{"title":"Ecotype Origin of an Entangled Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) Identified with Remnant mtDNA","authors":"Charles Nye, Kim Parsons, James Rice, C. Baker","doi":"10.1578/am.50.1.2024.45","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1578/am.50.1.2024.45","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8219,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Mammals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139621041","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Georgina V. Hume, Alexis L. Levengood, Melina J. Keane, Bonnie J. Holmes
{"title":"First Record of a Piebald Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in Australian Waters","authors":"Georgina V. Hume, Alexis L. Levengood, Melina J. Keane, Bonnie J. Holmes","doi":"10.1578/am.50.1.2024.8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1578/am.50.1.2024.8","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8219,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Mammals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139529767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Louise B. Henriksen, C. B. Thøstesen, A. Alstrup, Hanne Lyngholm Larsen, Magnus Wahlberg, Ursula Siebert, S. Pagh
Age determination of marine mammals is important for understanding the impact of anthropogenic disturbances as well as for population management. Toothed whales are usually age-determined by counting annually formed layers in their teeth. This includes a time-consuming sequence of preparations, usually involving chemical treatment. This study tested a quicker and simpler method for age determination of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), originally developed for age determination of foxes and other terrestrial carnivores. The tooth was ground with fine-grained sandpaper, and the age lines were directly read using a binocular microscope. To evaluate the usability of the grinding method for harbour porpoises, three tests were used: (1) the number of growth layer groups (GLGs) in teeth from 66 harbour porpoises by the grinding method were compared by two readers; (2) GLGs in teeth from six harbour porpoises prepared by the grinding method and by the decalcification method were compared in a blinded set-up with two readers; and (3) the GLGs in teeth from two individuals with known ages prepared by both the grinding method and the decalcification method, respectively, were compared. A Bland–Altman plot showed high agreement between the determined age of individuals by the two different methods. The average age difference was -0.56 years, and the 95% confidence interval for the average difference was [-4.3, 3.2] years. The grinding method is therefore considered to be a valid alternative and quicker method for age determination of harbour porpoises.
{"title":"A New Simple Method for Age Determination of Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)","authors":"Louise B. Henriksen, C. B. Thøstesen, A. Alstrup, Hanne Lyngholm Larsen, Magnus Wahlberg, Ursula Siebert, S. Pagh","doi":"10.1578/am.50.1.2024.30","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1578/am.50.1.2024.30","url":null,"abstract":"Age determination of marine mammals is important for understanding the impact of anthropogenic disturbances as well as for population management. Toothed whales are usually age-determined by counting annually formed layers in their teeth. This includes a time-consuming sequence of preparations, usually involving chemical treatment. This study tested a quicker and simpler method for age determination of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), originally developed for age determination of foxes and other terrestrial carnivores. The tooth was ground with fine-grained sandpaper, and the age lines were directly read using a binocular microscope. To evaluate the usability of the grinding method for harbour porpoises, three tests were used: (1) the number of growth layer groups (GLGs) in teeth from 66 harbour porpoises by the grinding method were compared by two readers; (2) GLGs in teeth from six harbour porpoises prepared by the grinding method and by the decalcification method were compared in a blinded set-up with two readers; and (3) the GLGs in teeth from two individuals with known ages prepared by both the grinding method and the decalcification method, respectively, were compared. A Bland–Altman plot showed high agreement between the determined age of individuals by the two different methods. The average age difference was -0.56 years, and the 95% confidence interval for the average difference was [-4.3, 3.2] years. The grinding method is therefore considered to be a valid alternative and quicker method for age determination of harbour porpoises.","PeriodicalId":8219,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Mammals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139621499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Tellechea, Sebastían Izquierdo, Patricia González, Agustín Carbonel, Sabrina Rodriguez, W. Norbis
Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has become a popular method for studying both marine mammal behavior and distribution, especially among cetaceans. The Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) occurs in the Southern Hemisphere, and our knowledge concerning its vocal behavior is very limited. Along the coast of Uruguay, minke whales constitute one of the species with the most stranding data collected. Until now, sounds of Antarctic minke whales had never been recorded off the Uruguayan coast. Two different bio-duck call types were recorded along the Atlantic Ocean and the Río de la Plata River coasts by employing PAM stations off the coast of Uruguay in five different positions. One call was recorded off the Atlantic coast, and the four other calls were recorded along the Río de la Plata River, including the classic bio-duck call. In addition to the aforementioned bio-duck call, evidence of a novel call, the bio-duck pulse train, was found. This call was produced in an environment very different from the oceanic environment. The bio-duck pulse train has never been described in previous works, making the findings of the present work all the more novel.
