Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted ascending) Filter |
|---|
| avian influenza a(h10n7) virus-associated mass deaths among harbor seals. | 2015 | 25811303 | |
| blood and hair mercury concentrations in the pacific harbor seal (phoca vitulina richardii) pup: associations with neurodevelopmental outcomes. | monomethylmercury (mehg(+)) is an environmental pollutant, which at sufficiently high exposures, has induced neurotoxicosis in several animal species, including humans. adverse neurological effects due to gestational exposure are of particular concern as mehg(+) readily crosses the blood-brain and placental barriers. the degree to which environmental concentrations in marine prey affect free-living piscivorous wildlife, however, remains largely undetermined. we examined associations of gestation ... | 2015 | 25814195 |
| dental and temporomandibular joint pathology of the eastern pacific harbour seal (phoca vitulina richardii). | skulls from 214 eastern pacific harbour seals (phoca vitulina richardii) were examined macroscopically according to predefined criteria. the museum specimens were acquired from strandings along the west coast of the usa between 1909 and 2014. ninety-eight skulls (45.8%) were from male animals, 108 (50.5%) from female animals and eight (3.7%) from animals of unknown sex. their age varied from neonate to adult, with 101 adult animals (47.2%), 93 juvenile animals (43.5%) and 20 neonatal animals (9. ... | 2015 | 25824118 |
| a single dose of an avian h3n8 influenza virus vaccine is highly immunogenic and efficacious against a recently emerged seal influenza virus in mice and ferrets. | h3n8 influenza viruses are a commonly found subtype in wild birds, usually causing mild or no disease in infected birds. however, they have crossed the species barrier and have been associated with outbreaks in dogs, pigs, donkeys, and seals and therefore pose a threat to humans. a live attenuated, cold-adapted (ca) h3n8 vaccine virus was generated by reverse genetics using the wild-type (wt) hemagglutinin (ha) and neuraminidase (na) genes from the a/blue-winged teal/texas/sg-00079/2007 (h3n8) ( ... | 2015 | 25903333 |
| amphibious hearing in ringed seals (pusa hispida): underwater audiograms, aerial audiograms and critical ratio measurements. | ringed seals (pusa hispida) are semi-aquatic marine mammals with a circumpolar arctic distribution. in this study, we investigate the amphibious hearing capabilities of ringed seals to provide auditory profiles for this species across the full range of hearing. using psychophysical methods with two trained ringed seals, detection thresholds for narrowband signals were measured under quiet, carefully controlled environmental conditions to generate aerial and underwater audiograms. masked underwat ... | 2015 | 25987727 |
| factors affecting haul-out behavior of harbor seals (phoca vitulina) in tidewater glacier inlets in alaska: can tourism vessels and seals coexist? | large numbers of harbor seals (phoca vitulina) use habitat in tidewater glaciers in alaska for pupping, breeding, and molting. glacial fjords are also popular tourist destinations; however, visitation by numerous vessels can result in disturbance of seals during critical life-history phases. we explored factors affecting haul-out behavior of harbor seals at a glacial site frequented by tourism vessels. in 2008-10, we deployed vhf transmitters on 107 seals in endicott arm, alaska. we remotely mon ... | 2015 | 26017404 |
| the intensity of horizontal and vertical search in a diving forager: the harbour seal. | free ranging foraging animals can vary their searching intensity in response to the profitability of the environment by modifying their movements. marine diving animals forage in a three dimensional space and searching intensity can be varied in both the horizontal and vertical planes. therefore understanding the relationship between the allocation of searching effort in these two spaces can provide a better understanding of searching strategies and a more robust identification of foraging behav ... | 2015 | 26019871 |
| prevalence of phocine distemper virus specific antibodies: bracing for the next seal epizootic in north-western europe. | in 1988 and 2002, two major phocine distemper virus (pdv) outbreaks occurred in harbour seals (phoca vitulina) in north-western european coastal waters, causing the death of tens of thousands seals. here we investigated whether pdv is still circulating among seals of the dutch coastal waters and whether seals have protective serum-antibodies against pdv. therefore seal serum samples, collected from 2002 to 2012, were tested for the presence of pdv-neutralizing antibodies. antibodies were detecte ... | 2013 | 26038436 |
| vibrissal sensitivity in a harbor seal (phoca vitulina). | prior efforts to characterize the capabilities of the vibrissal system in seals have yielded conflicting results. here, we measured the sensitivity of the vibrissal system of a harbor seal (phoca vitulina) to directly coupled sinusoidal stimuli delivered by a vibrating plate. a trained seal was tested in a psychophysical paradigm to determine the smallest velocity that was detectable at nine frequencies ranging from 10 to 1000 hz. the stimulus plate was driven by a vibration shaker and the veloc ... | 2015 | 26056243 |
| clinical and epidemiologic considerations of clostridium difficile in harbor seals (phoca vitulina) at a marine mammal rehabilitation center. | between 1998 and 2008, 15 cases of segmental to diffuse hemorrhagic to necrohemorrhagic enterocolitis were diagnosed in neonatal and weaned juvenile harbor seals (phoca vitulina) presented from the vancouver aquarium marine mammal rescue centre for rehabilitation. based on a combination of gross pathology, histopathology, bacterial isolation, and toxin testing, clostridium difficile enterocolitis was diagnosed. most pups were anorexic or inappetant and died acutely with few other premonitory sig ... | 2015 | 26056868 |
| diving related changes in the blood oxygen stores of rehabilitating harbor seal pups (phoca vitulina). | harbor seal (phoca vitulina) pups begin diving within hours of birth, stimulating the development of the blood oxygen (o2) stores necessary to sustain underwater aerobic metabolism. since harbor seals experience a brief nursing period, the early-life development of these blood o2 stores is necessary for successful post-weaning foraging. if mothers and pups become prematurely separated, the pup may be transported to a wildlife rehabilitation center for care. previous studies suggest that the shal ... | 2015 | 26061662 |
| options for modulating intra-specific competition in colonial pinnipeds: the case of harbour seals (phoca vitulina) in the wadden sea. | colonial pinnipeds may be subject to substantial consumptive competition because they are large, slow-moving central place foragers. we examined possible mechanisms for reducing this competition by examining the diving behaviour of harbour seals (phoca vitulina) after equipping 34 seals (11 females, 23 males) foraging from three locations; rømø, denmark and lorenzenplate and helgoland, germany, in the wadden sea area with time-depth recorders. analysis of 319,021 dives revealed little between-co ... | 2015 | 26082869 |
| endocrine and immunological responses to adrenocorticotrophic hormone (acth) administration in juvenile harbor seals (phoca vitulina) during winter and summer. | there is increasing interest in measuring endocrine and immune parameters in free-ranging seals and sea lions, but there is a lack of understanding in how an acute stress response, often associated with capture and handling, influences these parameters of interest. the main objective of this study was to assess the impact of a simulated stressor on both endocrine and immune parameters. during two seasons, exogenous adrenocorticotrophic hormone (acth) was administered to seven female juvenile har ... | 2015 | 26086360 |
