Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year(sorted ascending) Filter | PMID Filter |
|---|
| chronic fuel oil toxicity in american mink (mustela vison): systemic and hematological effects of ingestion of a low-concentration of bunker c fuel oil. | petroleum oil enters the coastal marine environment through various sources; marine mammals such as sea otters that inhabit this environment may be exposed to low concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons through ingestion of contaminated prey. the inability to perform controlled studies in free-ranging animals hinders investigations of the effects of chronic petroleum oil exposure on sea otter morbidity and mortality, necessitating the development of a reliable laboratory model. we examined the ... | 2004 | 15476867 |
| immunophenotypic and functional effects of bunker c fuel oil on the immune system of american mink (mustela vison). | the relationship between exposure to environmental contaminants and immunotoxicity in vulnerable marine species is unknown. in this study, we used american mink (mustela vision) as a surrogate species for the sea otter to examine the immunotoxic effects of chronic exposure to a low concentration of bunker c fuel oil (500 ppm admixed in the feed for 113-118 days). the mink immune system was monitored over time by flow cytometric analysis for alterations in the immunophenotype of blood lymphocytes ... | 2004 | 15350748 |
| profiles of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners, organochlorine pesticides, and butyltins in southern sea otters and their prey. | concentrations of organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyl (pcb) congeners, and butyltins were measured in sea otters and selected prey species (invertebrates) collected from the california (usa) coast. polychlorinated biphenyls, ddts (sum of p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene [p,p'-dde], p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane [p,p'-ddd], and p,p'-ddt), and butyltins were the major contaminants found in sea otters and their prey. lipid-normalized concentrations of pcbs and ddt in sea ... | 2004 | 14768866 |
| the development of methods for immunophenotypic and lymphocyte function analyzes for assessment of southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis) health. | the southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis) is listed as threatened under the endangered species act. the population began a pattern of slow decline in 1995. the decline was attributed to high adult mortality rates with infectious disease being the major cause of death. multiple pathogens were implicated in these deaths including opportunistic pathogens such as coccidiodes immitis and toxoplasma sp. these findings suggested that the immunological health of mature animals in this population mi ... | 2005 | 15661326 |
| evidence to support horses as natural intermediate hosts for sarcocystis neurona. | opossums (didelphis spp.) are the definitive host for the protozoan parasite sarcocystis neurona, the causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (epm). opossums shed sporocysts in feces that can be ingested by true intermediate hosts (cats, raccoons, skunks, armadillos and sea otters). horses acquire the parasite by ingestion of feed or water contaminated by opossum feces. however, horses have been classified as aberrant intermediate hosts because the terminal asexual sarcocyst stage ... | 2005 | 15970386 |
| comparison of helicobacter spp. genetic sequences in wild and captive seals, and gulls. | helicobacter species are widely distributed in the gastrointestinal system of humans and many animal taxa. investigations of natural infections are essential to elucidating their role within the host. the feces of fur seals arctocephalus pusillus doriferus and sea lions neophoca cinerea from 3 separate captive populations, as well as a wild colony from kangaroo island, australia, were examined for the occurrence of helicobacter spp. the feces from several wild silver gulls larus novahollandiae w ... | 2005 | 16060262 |
| transmission of toxoplasma: clues from the study of sea otters as sentinels of toxoplasma gondii flow into the marine environment. | toxoplasma gondii affects a wide variety of hosts including threatened southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) which serve as sentinels for the detection of the parasite's transmission into marine ecosystems. toxoplasmosis is a major cause of mortality and contributor to the slow rate of population recovery for southern sea otters in california. an updated seroprevalence analysis showed that 52% of 305 freshly dead, beachcast sea otters and 38% of 257 live sea otters sampled along the califo ... | 2005 | 16157341 |