{"title":"Antarctic Minke Whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) Bio-Duck Call Detection in the Río de la Plata, Uruguay","authors":"J. Tellechea, Sebastían Izquierdo, Patricia González, Agustín Carbonel, Sabrina Rodriguez, W. Norbis","doi":"10.1578/am.50.1.2024.51","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1578/am.50.1.2024.51","url":null,"abstract":"Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has become a popular method for studying both marine mammal behavior and distribution, especially among cetaceans. The Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) occurs in the Southern Hemisphere, and our knowledge concerning its vocal behavior is very limited. Along the coast of Uruguay, minke whales constitute one of the species with the most stranding data collected. Until now, sounds of Antarctic minke whales had never been recorded off the Uruguayan coast. Two different bio-duck call types were recorded along the Atlantic Ocean and the Río de la Plata River coasts by employing PAM stations off the coast of Uruguay in five different positions. One call was recorded off the Atlantic coast, and the four other calls were recorded along the Río de la Plata River, including the classic bio-duck call. In addition to the aforementioned bio-duck call, evidence of a novel call, the bio-duck pulse train, was found. This call was produced in an environment very different from the oceanic environment. The bio-duck pulse train has never been described in previous works, making the findings of the present work all the more novel.","PeriodicalId":8219,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Mammals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139529263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Generally, a species is defined as an independent unit that is reproductively isolated from others. However, deviations from this definition are not uncommon. For example, cross-fertilization in pinnipeds has been reported among at least 10 species. Herein, we describe an unexpected hybridization that occurred between female gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) and male spotted seals (Phoca largha) in the presence of adult male gray seals in a mixed-species seal population under human care. To our knowledge, these are the first cases of gray and spotted seal hybrids ever reported. The three hybridized offspring had the appearance of a gray seal body and a spotted seal head. Microsatellite DNA markers were employed as genetic evidence to further support the hybridization events. Our study suggests a natural preference for interspecies hybridization between female gray seals and male spotted seals in human care. Following that, potential causes of cross-species hybridization, including female preference, male competition, and some other factors, are discussed.