| spatially estimating disturbance of harbor seals (phoca vitulina). | tidewater glacial fjords in alaska provide habitat for some of the largest aggregations of harbor seals (phoca vitulina), with calved ice serving as platforms for birthing and nursing pups, molting, and resting. these fjords have also been popular destinations for tour ships for more than a century, with dramatic increases in vessel traffic since the 1980s. seals on ice are known to flush into the water when approached by tour ships, but estimating the exposure to disturbance across populations ... | 2015 | 26132083 |
| in vitro exposure of harbor seal immune cells to aroclor 1260 alters phocine distemper virus replication. | in the last 30 years, several large-scale marine mammal mortality events have occurred, often in close association with highly polluted regions, leading to suspicions that contaminant-induced immunosuppression contributed to these epizootics. some of these recent events also identified morbillivirus as a cause of or contributor to death. the role of contaminant exposures regarding morbillivirus mortality is still unclear. the results of this study aimed to address the potential for a mixture of ... | 2016 | 26142119 |
| evaluating hair as a predictor of blood mercury: the influence of ontogenetic phase and life history in pinnipeds. | mercury (hg) biomonitoring of pinnipeds increasingly utilizes nonlethally collected tissues such as hair and blood. the relationship between total hg concentrations ([thg]) in these tissues is not well understood for marine mammals, but it can be important for interpretation of tissue concentrations with respect to ecotoxicology and biomonitoring. we examined [thg] in blood and hair in multiple age classes of four pinniped species. for each species, we used paired blood and hair samples to quant ... | 2016 | 26149950 |
| seasonal, oceanographic and atmospheric drivers of diving behaviour in a temperate seal species living in the high arctic. | the harbour seal (phoca vitulina) population in svalbard marks the northernmost limit of the species' range. this small population experiences environmental extremes in sea and air temperatures, sea ice cover and also in light regime for this normally temperate species. this study deployed conductivity temperature depth satellite relay data loggers (ctd-srdls) on 30 adult and juvenile harbour seals in 2009 and 2010 to study their foraging behaviour across multiple seasons. a total of 189,104 div ... | 2015 | 26196289 |
| trends in stranding and by-catch rates of gray and harbor seals along the northeastern coast of the united states: evidence of divergence in the abundance of two sympatric phocid species? | harbor seals and gray seals are sympatric phocid pinnipeds found in coastal waters of the temperate and sub-arctic north atlantic. in the northwest atlantic, both species were depleted through a combination of subsistence hunts and government supported bounties, and are now re-occupying substantial portions of their original ranges. while both species appear to have recovered during the past 2 decades, our understanding of their population dynamics in us waters is incomplete. here we describe tr ... | 2015 | 26200461 |
| essential and toxic elements in blood samples of harbor seals (phoca vitulina) from the islands helgoland (north sea) and anholt (baltic sea): a comparison study with urbanized areas. | the harbor seals (phoca vitulina) from helgoland (north sea) and anholt (kattegat, baltic sea) are top predators within the marine food web and an indicator species of the environmental contamination. furthermore, they are a main tourist attraction. despite these important roles, little is known about the health and pollutant contamination of these seals. the objective of this study was therefore to investigate 18 essential and nonessential/toxic elements (al, as, be, ca, cr, cu, fe, k, mn, mo, ... | 2016 | 26253942 |
| effects of methylmercury on harbour seal peripheral blood leucocytes in vitro studied by electron microscopy. | methylmercury (mehg) is highly immunotoxic and can alter the health status of the harbour seal, phoca vitulina, from the north sea. to investigate the mechanism of mehg-induced toxicity in harbour seal lymphocytes, concanavalin a (cona)-stimulated peripheral blood leucocytes were exposed in vitro to sublethal concentrations of mehgcl (0.2, 1, and 2 µm) for 72 h and then analysed for their viability and ultrastructure. after 72 h of incubation, cells were counted with a propidium iodide staining ... | 2016 | 26264045 |
| xenobiotic and immune-relevant molecular biomarkers in harbor seals as proxies for pollutant burden and effects. | harbor seals are exposed to increasing pressure caused by anthropogenic activities in their marine environment. persistent organic pollutants (pops) and trace elements are hazardous contaminants that accumulate in tissues of harbor seals. pops and trace elements can negatively affect the immune-system and have been reported, e.g., to increase susceptibility to viral infections in seals. biomarkers of the xenobiotic metabolism, cytokines, and heat-shock protein as cell mediators of the immune-sys ... | 2016 | 26296438 |
| discovery of a novel hepatovirus (phopivirus of seals) related to human hepatitis a virus. | describing the viral diversity of wildlife can provide interesting and useful insights into the natural history of established human pathogens. in this study, we describe a previously unknown picornavirus in harbor seals (tentatively named phopivirus) that is related to human hepatitis a virus (hav). we show that phopivirus shares several genetic and phenotypic characteristics with hav, including phylogenetic relatedness across the genome, a specific and seemingly quiescent tropism for hepatocyt ... | 2015 | 26307166 |
| a recombinant antigen-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) for lungworm detection in seals. | pinnipeds are frequently infected by the lungworms otostrongylus circumlitus and parafilaroides gymnurus (metastrongyloidea). infections are frequently associated with secondary bacterial bronchopneumonia and are often lethal. to date, a reliable lungworm diagnosis in individual seals is only possible during necropsy as examination of faeces collected from resting places does not allow assignment to individuals. therefore, a diagnostic tool for lungworm detection in living seals is desirable for ... | 2015 | 26329933 |
| thermal reference points as an index for monitoring body temperature in marine mammals. | monitoring body temperature is essential in veterinary care as minor variations may indicate dysfunction. rectal temperature is widely used as a proxy for body temperature, but measuring it requires special equipment, training or restraining, and it potentially stresses animals. infrared thermography is an alternative that reduces handling stress, is safer for technicians and works well for untrained animals. this study analysed thermal reference points in five marine mammal species: bottlenose ... | 2015 | 26338544 |
| surgical treatment of osteoarthritis in harbor seals (phoca vitulina). | in 2012, 543 harbor seals (phoca vitulina) and 124 grey seals (halichoerus grypus) were admitted to the seal rehabilitation and research centre in pieterburen, the netherlands. in 19 seals (3%), signs of infection in a hind flipper were observed. initial treatment consisting of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs resolved the symptoms in 15 animals. in four harbor seals, estimated to be 3 to 4 mo old, a necrotizing infection developed that resulted in osteoarthritis of the tarsus or tibiotar ... | 2015 | 26352960 |