| biology and epidemiology of toxoplasma gondii in man and animals. | toxoplasma gondii is a coccidian parasite which utilizes felids as definitive hosts, and which has an unusually wide intermediate host range. the parasite was initially described by nicolle and manceaux in 1908 from the rodent, ctenodactylus gundi. infection with t. gondii is one of the most common parasitic infections of man and other warm-blooded animals. it has been found worldwide from alaska to australia. nearly one-third of humanity has been exposed to this parasite; serologic surveys indi ... | 2005 | 16164008 |
| neurohistochemical biomarkers of the marine neurotoxicant, domoic acid. | domoic acid and its potent excitotoxic analogues glutamic acid and kainic acid, are synthesized by marine algae such as seaweed and phytoplankton. during an algal bloom, domoic acid may enter the food web through its consumption by a variety of marine organisms held in high regard as seafoods by both animals and humans. these seafoods include clams, mussels, oysters, anchovies, sardines, crabs, and scallops, among others. animals, such as pelicans, cormorants, loons, grebes, sea otters, dolphins ... | 2005 | 16203121 |
| helicobacter spp. from captive bottlenose dolphins (tursiops spp.) and polar bears (ursus maritimus). | the gastric fluid of six bottlenose dolphins and the faeces of four polar bears from the same oceanarium were examined for the presence of helicobacter. as detected by pcr, all dolphins and 8/12 samples collected from polar bears were positive for helicobacter. novel sequence types were identified in samples collected from these animals of which several were unique to either the dolphins or the polar bears. at least one sequence type was, however, detected in both animal taxa. in addition, a seq ... | 2005 | 16266854 |
| molecular phylogenetics and diagnosis of anisakis, pseudoterranova, and contracaecum from northern pacific marine mammals. | individual specimens of anisakis, pseudoterranova, and contracaecum collected from marine mammals inhabiting northern pacific waters were used for comparative diagnostic and molecular phylogenetic analyses. forty-eight new sequences were obtained for this study of 14 anisakis taxa, 8 pseudoterranova taxa, 4 contracaecum taxa, and 4 outgroup species. partial 28s (lsu) and complete internal transcribed spacer (its-1, 5.8s, its-2) ribosomal dna was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and seq ... | 2005 | 16539026 |
| evaluation of cardiac lesions and risk factors associated with myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy in southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis). | to describe cardiac lesions and identify risk factors associated with myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy (dcm) in beach-cast southern sea otters. | 2005 | 15757130 |
| vertical distribution and probability of encountering intertidal exxon valdez oil on shorelines of three embayments within prince william sound, alaska. | we examined 32 shorelines selected at random in 2003 from shorelines in herring bay, lower pass, and bay of isles in prince william sound, alaska, to examine the vertical distribution of oil remaining from the 1989 exxon valdez oil spill and to estimate the probability that sea otters and ducks would encounter oil while foraging there. on each shoreline, sampling was stratified by 1-m tide height intervals and randomly located 0.25 m2 sampling quadrats were examined for evidence of surface and s ... | 2006 | 16830533 |
| ecological significance of residual exposures and effects from the exxon valdez oil spill. | an ecological significance framework is used to assess the ecological condition of prince william sound (pws), alaska, usa, in order to address the current management question: 17 y following the exxon valdez oil spill (evos), are there any remaining and continuing ecologically significant exposures or effects on the pws ecosystem caused by evos? we examined the extensive scientific literature funded by the exxon valdez trustees or by exxonmobil to assess exposures and effects from evos. criteri ... | 2006 | 16869437 |
| modelling the extinction of steller's sea cow. | steller's sea cow, a giant sirenian discovered in 1741 and extinct by 1768, is one of the few megafaunal mammal species to have died out during the historical period. the species is traditionally considered to have been exterminated by 'blitzkrieg'-style direct overharvesting for food, but it has also been proposed that its extinction resulted from a sea urchin population explosion triggered by extirpation of local sea otter populations that eliminated the shallow-water kelps on which sea cows f ... | 2006 | 17148336 |
| clinical sarcocystis neurona, sarcocystis canis, toxoplasma gondii, and neospora caninum infections in dogs. | sarcocystis neurona, sarcocystis canis, toxoplasma gondii, and neospora caninum are related apicomplexans that can cause systemic illness in many species of animals, including dogs. we investigated one breeder's 25 basset hounds for these infections. in addition, tissues from dogs and other non-canine hosts previously reported as s. canis infections were studied retrospectively. schizonts resembling those of s. neurona, and recognized by polyclonal rabbit anti-s. neurona antibodies, were found i ... | 2006 | 16458431 |
