert U. Pathological findings in North Sea and Baltic grey seal and harbour seal intestines associated with acanthocephalan infections. Dis Aquat Organ 2020; 138:97-110. [PMID: 32103824 DOI: 10.3354/dao03440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Grey seals Halichoerus grypus and harbour seals Phoca vitulina are common seal species in the North and Baltic seas and final hosts of Corynosoma acanthocephalans. C. strumosum and C. magdaleni infect the small intestines of both seal species. In contrast to harbour seals, Baltic grey seals in the past have regularly displayed severe C. semerme infections in the caecum and colon, with associated tunica muscularis hypertrophy, inflammation and ulcerations as part of the Baltic seal disease complex (BSDC). Pathogenesis and correlation of acanthocephalan infections with these lesions are still unknown. This study describes the intestinal pathology and parasitic distribution in each seal species. Grey seal (n = 83) and harbour seal (n = 1156) intestines of all age groups and sexes, collected in Poland, Germany and Estonia from 1998 to 2017, were investigated. Most harbour seals came from the North Sea, whereas grey seals were predominantly derived from the Baltic Sea. Both species featured mild to moderate small intestinal infections. Grey seals showed colonic infections not found in harbour seals and featured a chronic erosive to ulcerative, eosinophilic or lympho-plasmacytic colitis with tunica muscularis hypertrophy, indicating still prevailing clinical signs of the BSDC. Harbour seals displayed granulomatous, eosinophilic, lympho-plasmacytic or catarrhal enteritis. The prevalence of acanthocephalan infections in harbour seals increased from 2012 onwards. Furthermore, significant associations between acanthocephalan infection and the presence of intestinal inflammation were found for both seal species. This study suggests that the level of acanthocephalan infection and associated lesions are suitable seal population health indicators, with the colon being a specific target organ for Baltic grey seal health monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Lakemeyer
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstrasse 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany
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Juárez-Rodríguez M, Heckel G, Herguera-García JC, Elorriaga-Verplancken FR, Herzka SZ, Schramm Y. Trophic ecology of Mexican Pacific harbor seal colonies using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0225889. [PMID: 31967988 PMCID: PMC6975529 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225889] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
There is limited information that provides a comprehensive understanding of the trophic ecology of Mexican Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardii) colonies. While scat analysis has been used to determine the diet of some colonies, the integrative characterization of its feeding habits on broader temporal and spatial scales remains limited. We examined potential feeding grounds, trophic niche width, and overlap, and inferred the degree of dietary specialization using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) in this subspecies. We analyzed δ13C and δ15N on fur samples from pups collected at five sites along the western coast of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. Fur of natal coat of Pacific harbor seal pups begins to grow during the seventh month in utero until the last stage of gestation. Therefore pup fur is a good proxy for the mother's feeding habits in winter (~December to March), based on the timing of gestation for the subspecies in this region. Our results indicated that the δ13C and δ15N values differed significantly among sampling sites, with the highest mean δ15N value occurring at the southernmost site, reflecting a well-characterized north to south latitudinal 15N-enrichment in the food web. The tendency identified in δ13C values, in which the northern colonies showed the most enriched values, suggests nearshore and benthic-demersal feeding habits. A low variance in δ13C and δ15N values for each colony (<1‰) and relatively small standard ellipse areas suggest a specialized foraging behavior in adult female Pacific harbor seals in Mexican waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maricela Juárez-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, México
| | - Gisela Heckel
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, México
| | - Juan Carlos Herguera-García
- Departamento de Ecología Marina, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, México
| | - Fernando R. Elorriaga-Verplancken
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Departamento de Pesquerías y Biología Marina, La Paz, Baja California Sur, México
| | - Sharon Z. Herzka
- Departamento de Oceanografía Biológica, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, México
| | - Yolanda Schramm
- Facultad de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Ensenada, Baja California, México
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Bourdages MPT, Provencher JF, Sudlovenick E, Ferguson SH, Young BG, Pelletier N, Murphy MJJ, D'Addario A, Vermaire JC. No plastics detected in seal (Phocidae) stomachs harvested in the eastern Canadian Arctic. Mar Pollut Bull 2020; 150:110772. [PMID: 31787340 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110772] [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] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Through collaboration with Inuit hunters, we examined the stomach contents of 142 seals (ringed seals [Phoca hispida; n = 135], bearded seals [Erignathus barbatus; n = 6], and one harbour seal [Phoca vitualina; n = 1]) hunted between 2007 and 2019 from communities around Nunavut to assess whether seals in the eastern Canadian Arctic ingest and retain plastics in their stomachs. The seals in this study ranged from juveniles to adults of up to 30 years of age, and 55% of the seals were males. We found no evidence of plastic ingestion in any of the seals suggesting that seals in Nunavut are not accumulating plastics (>425 μm) in their stomachs. These data provide important baseline information for future plastic pollution monitoring programs in the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelaine P T Bourdages
- Carleton University, Geography and Environmental Studies, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada.