| aphakic phacoemulsification and automated anterior vitrectomy, and postreturn monitoring of a rehabilitated harbor seal (phoca vitulina richardsi) pup. | a female harbor seal pup rescued along the coast of san diego on 13 june 2012 was diagnosed with bilateral mature cataracts, apparently congenital, in association with vitreal herniation in the anterior chamber of each eye. the cataracts were surgically removed on 1 august 2012 with single-port aphakic phacoemulsification and automated anterior vitrectomy. postoperative monitoring during the next several weeks indicated that vision had been functionally repaired and that she could visually orien ... | 2015 | 26352980 |
| phenomenal advanced age of pupping in a captive pacific harbor seal (phoca vitulina richardsi). | to better define the life history in the captive environment, we describe the reproductive history and advanced age of pupping of a female pacific harbor seal (phoca vitulina richardsi) at the henry vilas zoo (hvz) in madison, wisconsin. this female gave birth to a viable pup on may 16, 2012, at the age of 42 years and is the oldest documented birth reported for this species. this female also demonstrated high temporal fidelity to her previously described birth timing. the pup's sire was also 42 ... | 2015 | 26452165 |
| california sea lion (zalophus californianus) and harbor seal (phoca vitulina richardii) bites and contact abrasions in open-water swimmers: a series of 11 cases. | to review cases of bites and contact abrasions in open-water swimmers from california sea lions (zalophus californianus) and harbor seals (phoca vitulina richardii). | 2015 | 26507612 |
| high-frequency hearing in seals and sea lions. | existing evidence suggests that some pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses) can detect underwater sound at frequencies well above the traditional high-frequency hearing limits for their species. this phenomenon, however, is not well studied: sensitivity patterns at frequencies beyond traditional high-frequency limits are poorly resolved, and the nature of the auditory mechanism mediating hearing at these frequencies is unknown. in the first portion of this study, auditory sensitivity pattern ... | 2016 | 26519092 |
| conjoined fetal twins in a harbor seal (phoca vitulina). | in july 2013, a stranded harbor seal (phoca vitulina) died giving birth to conjoined fetuses. the twins were joined at the abdomen and thoracolumbar spine with the vertebral axis at 180°. the cause of this unique anomaly--a first for this species--was not identified. | 2016 | 26528575 |
| treatment of naturally acquired demodectic mange with amitraz in two harbour seals (phoca vitulina). | two male harbour seals (phoca vitulina; 33 and 35 years old, respectively), housed since 2002 at a zoo for exhibition purposes, developed severe, multifocal and diffuse skin lesions. skin scrapings and microscopy for parasites as well as pure cultures for bacteria and dermatophytes were carried out to identify the aetiological agent. skin scrapings showed that lesions appearing on the seals were caused by an infestation of demodex mites, which is uncommon in marine mammals, and were not due to o ... | 2015 | 26551425 |
| herpesviruses including novel gammaherpesviruses are widespread among phocid seal species in canada. | little is known about herpesviruses in canadian pinnipeds. we measured prevalence of antibodies to herpesviruses in the sera from canadian phocid seals by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. wild harbor seals (phoca vitulina) and captive harbor seals were positive for antibodies to phocid herpesvirus 1 (phohv-1) at prevalences of 91% and 100%, respectively. sera from wild hooded seals (cystophora cristata), harp seals (pagophilus groenlandica), and grey seals (halichoerus grypus) were ... | 2016 | 26555112 |
| genome sequence of streptococcus phocae subsp. phocae strain atcc 51973t isolated from a harbor seal (phoca vitulina). | streptococcus phocae subsp. phocae is a pathogen that affects different pinniped and mammalian species. this announcement reports the genome sequence of the type strain atcc 51973 isolated in norway from clinical specimens of harbor seal (phoca vitulina), revealing interesting genes related to possible virulence factors. | 2015 | 26586875 |
| quantitative dna metabarcoding: improved estimates of species proportional biomass using correction factors derived from control material. | dna metabarcoding is a powerful new tool allowing characterization of species assemblages using high-throughput amplicon sequencing. the utility of dna metabarcoding for quantifying relative species abundances is currently limited by both biological and technical biases which influence sequence read counts. we tested the idea of sequencing 50/50 mixtures of target species and a control species in order to generate relative correction factors (rcfs) that account for multiple sources of bias and a ... | 2016 | 26602877 |
| detection of complex sounds in quiet conditions by seals and sea lions. | to test how accurately baseline audiometric data predict detection of complex stimuli, absolute detection thresholds for frequency-modulated (fm), amplitude-modulated (am), and harmonic stimuli were obtained for one phoca vitulina (harbor seal) and one zalophus californianus (california sea lion) at frequencies spanning the functional range of hearing. these thresholds were then compared with a priori predictions based on the tonal audiograms of these subjects. predicted thresholds were accurate ... | 2016 | 26610958 |
| multiple-pulse sounds and seals: results of a harbor seal (phoca vitulina) telemetry study during wind farm construction. | offshore construction and survey techniques can produce pulsed sounds with a high sound pressure level. in coastal waters, the areas in which they are produced are often also used by seals, potentially resulting in auditory damage or behavioral avoidance. here, we describe a study on harbor seals during a wind farm installation off southeast england. the study used gps/global system for mobile communication tags on 23 harbor seals that provided distribution and activity data; the closest range o ... | 2016 | 26610987 |
| brain meta-transcriptomics from harbor seals to infer the role of the microbiome and virome in a stranding event. | marine diseases are becoming more frequent, and tools for identifying pathogens and disease reservoirs are needed to help prevent and mitigate epizootics. meta-transcriptomics provides insights into disease etiology by cataloguing and comparing sequences from suspected pathogens. this method is a powerful approach to simultaneously evaluate both the viral and bacterial communities, but few studies have applied this technique in marine systems. in 2009 seven harbor seals, phoca vitulina, stranded ... | 2015 | 26630132 |
| a comparative morphometric analysis of three cranial nerves in two phocids: the hooded seal (cystophora cristata) and the harbor seal (phoca vitulina). | while our knowledge about the senses of pinnipeds has increased over the last decades almost nothing is known about the organization of the neuroanatomical pathways. in a first approach to this field of research, we assessed the total number of myelinated axons of three cranial nerves (cns) in the harbor (phoca vitulina, pv) and hooded seal (cystophora cristata, cc). axons were counted in semithin sections of the nerves embedded in epon and stained with toluidine blue. in both species, the highe ... | 2016 | 26643122 |