| a genetically diverse but distinct north american population of sarcocystis neurona includes an overrepresented clone described by 12 microsatellite alleles. | the population genetics and systematics of most coccidians remain poorly defined despite their impact on human and veterinary health. non-recombinant parasite clones characterized by distinct transmission and pathogenesis traits persist in the coccidian toxoplasma gondii despite opportunities for sexual recombination. in order to determine whether this may be generally true for tissue-cyst forming coccidia, and to address evolutionary and taxonomic problems within the genus sarcocystis, we chara ... | 2006 | 16488197 |
| incorporating diverse data and realistic complexity into demographic estimation procedures for sea otters. | reliable information on historical and current population dynamics is central to understanding patterns of growth and decline in animal populations. we developed a maximum likelihood-based analysis to estimate spatial and temporal trends in age/sex-specific survival rates for the threatened southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis), using annual population censuses and the age structure of salvaged carcass collections. we evaluated a wide range of possible spatial and temporal effects and used ... | 2006 | 17205905 |
| patterns of growth and body condition in sea otters from the aleutian archipelago before and after the recent population decline. | 1. growth models for body mass and length were fitted to data collected from 1842 sea otters enhydra lutris shot or live-captured throughout south-west alaska between 1967 and 2004. growth curves were constructed for each of two main year groups: 1967-71 when the population was at or near carrying capacity and 1992-97 when the population was in steep decline. analyses of data collected from animals caught during 2004, when the population density was very low, were precluded by a small sample siz ... | 2006 | 17009761 |
| expressed mhc class ii genes in sea otters (enhydra lutris) from geographically disparate populations. | the major histocompatibility complex (mhc) is central to maintaining the immunologic vigor of individuals and populations. classical mhc class ii genes were targeted for partial sequencing in sea otters (enhydra lutris) from populations in california, washington, and alaska. sequences derived from sea otter peripheral blood leukocyte mrnas were similar to those classified as dqa, dqb, dra, and drb in other species. comparisons of the derived amino acid compositions supported the classification o ... | 2006 | 16671948 |
| indirect food web interactions: sea otters and kelp forest fishes in the aleutian archipelago. | although trophic cascades-the effect of apex predators on progressively lower trophic level species through top-down forcing-have been demonstrated in diverse ecosystems, the broader potential influences of trophic cascades on other species and ecosystem processes are not well studied. we used the overexploitation, recovery and subsequent collapse of sea otter (enhydra lutris) populations in the aleutian archipelago to explore if and how the abundance and diet of kelp forest fishes are influence ... | 2006 | 16193296 |
| [adaptive changes in the cardiac automatism of the sea otter enhydra lutris]. | electrographic investigations in sea otters reveal acute decrease in the heart rate (to 1/2--1/8 of the normal rate) during diving. the longer the dive, the more intense the bradycardia. each partial exhalation under water causes further decrease in the heart rate. the duration of cardiac cycles (r--r) increases mainly at the expense of the prolongation of diastole (t--p). variations in the heart rate during submersion result from the increased vagal tone. atropine injections abolish diving brad ... | 2006 | 574346 |
| what's killing the sea otters. | 2006 | 17040048 | |
| association between perfluorinated compounds and pathological conditions in southern sea otters. | concentrations of four perfluorinated contaminants, including perfluorooctanesulfonate (pfos) and perfluorooctanoic acid (pfoa), were measured in liver tissue from 80 adult female sea otters collected from the california coast during 1992-2002. concentrations of pfos and pfoa were in the ranges of <1-884 and <5-147 ng/g, wet wt, respectively. concentrations of pfoa in the livers of these sea otters were among the highest values reported for marine mammals to date. liver tissue from 6 male sea ot ... | 2006 | 16955890 |
| comparison of trace element concentrations in livers of diseased, emaciated and non-diseased southern sea otters from the california coast. | infectious diseases have been implicated as a cause of high rates of adult mortality in southern sea otters. exposure to environmental contaminants can compromise the immuno-competence of animals, predisposing them to infectious diseases. in addition to organic pollutants, certain trace elements can modulate the immune system in marine mammals. nevertheless, reports of occurrence of trace elements, including toxic heavy metals, in sea otters are not available. in this study, concentrations of 20 ... | 2006 | 16846630 |
| bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from buried shoreline oil residues thirteen years after the exxon valdez oil spill: a multispecies assessment. | seven taxa of intertidal plants and animals were sampled at 17 shoreline sites in prince william sound ([pws]; ak, usa), that were heavily oiled in 1989 by the exxon valdez oil spill (evos) to determine if polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pah) from buried oil in intertidal sediments are sufficiently bioavailable to intertidal prey organisms that they might pose a health risk to populations of birds and wildlife that forage on the shore. buried residues of evos oil are present in upper and middl ... | 2006 | 16629134 |
| visual pigments of marine carnivores: pinnipeds, polar bear, and sea otter. | rod and cone visual pigments of 11 marine carnivores were evaluated. rod, middle/long-wavelength sensitive (m/l) cone, and short-wavelength sensitive (s) cone opsin (if present) sequences were obtained from retinal mrna. spectral sensitivity was inferred through evaluation of known spectral tuning residues. the rod pigments of all but one of the pinnipeds were similar to those of the sea otter, polar bear, and most other terrestrial carnivores with spectral peak sensitivities (lambda(max)) of 49 ... | 2006 | 16572322 |
| anatomical adaptations of aquatic mammals. | this special issue of the anatomical record explores many of the anatomical adaptations exhibited by aquatic mammals that enable life in the water. anatomical observations on a range of fossil and living marine and freshwater mammals are presented, including sirenians (manatees and dugongs), cetaceans (both baleen whales and toothed whales, including dolphins and porpoises), pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses), the sea otter, and the pygmy hippopotamus. a range of anatomical systems are c ... | 2007 | 17516440 |
| adaptive features of aquatic mammals' eye. | the eye of aquatic mammals demonstrates several adaptations to both underwater and aerial vision. this study offers a review of eye anatomy in four groups of aquatic animals: cetaceans (toothed and baleen whales), pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses), sirenians (manatees and dugongs), and sea otters. eye anatomy and optics, retinal laminar morphology, and topography of ganglion cell distribution are discussed with particular reference to aquatic specializations for underwater versus aerial ... | 2007 | 17516421 |
| relating dispersal and range expansion of california sea otters. | linking dispersal and range expansion of invasive species has long challenged theoretical and quantitative ecologists. subtle differences in dispersal can yield large differences in geographic spread, with speeds ranging from constant to rapidly increasing. we developed a stage-structured integrodifference equation (ide) model of the california sea otter range expansion that occurred between 1914 and 1986. the non-spatial model, a linear matrix population model, was coupled to a suite of candida ... | 2007 | 17400266 |
| potential for sea otter exposure to remnants of buried oil from the exxon valdez oil spill. | a study was conducted in 2005 and 2006 to examine the hypothesis that sea otters (enhydra lutris) continue to be exposed to residues of subsurface oil (sso) while foraging on shorelines in the northern knight island (nki) area of prince william sound, alaska more than 17 years after the exxon valdez oil spill. forty-three shoreline segments, whose oiling history has been documented by prior surveys, were surveyed. these included all shoreline segments reported by a 2003 noaa random site survey t ... | 2007 | 17969707 |
| immunomodulatory effects of organochlorine mixtures upon in vitro exposure of peripheral blood leukocytes differ between free-ranging and captive southern sea otters (enhydra lutris). | organochlorines (ocs), notably polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (tcdd), are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. contaminant-induced immunosuppression by ocs has been implicated as a co-factor in the deaths of thousands of marine mammals in infectious disease epizootics over the last two decades, and limited studies support the hypothesis that pcbs are immunomodulatory. this study represented a unique opportunity to assess the potential differences in su ... | 2007 | 17629573 |
| a comparative analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated biphenyls in southern sea otters that died of infectious diseases and noninfectious causes. | southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) from the california coast continue to exhibit a slower population regrowth rate than the population in alaska. infectious diseases have been identified as a frequent cause of death. infectious diseases caused by varied pathogens including bacteria, fungi, and parasites were suggestive of compromised immunological health of mature animals in this population. to test the hypothesis that elevated exposure to immunotoxic contaminants such as polybrominated ... | 2007 | 17587145 |