| | - Jennifer F Provencher
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, 200 Boulevard Sacré-Coeur, Gatineau, QC J8X 4C6, Canada
| | | | - Steven H Ferguson
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Brent G Young
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Nicolas Pelletier
- Carleton University, Geography and Environmental Studies, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Michael J J Murphy
- Carleton University, Geography and Environmental Studies, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Alexa D'Addario
- Carleton University, Geography and Environmental Studies, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Jesse C Vermaire
- Carleton University, Geography and Environmental Studies, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada; Carleton University, Institute for Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
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Trukhin AM, Boyarova MD. Organochlorine pesticides (HCH and DDT) in blubber of spotted seals ( Phoca largha) from the western Sea of Japan. Mar Pollut Bull 2020; 150:110738. [PMID: 31759636 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 10/05/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In 2014-2019, a total of 31 blubber samples were collected from spotted seals (Phoca largha) in the western Sea of Japan. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography to determine level of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The concentration of hexachlorocyclohexane and its isomers (∑HCH) ranged from 389 to 50,070 ng/g lipid weght; the concentration of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (∑DDT), ranged from 62,720 to 1,110,930 ng/g lipid wt. Transfer of HCH and DDT from mother to pup during pregnancy and lactation was documented. The OCP concentration in blubber of spotted seals from the western Sea of Japan is one to two orders of magnitude higher than in spotted seals inhabiting waters off the Japan coast. Organochlorines detected in the western Sea of Japan likely come from some countries of Southeast Asia still using OCPs in the agriculture sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey M Trukhin
- V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute (POI), Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Science, ul. Baltiyskaya 41, 690043 Vladivostok, Russia.
| | - Margarita D Boyarova
- School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, ul. Sukhanova 8, 690091 Vladivostok, Russia
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Donnelly-Greenan EL, Nevins HM, Harvey JT. Entangled seabird and marine mammal reports from citizen science surveys from coastal California (1997-2017). Mar Pollut Bull 2019; 149:110557. [PMID: 31542598 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Marine fauna in the California Current System is susceptible to entanglement in anthropogenic debris. We examined beach survey data from six California counties to describe trends of entangled marine birds and mammals (1997-2017). Surveyors reported 357 cases of entanglements among 65,604 carcasses. Monterey County had the greatest average entanglement rate (0.007) of surveyed counties, however, was not statistically different from Santa Cruz (p > 0.05). Twenty-six seabird species (97%) and three marine mammal species (3%), and three non-marine birds were affected. Numerically, Common Murre (23%), Brandt's Cormorant (13%), Western Gull (9.6%), Sooty Shearwater (8%) and Brown Pelican (7%) were the most affected due to abundance, but their entanglement rates were not statistically different (p > 0.05). The most vulnerable species were those frequently documented as entanglement despite low deposition numbers (Merganser spp. 25%). Entangling material consisted primarily of monofilament line (some hooks/lures), but other entanglement items were reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica L Donnelly-Greenan
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA; California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center, 1451 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA.
| | - Hannahrose M Nevins
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA; California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center, 1451 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA.
| | - James T Harvey
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA.
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Kahle P, Rolvien T, Kierdorf H, Roos A, Siebert U, Kierdorf U. Age-related changes in size, bone microarchitecture and volumetric bone mineral density of the mandible in the harbor seal ( Phoca vitulina). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224480. [PMID: 31648278 PMCID: PMC6812799 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Detailed knowledge of age-related changes in the structure and mineralization of bones is important for interpreting osseous changes in wild mammals caused by exposure to environmental contaminants. This study analyzed mandibular size, microarchitecture and volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) in harbor seals (n = 93, age range 0.5 months to 25 years) from the German North Sea. Bone microarchitecture and vBMD were assessed using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT). Significant differences were observed between the analyzed age classes (i) young juveniles (0.5–10 months), (ii) yearlings (12–23 months), and (iii) adults (12–25 years) for several of the variables, indicating an overall increase in cortical and trabecular area, cortical thickness and total and cortical vBMD with age. Furthermore, for juvenile animals (≤ 23 months), significant positive correlations with age were observed for mandible length and perimeter, cortical area, cortical thickness, trabecular separation, and total and cortical vBMD. The findings demonstrate a rapid increase in overall size, cortical dimensions and the degree of mineralization of the harbor seal mandible during the first two years after birth. Negative correlations with age existed for trabecular number and thickness as well as for trabecular bone volume fraction in the juveniles. The findings suggest a reduction in trabecular bone volume fraction with age, due to the bone trabeculae becoming thinner, less numerous and more widely spaced. Given the strong age dependence of most analyzed parameters, it is recommended to standardize samples with respect to age in future studies comparing microarchitecture and mineralization of harbor seal mandibles from different populations or different collection periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Kahle
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
| | - Tim Rolvien
- Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Orthopedics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Horst Kierdorf
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
| | - Anna Roos
- Department of Contaminant Research, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute of Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Uwe Kierdorf
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Hudak CA, Sette L. Opportunistic detection of anthropogenic micro debris in harbor seal ( Phoca vitulina vitulina) and gray seal (Halichoerus grypus atlantica) fecal samples from haul-outs in southeastern Massachusetts, USA. Mar Pollut Bull 2019; 145:390-395. [PMID: 31590801 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic micro debris in the marine environment is a growing concern worldwide, affecting multiple trophic levels, from primary consumers such as zooplankton, to meso- and apex predators like marine mammals and marine birds. In 2016-2017, during the processing of harbor seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina) and gray seal (Halichoerus grypus atlantica) fecal samples for fish otoliths and organic hard parts as part of a prey study, anthropogenic micro debris (>500 μm) was detected in 6% (n = 2/32) of harbor seal and 1% (n = 2/129) of gray seal samples. Spectral analysis identified the fragments as cellophane, alkyd resin and poly(ethylene:propylene:diene) (EPDM) rubber. These results show the potential indirect ingestion of micro debris, which can impact the health and welfare of marine wildlife. This is the first report of micro debris presence in wild populations of phocid seals for the northwestern Atlantic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine A Hudak
- Center for Coastal Studies, 5 Holway Avenue, Provincetown, MA 02657, USA.
| | - Lisa Sette
- Center for Coastal Studies, 5 Holway Avenue, Provincetown, MA 02657, USA
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