| animal movement constraints improve resource selection inference in the presence of telemetry error. | multiple factors complicate the analysis of animal telemetry location data. recent advancements address issues such as temporal autocorrelation and telemetry measurement error, but additional challenges remain. difficulties introduced by complicated error structures or barriers to animal movement can weaken inference. we propose an approach for obtaining resource selection inference from animal location data that accounts for complicated error structures, movement constraints, and temporally aut ... | 2015 | 26649380 |
| seroprevalence of antibodies against seal influenza a(h10n7) virus in harbor seals and gray seals from the netherlands. | in the spring and summer 2014, an outbreak of seal influenza a(h10n7) virus infection occurred among harbor seals (phoca vitulina) off the coasts of sweden and denmark. this virus subsequently spread to harbor seals off the coasts of germany and the netherlands. while thousands of seals were reported dead in sweden, denmark and germany, only a limited number of seals were found dead in the netherlands. to determine the extent of exposure of seals in the netherlands to influenza a/h10n7 virus, we ... | 2015 | 26658347 |
| correction: brain meta-transcriptomics from harbor seals to infer the role of the microbiome and virome in a stranding event. | [this corrects the article doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143944.]. | 2015 | 26713443 |
| phocine distemper virus (pdv) seroprevalence as predictor for future outbreaks in harbour seals. | phocine distemper virus (pdv) infections caused the two most pronounced mass mortalities in marine mammals documented in the past century. during the two outbreaks, 23,000 and 30,000 harbour seals (phoca vitulina), died in 1988/1989 and 2002 across populations in the wadden sea and adjacent waters, respectively. to follow the mechanism and development of disease spreading, the dynamics of morbillivirus-specific antibodies in harbour seal populations in german and danish waters were examined. 522 ... | 2016 | 26790934 |
| spatiotemporal analysis of the genetic diversity of seal influenza a(h10n7) virus, northwestern europe. | influenza a viruses are major pathogens for humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, and these viruses occasionally cross the species barrier. in spring 2014, increased mortality of harbor seals (phoca vitulina), associated with infection with an influenza a(h10n7) virus, was reported in sweden and denmark. within a few months, this virus spread to seals of the coastal waters of germany and the netherlands, causing the death of thousands of animals. genetic analysis of the hemagglutinin (ha) and ... | 2016 | 26819311 |
| the ancestral carnivore karyotype as substantiated by comparative chromosome painting of three pinnipeds, the walrus, the steller sea lion and the baikal seal (pinnipedia, carnivora). | karyotype evolution in carnivora is thoroughly studied by classical and molecular cytogenetics and supplemented by reconstructions of ancestral carnivora karyotype (ack). however chromosome painting information from two pinniped families (odobenidae and otariidae) is noticeably missing. we report on the construction of the comparative chromosome map for species from each of the three pinniped families: the walrus (odobenus rosmarus, odobenidae-monotypic family), near threatened steller sea lion ... | 2016 | 26821159 |
| structural characterisation of toll-like receptor 1 (tlr1) and toll-like receptor 6 (tlr6) in elephant and harbor seals. | pinnipeds are a diverse clade of semi-aquatic mammals, which act as key indicators of ecosystem health. their transition from land to marine environments provides a complex microbial milieu, making them vulnerable to both aquatic and terrestrial pathogens, thereby contributing to pinniped population decline. indeed, viral pathogens such as influenza a virus and phocine distemper virus (pdv) have been identified as the cause of several of these mass mortality events. furthermore, bacterial infect ... | 2016 | 26827833 |
| new england harbor seal h3n8 influenza virus retains avian-like receptor specificity. | an influenza h3n8 virus, carrying mammalian adaptation mutations, was isolated from new england harbor seals in 2011. we sought to assess the risk of its human transmissibility using two complementary approaches. first, we tested the binding of recombinant hemagglutinin (ha) proteins of seal h3n8 and human-adapted h3n2 viruses to respiratory tissues of humans and ferrets. for human tissues, we observed strong tendency of the seal h3 to bind to lung alveoli, which was in direct contrast to the hu ... | 2016 | 26888262 |
| seasonal variation in harbour seal (phoca vitulina) blubber cortisol - a novel indicator of physiological state? | cortisol is one of the main glucocorticoid hormones involved in both the mammalian stress response, and in fat metabolism and energy regulation, making it of increasing interest as a biomarker for stress, health and overall physiological state. however, transient stress responses to animal handling and sampling may be important sources of measurement artefact when investigating circulating concentrations of this hormone in wildlife. here, cortisol concentrations were measured in the plasma and, ... | 2016 | 26906193 |
| first isolation of schizophyllum commune in a harbor seal (phoca vitulina). | to date, schizophyllum commune infection has been identified in only humans and dogs. a 7-year-old female harbor seal (phoca vitulina) died after exhibiting corneal opacity, anorexia, and labored respiration. at necropsy, phthisis of the left eyeball was detected, and multiple nodular lesions were observed in the thoracic and abdominal regions, especially in the lung, heart, and lymph nodes. histopathologically, numerous hyphae were seen in granulomatous lesions in the eyes, lung, heart, and lym ... | 2016 | 26933208 |
| marine mammal brucella reference strains are attenuated in a balb/c mouse model. | brucellosis is a zoonosis of worldwide distribution with numerous animal host species. since the novel isolation of brucella spp. from marine mammals in 1994 the bacteria have been isolated from various marine mammal hosts. the marine mammal reference strains brucella pinnipedialis 12890 (harbour seal, phoca vitulina) and brucella ceti 12891 (harbour porpoise, phocoena phocoena) were included in genus brucella in 2007, however, their pathogenicity in the mouse model is pending. herein this is ev ... | 2016 | 26959235 |
| lungworm seroprevalence in free-ranging harbour seals and molecular characterisation of marine mammal msp. | harbour seals (phoca vitulina) are frequently infected with the lungworms otostrongylus circumlitus and parafilaroides gymnurus. the infection is often accompanied by secondary bacterial infections and can cause severe bronchopneumonia and even death in affected animals. hitherto, the detection of lungworm infections was based on post mortem investigations from animals collected within stranding networks and a valid detection method for live free-ranging harbour seals was not available. recently ... | 2016 | 26977405 |
| seals and sea lions are what they eat, plus what? determination of trophic discrimination factors for seven pinniped species. | mixing models are a common method for quantifying the contribution of prey sources to the diet of an individual using stable isotope analysis; however, these models rely upon a known trophic discrimination factor (hereafter, tdf) that results from fractionation between prey and animal tissues. quantifying tdfs in captive animals is ideal, because diet is controlled and the proportional contributions and isotopic values of all prey items are known. | 2016 | 27060839 |