| diving and foraging energetics of the smallest marine mammal, the sea otter (enhydra lutris). | as the smallest and one of the most recently evolved marine mammals, sea otters face physiological challenges rarely encountered by larger, more derived aquatic species. to examine the effect of these challenges on foraging costs and resultant daily energy budgets, we measured the energetics of resting, grooming, diving and foraging for adult, male sea otters. the energy expended for these different behaviors as determined from open flow respirometry was then standardized across activity budgets ... | 2007 | 17515421 |
| sink or swim? bone density as a mechanism for buoyancy control in early cetaceans. | previous analyses have shown that secondarily aquatic tetrapods, including whales, exhibit osteological adaptations to life in water as part of their complex buoyancy control systems. these structural specializations of bone span hyperostosis through osteoporosis. the past 15 years of paleontological effort has provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the osteological transformation of whales as they make their transition to an obligate aquatic lifestyle over a 10-million-year period. it ... | 2007 | 17516430 |
| protozoal meningoencephalitis in sea otters (enhydra lutris): a histopathological and immunohistochemical study of naturally occurring cases. | protozoal meningoencephalitis is considered to be an important cause of mortality in the california sea otter (enhydra lutris). thirty nine of 344 (11.3%) california (ca) and washington state (wa) sea otters examined from 1985 to 2004 had histopathological evidence of significant protozoal meningoencephalitis. the aetiological agents and histopathological changes associated with these protozoal infections are described. the morphology of the actively multiplicative life stages of the organisms ( ... | 2007 | 17692867 |
| serial depletion of marine invertebrates leads to the decline of a strongly interacting grazer. | we investigated the relative roles of natural factors and shoreline harvest leading to recent declines of the black leather chiton (katharina tunicata) on the outer kenai peninsula, alaska (u.s.a.). this intertidal mollusk is a strongly interacting grazer and a culturally important subsistence fishery for sugpiaq (chugach alutiiq) natives. we took multiple approaches to determine causes of decline. field surveys examined the significant predictors of katharina density and biomass across 11 sites ... | 2007 | 17913138 |
| evaluation of two toxoplasma gondii serologic tests used in a serosurvey of domestic cats in california. | we evaluated the sensitivity (se) and specificity (sp) of an igg enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) and igg indirect fluorescent antibody test (ifat) for detection of toxoplasma gondii-specific antibodies in sera from 2 cat populations using a bayesian approach. accounting for test covariance, the se and sp of the igg elisa were estimated to be 92.6% and 96.5%, and those of the igg ifat were 81.0% and 93.8%, respectively. both tests performed poorly in cats experimentally coinfected with ... | 2007 | 17918359 |
| sea otters in a dirty ocean. | the connection between the health of humans, animals, and the environments in which they live have been well recognized and have recently been referred to as one health, one medicine. an example of the interconnectedness of human, animal, and ecosystem health is provided by the situation facing southern sea otters off the us pacific coast. | 2007 | 18052796 |
| experimental infection of peromyscus californicus with toxoplasma gondii. | eight female peromyscus californicus were infected with 10(2) or 10(4) toxoplasma gondii culture-derived tachyzoites (type ii or x) isolated from southern sea otters. all but 2 mice survived infection and developed antibodies to t. gondii. the 2 fatally infected mice were inoculated with 10(4) tachyzoites of the type x strain. parasite detection by immunohistochemistry (ihc) and dna amplification with 2 polymerase chain reaction (pcr) methods was compared for brain, heart, lung, liver, spleen, b ... | 2007 | 18314680 |
| type x toxoplasma gondii in a wild mussel and terrestrial carnivores from coastal california: new linkages between terrestrial mammals, runoff and toxoplasmosis of sea otters. | sea otters in california are commonly infected with toxoplasma gondii. a unique type x strain is responsible for 72% of otter infections, but its prevalence in terrestrial animals and marine invertebrates inhabiting the same area was unknown. between 2000 and 2005, 45 terrestrial carnivores (lions, bobcats, domestic cats and foxes) and 1396 invertebrates (mussels, clams and worms) were screened for t. gondii using pcr and dna sequencing to determine the phylogeographic distribution of t. gondii ... | 2008 | 18452923 |