{"title":"Hybrids Between Gray Seals (Halichoerus grypus) and Spotted Seals (Phoca largha): A Case of Xeno-Breeding Preference in Pinnipeds","authors":"Dongjiao Liu, Peijun Zhang, Yamian Wang, Zhichuang Lu, Wanxin Deng, Songhai Li","doi":"10.1578/am.49.6.2023.550","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1578/am.49.6.2023.550","url":null,"abstract":"Generally, a species is defined as an independent unit that is reproductively isolated from others. However, deviations from this definition are not uncommon. For example, cross-fertilization in pinnipeds has been reported among at least 10 species. Herein, we describe an unexpected hybridization that occurred between female gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) and male spotted seals (Phoca largha) in the presence of adult male gray seals in a mixed-species seal population under human care. To our knowledge, these are the first cases of gray and spotted seal hybrids ever reported. The three hybridized offspring had the appearance of a gray seal body and a spotted seal head. Microsatellite DNA markers were employed as genetic evidence to further support the hybridization events. Our study suggests a natural preference for interspecies hybridization between female gray seals and male spotted seals in human care. Following that, potential causes of cross-species hybridization, including female preference, male competition, and some other factors, are discussed.","PeriodicalId":8219,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Mammals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136227947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-15DOI: 10.1578/am.49.6.2023.495
Rachel Wachtendonk, Mari A. Smultea, Kolby Pedrie
Due to its remoteness, little is known about the occurrence and abundance of cetaceans and sea turtles in the pelagic mid-Atlantic Ocean. Data on cetacean and sea turtle occurrence and distribution were collected by dedicated biological observers to address U.S. monitoring and mitigation requirements associated with a vessel-based academic geophysical survey in international waters in the northwestern and mid-Atlantic Ocean from 14 June through 16 July 2018. A total of 6,949 km (503 h) of visual observations occurred while surveying north from Bermuda and ending in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. A total of 928 cetaceans representing at least 14 species and 15 sea turtles representing three species were observed. The most frequently observed cetacean species was the Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus) (340 individuals; 37%) followed by the short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) (286 individuals; 31%) and pilot whales (Globicephala spp.) (95 individuals; 10%). These sighting data also included an extralimital sighting of a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) calf at 43.44° N latitude and 36.85° W longitude, and extralimital sightings of Atlantic white-sided dolphins below 38° N latitude. Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) were seen most frequently (6 individuals). This study addresses a data gap in documented occurrence and lack of occurrence of cetaceans and sea turtles over a large pelagic area in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean during summer.
{"title":"Cetacean and Sea Turtle Observations in the Remote Mid-Atlantic (NW) Ocean","authors":"Rachel Wachtendonk, Mari A. Smultea, Kolby Pedrie","doi":"10.1578/am.49.6.2023.495","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1578/am.49.6.2023.495","url":null,"abstract":"Due to its remoteness, little is known about the occurrence and abundance of cetaceans and sea turtles in the pelagic mid-Atlantic Ocean. Data on cetacean and sea turtle occurrence and distribution were collected by dedicated biological observers to address U.S. monitoring and mitigation requirements associated with a vessel-based academic geophysical survey in international waters in the northwestern and mid-Atlantic Ocean from 14 June through 16 July 2018. A total of 6,949 km (503 h) of visual observations occurred while surveying north from Bermuda and ending in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. A total of 928 cetaceans representing at least 14 species and 15 sea turtles representing three species were observed. The most frequently observed cetacean species was the Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus) (340 individuals; 37%) followed by the short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) (286 individuals; 31%) and pilot whales (Globicephala spp.) (95 individuals; 10%). These sighting data also included an extralimital sighting of a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) calf at 43.44° N latitude and 36.85° W longitude, and extralimital sightings of Atlantic white-sided dolphins below 38° N latitude. Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) were seen most frequently (6 individuals). This study addresses a data gap in documented occurrence and lack of occurrence of cetaceans and sea turtles over a large pelagic area in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean during summer.","PeriodicalId":8219,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Mammals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136227951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-15DOI: 10.1578/am.49.6.2023.569
Rose Borkowski, Allison C. Perna, Nadia J. Gordon, Alvin C. Camus, John M. Gliatto, Connie Merigo, Lauren A. Polimeno
Trauma from stingray spines (caudal barbs) has been intermittently documented as a cause of mild to fatal illness in odontocetes, particularly bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), as well as in pinnipeds, sirenians, the loggerhead sea turtle, great white shark, and cobia. Although stingray spines have been noted to cause serious injury to various organ systems, their potential involvement in cetacean reproductive tract pathology has not been previously described. In North America, published descriptions of wild cetacean strandings associated with stingray spines have all involved bottlenose dolphins in the southeastern United States, plus a bottlenose dolphin and a common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) in Mexico. In 2018, uterine rupture was observed in a gravid bottlenose dolphin found deceased in Florida with stingray spine penetration into the abdominal cavity. Gross necropsy and histopathology findings were compatible with the stingray spine being involved with the rupture. To provide fuller insight into the case, a scientific literature review was conducted, and results of an unpublished 1998 necropsy involving a coastal female bottlenose dolphin that stranded in the northeastern state of Massachusetts with stingray spine presence was reviewed. Additionally, a query of the nationwide U.S. marine mammal stranding database was conducted for stingray spine-associated cetacean strandings from 1995 to 2019. Of 61 cetacean strandings revealed in the query to involve stingray spine presence, 59 were bottlenose dolphins from the southeastern U.S. states, plus Puerto Rico and Virginia; a bottlenose dolphin in southern California and a short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) were also noted. Query results did not support a bottlenose dolphin sex predilection for stingray spine-associated strandings; most such strandings involved adults. Behavioral, environmental, anthropogenic, and climatic events may influence marine mammal–stingray interactions. Continued vigilance for stingray spine-associated pathologic changes is warranted during marine mammal stranding investigations at diverse geographic sites.