| meals on wheels? a decade of megafaunal visual and acoustic observations from offshore oil & gas rigs and platforms in the north and irish seas. | a decade of visual and acoustic detections of marine megafauna around offshore oil & gas (o&g) installations in the north and irish seas are presented. marine megafauna activity was monitored visually and acoustically by joint nature conservation committee (jncc) qualified and experienced marine mammal observers (mmo) and passive acoustic monitoring (pam) operators respectively, with real-time towed pam in combination with industry standard software, pamguard. monitoring was performed during rou ... | 2016 | 27078153 |
| detection and characterization of diverse coccidian protozoa shed by california sea lions. | tissue-cyst forming coccidia in the family sarcocystidae are etiologic agents of protozoal encephalitis in marine mammals including the federally listed southern sea otter (enhydra lutris). california sea lions (zalophus californianus), whose coastal habitat overlaps with sea otters, are definitive hosts for coccidian protozoa provisionally named coccidia a, b and c. while coccidia a and b have unknown clinical effects on aquatic wildlife hosts, coccidia c is associated with severe protozoal dis ... | 2016 | 27141438 |
| seasonal variation of harbor seal's diet from the wadden sea in relation to prey availability. | the wadden sea has an important role for marine mammals in terms of resting, nursing and foraging. harbor seal is the most abundant marine mammal species in this area. the use of the food resources of the wadden sea by seals is not clear, and previous studies showed that this species can travel kilometers away from their haul-outs to forage in the north sea. in this study, we analyzed the stable isotopes of vibrissae from 23 dead harbor seals found on the island of sylt to investigate their diet ... | 2016 | 27176227 |
| absence of selenium protection against methylmercury toxicity in harbour seal leucocytes in vitro. | previous studies described high concentrations of mercury (hg) and selenium (se) in the blood of harbour seals, phoca vitulina from the north sea. in the present study, we evaluated the in vitro potential protective effects of sodium selenite (na2seo3) and selenomethionine (semet) on cell proliferation of harbour seal lymphocytes exposed to mehgcl 0.75μm. in vitro exposure of cona-stimulated t lymphocytes resulted in severe inhibition of dna synthesis, likely linked to severe loss of mitochondri ... | 2016 | 27197766 |
| cryptococcus gattii type vgiia infection in harbor seals ( phoca vitulina ) in british columbia, canada. | cryptococcosis has been reported in marine mammals in the northeastern pacific with increasing frequency in the last 15 yr. although a variety of cetaceans have been diagnosed with cryptococcosis, cryptococcus gattii has not been reported in pinnipeds. we document c. gattii vgiia in a harbor seal ( phoca vitulina ) pup and in an unrelated adult. both animals were presented to vancouver aquarium's marine mammal rescue centre (vammrc) with generalized weakness, dehydration, respiratory compromise, ... | 2016 | 27243332 |
| rod-cone based color vision in seals under photopic conditions. | marine mammals have lost the ability to express s-cone opsin, and possess only one type of m/l-cone in addition to numerous rods. as they are cone monochromats they should be color blind. however, early behavioral experiments with fur seals and sea lions indicated discrimination ability between many shades of grey and blue or green. on the other hand, most recent training experiments with harbor seals under "mesopic" conditions demonstrated rod based color blindness (scholtyssek et al., 2015). i ... | 2016 | 27245870 |
| influenza a (h10n7) virus causes respiratory tract disease in harbor seals and ferrets. | avian influenza viruses sporadically cross the species barrier to mammals, including humans, in which they may cause epidemic disease. recently such an epidemic occurred due to the emergence of avian influenza virus of the subtype h10n7 (seal/h10n7) in harbor seals (phoca vitulina). this epidemic caused high mortality in seals along the north-west coast of europe and represented a potential risk for human health. to characterize the spectrum of lesions and to identify the target cells and viral ... | 2016 | 27448168 |
| wisepair: a computer program for individual matching in genetic tracking studies. | individual-based data sets tracking organisms over space and time are fundamental to answering broad questions in ecology and evolution. a 'permanent' genetic tag circumvents a need to invasively mark or tag animals, especially if there are little phenotypic differences among individuals. however, genetic tracking of individuals does not come without its limits; correctly matching genotypes and error rates associated with laboratory work can make it difficult to parse out matched individuals. in ... | 2017 | 27488501 |
| harbour seals (phoca vitulina) are able to time precisely. | time along with space is one of the two fundamental dimensions of life. whereas spatial aspects have been considered in experiments with marine mammals, research has so far not focused on timing per se although it is most likely involved in many behaviours such as foraging or navigation. this study investigated whether harbour seals possess a sense of time and how precisely they are able to discriminate time intervals. experiments took place in a chamber that allowed keeping ambient illumination ... | 2016 | 27496205 |
| development of an artificial sensor for hydrodynamic detection inspired by a seal's whisker array. | nature has shaped effective biological sensory systems to receive complex stimuli generated by organisms moving through water. similar abilities have not yet been fully developed in artificial systems for underwater detection and monitoring, but such technology would enable valuable applications for military, commercial, and scientific use. we set out to design a fluid motion sensor array inspired by the searching performance of seals, which use their whiskers to find and follow underwater wakes ... | 2016 | 27580063 |
| development of an animal-borne blood sample collection device and its deployment for the determination of cardiovascular and stress hormones in phocid seals. | an animal-borne blood sampler with data-logging functions was developed for phocid seals, which collected two blood samples for the comparison of endocrinological/biochemical parameters under two different conditions. the sampler can be triggered by preset hydrostatic pressure, acceleration (descending or ascending), temperature, and time, and also manually by light. the sampling was reliable with 39/50 (78%) successful attempts to collect blood samples. contamination of fluids in the tubing to ... | 2016 | 27581813 |
| quantitative classification of harbor seal breeding calls in georgia strait, canada. | during breeding season, male harbor seals (phoca vitulina) produce underwater calls used in sexual competition and advertisement. call characteristics vary among populations, and within-population differences are thought to represent individual variation. however, vocalizations have not been described for several populations of this widely-distributed and genetically diverse species. this study describes the vocal repertoire of harbor seals from british columbia, canada. underwater recordings we ... | 2016 | 27586756 |
| infectious disease and toxicological monitoring of stranded pacific harbor seals (phoca vitulina richardsi) in cook inlet as surrogates for monitoring endangered belugas (delphinapterus leucas). | pacific harbor seals ( phoca vitulina richardsi) and belugas ( delphinapterus leucas ) eat many of the same prey species, occupy the same geographic area, and demonstrate site fidelity in cook inlet, alaska. although most direct research involving the critically endangered belugas is currently prohibited, studying harbor seals may provide important information about this beluga population. in recent years, harbor seal populations in alaska have declined for unknown reasons. as part of its strand ... | 2016 | 27691941 |
| comparative genome analysis of two streptococcus phocae subspecies provides novel insights into pathogenicity. | streptococcus phocae is a beta-hemolytic, gram-positive bacterium that was first isolated in norway from clinical specimens of harbor seal (phoca vitulina) affected by pneumonia or respiratory infection, and in 2005, this bacterium was identified from disease outbreaks at an atlantic salmon farm. a recent comparative polyphasic study reclassified streptococcus phocae as subsp. phocae and subsp. salmonis, and there are currently two s. phocae ncbi sequencing projects for the type strains atcc 519 ... | 2017 | 27720398 |
| comparative analysis of the fecal bacterial community of five harbor seals (phoca vitulina). | the gut microbiota has many beneficial effects on host metabolism and health, and its composition is determined by numerous factors. it is also assumed that there was a co-evolution of mammals and the bacteria inhabiting their gut. current knowledge of the mammalian gut microbiota mainly derives from studies on humans and terrestrial animals, whereas those on marine mammals are sparse. however, they could provide additional information on influencing factors, such as the role of diet and co-evol ... | 2016 | 27734626 |
| aerial low-frequency hearing in captive and free-ranging harbour seals (phoca vitulina) measured using auditory brainstem responses. | the hearing sensitivity of 18 free-ranging and 10 captive harbour seals (phoca vitulina) to aerial sounds was measured in the presence of typical environmental noise through auditory brainstem response measurements. a focus was put on the comparative hearing sensitivity at low frequencies. low- and mid-frequency thresholds appeared to be elevated in both captive and free-ranging seals, but this is likely due to masking effects and limitations of the methodology used. the data also showed individ ... | 2016 | 27796483 |
| quantification and analysis of icebergs in a tidewater glacier fjord using an object-based approach. | tidewater glaciers are glaciers that terminate in, and calve icebergs into, the ocean. in addition to the influence that tidewater glaciers have on physical and chemical oceanography, floating icebergs serve as habitat for marine animals such as harbor seals (phoca vitulina richardii). the availability and spatial distribution of glacier ice in the fjords is likely a key environmental variable that influences the abundance and distribution of selected marine mammals; however, the amount of ice a ... | 2016 | 27828967 |
| avoidance of wind farms by harbour seals is limited to pile driving activities. | as part of global efforts to reduce dependence on carbon-based energy sources there has been a rapid increase in the installation of renewable energy devices. the installation and operation of these devices can result in conflicts with wildlife. in the marine environment, mammals may avoid wind farms that are under construction or operating. such avoidance may lead to more time spent travelling or displacement from key habitats. a paucity of data on at-sea movements of marine mammals around wind ... | 2016 | 27867217 |
| dynamic habitat corridors for marine predators; intensive use of a coastal channel by harbour seals is modulated by tidal currents. | previous studies have found that predators utilise habitat corridors to ambush prey moving through them. in the marine environment, coastal channels effectively act as habitat corridors for prey movements, and sightings of predators in such areas suggest that they may target these for foraging. unlike terrestrial systems where the underlying habitat structure is generally static, corridors in marine systems are in episodic flux due to water movements created by tidal processes. although these hy ... | 2016 | 27881896 |
| usefulness of serum cardiac troponin i concentration as a marker of survival of harbor seal (phoca vitulina) pups during rehabilitation. | objective to measure serum cardiac troponin i (ctni) concentrations in orphaned harbor seal (phoca vitulina) pups at various points during rehabilitation in a seal rescue center and determine whether ctni concentration was associated with survival during rehabilitation and duration of rehabilitation. design serial cross-sectional study. animals fifty-five 2- to 9-day-old harbor seal pups. procedures blood samples for serum ctni concentration measurement, cbc, and serum biochemical analysis were ... | 2016 | 27901450 |
| leveraging constraints and biotelemetry data to pinpoint repetitively used spatial features. | satellite telemetry devices collect valuable information concerning the sites visited by animals, including the location of central places like dens, nests, rookeries, or haul-outs. existing methods for estimating the location of central places from telemetry data require user-specified thresholds and ignore common nuances like measurement error. we present a fully model-based approach for locating central places from telemetry data that accounts for multiple sources of uncertainty and uses all ... | 2017 | 27935016 |
| a comparison of blood nitric oxide metabolites and hemoglobin functional properties among diving mammals. | the ability of marine mammals to hunt prey at depth is known to rely on enhanced oxygen stores and on selective distribution of blood flow, but the molecular mechanisms regulating blood flow and oxygen transport remain unresolved. to investigate the molecular mechanisms that may be important in regulating blood flow, we measured concentration of nitrite and s-nitrosothiols (sno), two metabolites of the vasodilator nitric oxide (no), in the blood of 5 species of marine mammals differing in their ... | 2017 | 27993597 |
| saxitoxin increases phocine distemper virus replication upon in-vitro infection in harbor seal immune cells. | several marine mammal epizootics have been closely linked to infectious diseases, as well as to the biotoxins produced by harmful algal blooms (habs). in two of three saxitoxin (stx) associated mortality events, dolphin morbillivirus (dmv) or phocine distemper virus (pdv) was isolated in affected individuals. while stx is notorious for its neurotoxicity, immunotoxic effects have also been described. this study investigated the role of stx in altering immune function, specifically t lymphocyte pr ... | 2016 | 28003064 |
| brain transcriptomes of harbor seals demonstrate gene expression patterns of animals undergoing a metabolic disease and a viral infection. | diseases of marine mammals can be difficult to diagnose because of their life history and protected status. stranded marine mammals have been a particularly useful resource to discover and comprehend the diseases that plague these top predators. additionally, advancements in high-throughput sequencing (hts) has contributed to the discovery of novel pathogens in marine mammals. in this study, we use a combination of hts and stranded harbor seals (phoca vitulina) to better understand a known and u ... | 2016 | 28028481 |
| underwater sound localization of pure tones in the median plane by harbor seals (phoca vitulina). | in an underwater environment the physical characteristics of sound propagation differ considerably from those in air. for this reason, sound localization underwater is associated with difficulties, especially in the median plane. it was the approach of the present study to investigate whether harbor seals (phoca vitulina) are able to determine the direction of a tonal signal form above or below in the underwater environment. minimum audible angles (maas) or the angular range in which the animals ... | 2016 | 28040008 |