{"title":"Notable Stingray Spine-Associated Strandings Involving Two Female Bottlenose Dolphins in Florida and Massachusetts, USA, in the Context of Literature and Database Reviews","authors":"Rose Borkowski, Allison C. Perna, Nadia J. Gordon, Alvin C. Camus, John M. Gliatto, Connie Merigo, Lauren A. Polimeno","doi":"10.1578/am.49.6.2023.569","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1578/am.49.6.2023.569","url":null,"abstract":"Trauma from stingray spines (caudal barbs) has been intermittently documented as a cause of mild to fatal illness in odontocetes, particularly bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), as well as in pinnipeds, sirenians, the loggerhead sea turtle, great white shark, and cobia. Although stingray spines have been noted to cause serious injury to various organ systems, their potential involvement in cetacean reproductive tract pathology has not been previously described. In North America, published descriptions of wild cetacean strandings associated with stingray spines have all involved bottlenose dolphins in the southeastern United States, plus a bottlenose dolphin and a common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) in Mexico. In 2018, uterine rupture was observed in a gravid bottlenose dolphin found deceased in Florida with stingray spine penetration into the abdominal cavity. Gross necropsy and histopathology findings were compatible with the stingray spine being involved with the rupture. To provide fuller insight into the case, a scientific literature review was conducted, and results of an unpublished 1998 necropsy involving a coastal female bottlenose dolphin that stranded in the northeastern state of Massachusetts with stingray spine presence was reviewed. Additionally, a query of the nationwide U.S. marine mammal stranding database was conducted for stingray spine-associated cetacean strandings from 1995 to 2019. Of 61 cetacean strandings revealed in the query to involve stingray spine presence, 59 were bottlenose dolphins from the southeastern U.S. states, plus Puerto Rico and Virginia; a bottlenose dolphin in southern California and a short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) were also noted. Query results did not support a bottlenose dolphin sex predilection for stingray spine-associated strandings; most such strandings involved adults. Behavioral, environmental, anthropogenic, and climatic events may influence marine mammal–stingray interactions. Continued vigilance for stingray spine-associated pathologic changes is warranted during marine mammal stranding investigations at diverse geographic sites.","PeriodicalId":8219,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Mammals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136227948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-15DOI: 10.1578/am.49.6.2023.519
Caroline Tribble, Agnieszka Monczak, Lindsey Transue, Alyssa Marian, Patricia Fair, Brian Balmer, Joseph Ballenger, Hannah Baker, Meghan Weinpress-Galipeau, Alayna Robertson, Allan Strand, Eric W. Montie
The Charleston Harbor in South Carolina (SC)is a major port that experiences high levels of vessel traffic. Historical analyses of coastal bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus, now Tursiops erebennus) sightings identified multiple core use areas in the harbor that overlap with these anthropogenic activities. Informed by these long-term spatial data, passive acoustic monitoring, visual surveys, and prey sampling were conducted from December 2017 to June 2019 to assess the relationships and multivariate interactions that may influence dolphin vocalization patterns. Vocalizations varied spatially and temporally, peaking in fall and winter months coinciding with decreases in water temperature and daylight hours, following patterns previously reported in other SC estuaries. Dolphin prey and total fish abundance decreased with water temperature, which may indicate that dolphins echolocate and whistle more frequently in the winter months when prey are scarce and sound-producing species are less soniferous. Dolphin sightings and vocalizations were highly correlated. Dolphin occurrence was highest in the areas surrounding the confluence of the Cooper and Wando Rivers, along the shipping channel, where vessel and sound-producing fish detections were greatest. When vessel noise occurred, dolphins increased their vocalizations, which suggests that this population may be modifying its acoustic repertoire in response to increased noise levels. Multivariate interactions indicate strong spatial and seasonal patterns in vocalization rates that may be associated with dolphin and prey abundance as well as noise-induced redundancy.