| prevalence of algal toxins in alaskan marine mammals foraging in a changing arctic and subarctic environment. | current climate trends resulting in rapid declines in sea ice and increasing water temperatures are likely to expand the northern geographic range and duration of favorable conditions for harmful algal blooms (habs), making algal toxins a growing concern in alaskan marine food webs. two of the most common hab toxins along the west coast of north america are the neurotoxins domoic acid (da) and saxitoxin (stx). over the last 20 years, da toxicosis has caused significant illness and mortality in m ... | 2016 | 28073526 |
| antidog igg secondary antibody successfully detects igg in a variety of aquatic mammals. | serological tests play an important role in the detection of wildlife diseases. however, while there are many commercial assays and reagents available for domestic species, there is a need to develop efficient serological assays for wildlife. in recent years, marine mammals have represented a wildlife group with emerging infectious diseases, such as influenza, brucellosis, and leptospirosis. however, with the exception of disease-agent-specific assays or functional assays, few reports describe t ... | 2016 | 28080908 |
| individual-based energetic model suggests bottom up mechanisms for the impact of coastal hypoxia on pacific harbor seal (phoca vitulina richardii) foraging behavior. | wind-driven coastal hypoxia represents an environmental stressor that has the potential to drive redistribution of gilled marine organisms, and thereby indirectly affect the foraging characteristics of air-breathing upper trophic-level predators. we used a conceptual individual-based model to simulate effects of coastal hypoxia on the spatial foraging behavior and efficiency of a marine mammal, the pacific harbor seal (phoca vitulina richardii) on the oregon coast. habitat compression of fish wa ... | 2017 | 28082128 |
| hydrodynamic detection and localization of artificial flatfish breathing currents by harbour seals (phoca vitulina). | harbour seals are known to be opportunistic feeders, whose diet consists mainly of pelagic and benthic fish, such as flatfish. as flatfish are often cryptic and do not produce noise, we hypothesized that harbour seals are able to detect and localize flatfish using their hydrodynamic sensory system (vibrissae), as fish emit water currents through their gill openings (breathing currents). to test this hypothesis, we created an experimental platform where an artificial breathing current was emitted ... | 2017 | 28100802 |
| saccadic movement strategy in common cuttlefish (sepia officinalis). | most moving animals segregate their locomotion trajectories in short burst like rotations and prolonged translations, to enhance distance information from optic flow, as only translational, but not rotational optic flow holds distance information. underwater, optic flow is a valuable source of information as it is in the terrestrial habitat, however, so far, it has gained only little attention. to extend the knowledge on underwater optic flow perception and use, we filmed the movement pattern of ... | 2016 | 28105017 |
| from sediment to top predators: broad exposure of polyhalogenated carbazoles in san francisco bay (u.s.a.). | the present study provides the first comprehensive investigation of polyhalogenated carbazoles (phczs) contamination in an aquatic ecosystem. phczs have been found in soil and aquatic sediment from several different regions, but knowledge of their bioaccumulation and trophodynamics is extremely scarce. this work investigated a suite of 11 phcz congeners in san francisco bay (united states) sediment and organisms, including bivalves (n = 6 composites), sport fish (n = 12 composites), harbor seal ... | 2017 | 28112952 |
| bacterial microbiota in harbor seals (phoca vitulina) from the north sea of schleswig-holstein, germany, around the time of morbillivirus and influenza epidemics. | we present microbiologic findings in harbor seal (phoca; phoca vitulina ) carcasses collected from the north sea of schleswig-holstein, germany, 1996-2014, and interpret results in relation to potential variations caused by phocine distemper virus and influenza a virus mass mortalities. we conducted microbiologic investigations on 2,124 tissue samples from lung, liver, kidney, spleen, intestine, and mesenteric lymph nodes from 549 dead harbor seals of the german north sea. a large variety of bac ... | 2017 | 28139956 |
| saccadic movement strategy in a semiaquatic species - the harbour seal (phoca vitulina). | moving animals can estimate the distance of visual objects from image shift on their retina (optic flow) created during translational, but not rotational movements. to facilitate this distance estimation, many terrestrial and flying animals perform saccadic movements, thereby temporally separating translational and rotational movements, keeping rotation times short. in this study, we analysed whether a semiaquatic mammal, the harbour seal, also adopts a saccadic movement strategy. we recorded th ... | 2017 | 28167803 |
| dolphin morbillivirus in a cuvier's beaked whale (ziphius cavirostris), italy. | dolphin morbillivirus (dmv) has caused several mortality events in mediterranean striped (stenella coeruleoalba) and bottlenose (tursiops truncatus) dolphins populations since 19; in the last 5 years, the virus was reported to infect new hosts in this basin, such as fin whales (balaenoptera physalus), sperm whales (physeter macrocephalus), and even a harbor seal (phoca vitulina). very recently, a calf cuvier's beaked whale (ziphius cavirostris) calf stranded on the southern italian coastline wit ... | 2017 | 28197145 |
| immunotoxic effects of single and combined pharmaceuticals exposure on a harbor seal (phoca vitulina) b lymphoma cell line. | the potential risk of pharmaceuticals in the environment to top-predators is still largely unknown. in this study, we assessed the immunotoxic effects of ten pharmaceuticals individually and as mixtures on a harbor seal (phoca vitulina) b lymphoma cell line. a significant reduction in lymphocyte transformation was observed following an exposure to 12,500μg/l 17α-ethinyl estradiol and 25,000μg/l naproxen. exposure to 12,500μg/l 17α-ethinyl estradiol decreased the percentage of cell in the g0/g1 p ... | 2017 | 28262249 |
| serologic evidence of brucella infection in pinnipeds along the coast of hokkaido, the northernmost main island of japan. | brucella infection in hokkaido was serologically surveyed in four species of pinnipeds inhabiting cape erimo during 2008-2013 and the shiretoko peninsula in 1999, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using brucella abortus and b. canis as antigens. anti-brucella positive sera showed higher absorbance to b. abortus than b. canis in almost all samples. anti-b. abortus antibodies were detected in serum samples from 24% (n=55) of western pacific harbor seals (phoca vitulina stejnegeri) in cape erimo ... | 2017 | 28262966 |
| identification of a novel host-specific igg protease in streptococcus phocae subsp. phocae. | streptococcus (s.) phocae subsp. phocae causes bronchopneumonia and septicemia in a variety of marine mammals. especially in harbor seals infected with phocine distemper virus it plays an important role as an opportunistic pathogen. this study was initiated by the detection of igg cleavage products in western blot analysis after incubation of bacterial supernatant with harbor seal serum. hence, the objectives of this study were the identification and characterization of a secreted igg cleaving p ... | 2017 | 28284621 |
| dirofilaria immitis in pinnipeds and a new host record. | dirofilaria immitis is a mosquito-borne pathogen that is spreading worldwide, and the associated infection (i.e. dirofilariosis) is becoming a threat to animals and humans living in endemic areas. little is known about the occurrence and risk of infection of d. immitis in pinnipeds. here we report dirofilariosis by d. immitis in several pinniped species kept in captivity in portugal. | 2017 | 28288690 |
| isotopic tracking of foraging and long-distance migration in northeastern pacific pinnipeds. | we investigated the impact of foraging location (nearshore vs offshore) and foraging latitude (high vs middle) on the carbon (δ(13)c) and nitrogen (δ(15)n) isotope compositions of bone collagen of northern fur seals (callorhinus ursinus), harbor seals (phoca vitulina), california sea lions (zalophus californianus), and northern elephant seals (mirounga angustirostris). nearshore-foraging harbor seals from california had δ(13)c values 2.0‰ higher than female northern elephant seals foraging offsh ... | 1999 | 28307717 |
| surreptitious sympatry: exploring the ecological and genetic separation of two sibling species. | climate change is having profound impacts on animal populations, and shifts in geographic range are predicted in response. shifts that result in range overlap between previously allopatric congeneric species may have consequences for biodiversity through interspecific competition, hybridization, and genetic introgression. harbor seals (phoca vitulina) and spotted seals (phoca largha) are parapatric sibling species and areas of co-occurrence at the edges of their range, such as bristol bay, alask ... | 2017 | 28331583 |
| temporal and spatial variation in harbor seal (phoca vitulina l.) roar calls from southern scandinavia. | male harbor seals gather around breeding sites for competitive mating displays. here, they produce underwater vocalizations possibly to attract females and/or scare off other males. these calls offer prospects for passive acoustic monitoring. acoustic monitoring requires a good understanding of natural variation in calling behavior both temporally and among geographically separate sites. such variation in call structure and calling patterns were studied in harbor seal vocalizations recorded at t ... | 2017 | 28372059 |
| classification of underwater vocalizations of wild spotted seals (phoca largha) in liaodong bay, china. | underwater vocalizations were recorded and classified from wild spotted seals (phoca largha) in liaodong bay, china. the spotted seals exhibited an extensive underwater vocal repertoire but with limited complexity. four major call types, representing 77.8% of all calls recorded, were identified using multivariate analyses of ten acoustic parameters; knock, growl, drum, and sweep. the calls were relatively brief (12-270 ms, mean of -10 db duration) pulsating sounds of low-frequency (peak frequenc ... | 2017 | 28372138 |
| source levels and call parameters of harbor seal breeding vocalizations near a terrestrial haulout site in glacier bay national park and preserve. | source levels of harbor seal breeding vocalizations were estimated using a three-element planar hydrophone array near the beardslee islands in glacier bay national park and preserve, alaska. the average source level for these calls was 144 dbrms re 1 μpa at 1 m in the 40-500 hz frequency band. source level estimates ranged from 129 to 149 dbrms re 1 μpa. four call parameters, including minimum frequency, peak frequency, total duration, and pulse duration, were also measured. these measurements i ... | 2017 | 28372144 |
| udp-glucuronosyltransferase (ugt) 2b subfamily interspecies differences in carnivores. | udp-glucuronosyltransferases (ugts) are among the most important xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes that conjugate a wide range of chemicals. previous studies showed that felidae and pinnipedia species have very low ugt activities toward some phenolic compounds because of the ugt1a6 pseudogene and small numbers of ugt1a isozymes. in addition to the ugt1as, ugt2bs isozymes also conjugate various endogenous (e.g., estrogens, androgens, and bile acids) and exogenous compounds (opioids, nsaids, and env ... | 2017 | 28453659 |
| per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (pfass) in san francisco bay wildlife: temporal trends, exposure pathways, and notable presence of precursor compounds. | concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate (pfos) in san francisco bay (sf bay) wildlife have historically been among the highest reported globally. to track continuing exposures to pfass and assess the impact of the 2002 phase-out of production of pfos and related chemicals in the us, nine perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (pfcas; c4-c12), three perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (pfsas; c4, c6, c8) and perfluorooctane sulfonamide (pfosa, a pfos precursor) were measured in sf bay cormorant eggs in 20 ... | 2017 | 28477851 |
| polychlorinated biphenyl-related alterations of the expression of essential genes in harbour seals (phoca vitulina) from coastal sites in canada and the united states. | as long-lived marine mammals found throughout the temperate coastal waters of the north pacific and atlantic oceans, harbour seals (phoca vitulina) have become an invaluable sentinel of food-web contamination. their relatively high trophic position predisposes harbour seals to the accumulation of harmful levels of persistent organic pollutants (pops). we obtained skin/blubber biopsy samples from live-captured young harbour seals from various sites in the northeastern pacific (british columbia, c ... | 2017 | 28528409 |
| intraperitoneal implantation of life-long telemetry transmitters in three rehabilitated harbor seal pups. | pinnipeds, including many phocid species of concern, are inaccessible and difficult to monitor for extended periods using conventional, externally attached telemetry devices that are shed during the annual molt. archival satellite transmitters were implanted intraperitoneally into three stranded pacific harbor seal pups (phoca vitulina richardii) that completed rehabilitation, to evaluate the viability of this surgical technique for the deployment of life long telemetry devices in phocids. the l ... | 2017 | 28545460 |
| first longitudinal study of seal-feeding killer whales (orcinus orca) in norwegian coastal waters. | killer whales (orcinus orca) have been documented preying on either fish or marine mammals in several regions, suggesting that this odontocete species has the ability to specialize on different types of prey. off norway, killer whales have been shown to rely on the atlantic herring (clupea harengus) as a main prey resource. infrequent observations have revealed seals as an additional component of their diet, yet the extent of predation on marine mammals has remained largely unknown. here, we pre ... | 2017 | 28666015 |
| hydrodynamic sensory threshold in harbour seals (phoca vitulina) for artificial flatfish breathing currents. | harbour seals have the ability to detect benthic fish such as flatfish using the water currents these fish emit through their gills (breathing currents). we investigated the sensory threshold in harbour seals for this specific hydrodynamic stimulus under conditions which are realistic for seals hunting in the wild. we used an experimental platform where an artificial breathing current was emitted through one of eight different nozzles. two seals were trained to search for the active nozzle. each ... | 2017 | 28679792 |