{"title":"Enhancing Interpretation of Cetacean Acoustic Monitoring: Investigating Factors that Influence Vocalization Patterns of Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins in an Urbanized Estuary, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, USA","authors":"Caroline Tribble, Agnieszka Monczak, Lindsey Transue, Alyssa Marian, Patricia Fair, Brian Balmer, Joseph Ballenger, Hannah Baker, Meghan Weinpress-Galipeau, Alayna Robertson, Allan Strand, Eric W. Montie","doi":"10.1578/am.49.6.2023.519","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1578/am.49.6.2023.519","url":null,"abstract":"The Charleston Harbor in South Carolina (SC)is a major port that experiences high levels of vessel traffic. Historical analyses of coastal bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus, now Tursiops erebennus) sightings identified multiple core use areas in the harbor that overlap with these anthropogenic activities. Informed by these long-term spatial data, passive acoustic monitoring, visual surveys, and prey sampling were conducted from December 2017 to June 2019 to assess the relationships and multivariate interactions that may influence dolphin vocalization patterns. Vocalizations varied spatially and temporally, peaking in fall and winter months coinciding with decreases in water temperature and daylight hours, following patterns previously reported in other SC estuaries. Dolphin prey and total fish abundance decreased with water temperature, which may indicate that dolphins echolocate and whistle more frequently in the winter months when prey are scarce and sound-producing species are less soniferous. Dolphin sightings and vocalizations were highly correlated. Dolphin occurrence was highest in the areas surrounding the confluence of the Cooper and Wando Rivers, along the shipping channel, where vessel and sound-producing fish detections were greatest. When vessel noise occurred, dolphins increased their vocalizations, which suggests that this population may be modifying its acoustic repertoire in response to increased noise levels. Multivariate interactions indicate strong spatial and seasonal patterns in vocalization rates that may be associated with dolphin and prey abundance as well as noise-induced redundancy.","PeriodicalId":8219,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Mammals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136227949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The southern river otter (Lontra provocax) and the marine otter (Lontra felina) are endangered species that inhabit Chile. In southern Chile, both species cohabit with the American mink (Neogale vison), an invasive exotic species. The Chilean aquaculture industry has grown exponentially since the late 1980s, with salmon farming taking place from central Chile to the Patagonian fjords and channels. This study assessed co-occurrence between otters, mink, and aquaculture in Patagonia by (1) distributing a survey among workers, fisheries personnel, and aquaculture inspectors concerning observations of otters and mink inside or around aquaculture facilities and outcomes; and (2) a geographical assessment of distribution overlap between known otter territory and salmon farming-registered facilities. We recorded the first anecdotal evidence of interaction, described as co-occurrence, among native otters, American mink, and salmon aquaculture in Patagonia, which varied among seasons and seems to be increasing. We also recorded evidence of difficulty in recognition of the three mustelids among respondents. There is a geographically extended interaction between otters and salmon farms in Chile. The evidence of interaction among alien American mink, native endangered otters, and aquaculture is an early alarm for human–wildlife conflict, and further studies are recommended to ensure native otter conservation.
{"title":"Co-Occurrence Between Salmon Farming, Alien American Mink (Neogale vison), and Endangered Otters in Patagonia","authors":"Gonzalo Medina-Vogel, Carlos Calvo-Mac, Nicole Delgado-Parada, Gabriela Molina-Maldonado, Stephanie Johnson-Padilla, Paulette Berland-Arias","doi":"10.1578/am.49.6.2023.561","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1578/am.49.6.2023.561","url":null,"abstract":"The southern river otter (Lontra provocax) and the marine otter (Lontra felina) are endangered species that inhabit Chile. In southern Chile, both species cohabit with the American mink (Neogale vison), an invasive exotic species. The Chilean aquaculture industry has grown exponentially since the late 1980s, with salmon farming taking place from central Chile to the Patagonian fjords and channels. This study assessed co-occurrence between otters, mink, and aquaculture in Patagonia by (1) distributing a survey among workers, fisheries personnel, and aquaculture inspectors concerning observations of otters and mink inside or around aquaculture facilities and outcomes; and (2) a geographical assessment of distribution overlap between known otter territory and salmon farming-registered facilities. We recorded the first anecdotal evidence of interaction, described as co-occurrence, among native otters, American mink, and salmon aquaculture in Patagonia, which varied among seasons and seems to be increasing. We also recorded evidence of difficulty in recognition of the three mustelids among respondents. There is a geographically extended interaction between otters and salmon farms in Chile. The evidence of interaction among alien American mink, native endangered otters, and aquaculture is an early alarm for human–wildlife conflict, and further studies are recommended to ensure native otter conservation.","PeriodicalId":8219,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Mammals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136227950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-15DOI: 10.1578/am.49.6.2023.585
Janet M. Lanyon, Helen L. Sneath, Kirsten M. Golding, Claire Madden
The dugong (Dugong dugon) is a fully marine mammal that grazes in nearshore seagrass meadows and whose health is vulnerable to human coastal activities. This study establishes urine baseline ranges for apparently healthy dugongs that can be used as health biomarkers. Voluntary urine samples (uncontaminated by seawater) were collected from 71 wild-caught dugongs in Moreton Bay, Australia, that were held out of water during an annual health assessment from 2008 to 2022. Urine was analysed for qualitative characteristics (colour, turbidity, odour), biochemistry through reactive urinalysis test strips, urine specific gravity (USG) by refractometer, electrolytes by flame photometry, sediment by microscopy, and bacterial culture. Urine of dugongs was typically pale yellow, clear to slightly cloudy, and mildly odorous. Urine was usually slightly alkaline (mean pH 8), and USG was low (mean 1.018). Urinalysis from dipstick indicated consistently negative readings for the presence of glucose, urobilinogen, bilirubin, ketones, and nitrites. Urinary protein was detected in 85% of sampled dugongs. Haemolysed red blood cells were recorded in > 85% of urine samples; microscopy indicated light haematuria (intact red blood cells) in 16% of samples. Seven percent of dugongs had detectable levels of leukocytes suggesting the possibility of mild urinary tract infection. Urinary sediment containing epithelial cells, keratinaceous debris, calcium carbonate crystalluria, and rare struvite crystals were typical. Light to moderate levels of bacteria were present in urine samples, with variable mixed growths, including Halomonas aquamarina, Pseudomonas stutzeri, Photobacterium damselae, Psychrobacter spp., and Staphylococcus aureus. Spermatozoa were present in the urine of 32% of the sexually mature males. Physical characteristics and chemistry of dugong urine showed some similarities to those of manatees and other herbivores. These baseline urinalysis data for healthy wild dugongs in a single population are valuable benchmarks against which dugongs of variable health status (including compromised dugongs) and from other localities may be compared.
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