| snsag5 is an alternative surface antigen of sarcocystis neurona strains that is mutually exclusive to snsag1. | sarcocystis neurona is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (epm). previous work has identified a gene family of paralogous surface antigens in s. neurona called snsags. these surface proteins are immunogenic in their host animals, and are therefore candidate molecules for development of diagnostics and vaccines. however, snsag diversity exists in strains of s. neurona, including the absence of the major surface antigen gene snsag1. instead, sequence ... | 2008 | 18829171 |
| genetic diversity among sea otter isolates of toxoplasma gondii. | sea otters (enhydra lutris) have been reported to become infected with toxoplasma gondii and at times succumb to clinical disease. here, we determined genotypes of 39 t. gondii isolates from 37 sea otters in two geographically distant locations (25 from california and 12 from washington). six genotypes were identified using 10 pcr-rflp genetic markers including sag1, sag2, sag3, btub, gra6, c22-8, c29-2, l358, pk1, and apico, and by dna sequencing of loci sag1 and gra6 in 13 isolates. of these 3 ... | 2008 | 18155841 |
| modest genetic differentiation among north american populations of sarcocystis neurona may reflect expansion in its geographic range. | sarcocystis neurona is an important cause of neurological disease in horses (equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, epm) and sea otters in the united states. in addition, epm-like disease has been diagnosed in several other land and marine mammals. opossums are its only definitive hosts. little genetic diversity among isolates of s. neurona from different hosts has been reported. here, we used 11 microsatellites to characterize s. neurona dna isolated from natural infections in 22 sea otters (enhyd ... | 2008 | 18243561 |
| atypical toxoplasma gondii strain from a free-living jaguar (panthera onca) in french guiana. | like domestic cats, wild felids are involved in the complete infective cycle of toxoplasma gondii because they can host in their gastrointestinal tract sexually mature parasites and shed infective oocysts in their feces. we report, to our knowledge, the first isolation and molecular characterization of a t. gondii strain from the heart tissue of a free-living jaguar (panthera onca) in french guiana. sequencing at six polymorphic markers indicated that the jaguar isolate had an atypical genotype, ... | 2008 | 18256411 |
| transplacental toxoplasmosis in a wild southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis). | in september 2004, a neonatal sea otter pup was found alive on the beach in northern monterey bay, ca. efforts to locate the mother were unsuccessful. due to a poor prognosis for successful rehabilitation, the pup was euthanized. postmortem examination revealed emaciation, systemic lymphadenopathy and a malformation of the left cerebral temporal lobe. on histopathology, free tachyzoites and tissue cysts compatible with toxoplasma gondii were observed in the brain, heart, thymus, liver, lymph nod ... | 2008 | 18304737 |
| strains of sarcocystis neurona exhibit differences in their surface antigens, including the absence of the major surface antigen snsag1. | a gene family of surface antigens is expressed by merozoites of sarcocystis neurona, the primary cause of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (epm). these surface proteins, designated snsags, are immunodominant and therefore excellent candidates for development of epm diagnostics or vaccines. prior work had identified an epm isolate lacking the major surface antigen snsag1, thus suggesting there may be some diversity in the snsags expressed by different s. neurona isolates. therefore, a bioinform ... | 2008 | 17980881 |
| revisiting the classics: considering nonconsumptive effects in textbook examples of predator-prey interactions. | predator effects on prey dynamics are conventionally studied by measuring changes in prey abundance attributed to consumption by predators. we revisit four classic examples of predator-prey systems often cited in textbooks and incorporate subsequent studies of nonconsumptive effects of predators (nce), defined as changes in prey traits (e.g., behavior, growth, development) measured on an ecological time scale. our review revealed that nce were integral to explaining lynx-hare population dynamics ... | 2008 | 18831163 |
| the history of toxoplasma gondii--the first 100 years. | in this paper the history of toxoplasma gondii and toxoplasmosis is reviewed. this protozoan parasite was first discovered in 1908 and named a year later. its medical importance remained unknown until 1939 when t. gondii was identified in tissues of a congenitally infected infant, and veterinary importance became known when it was found to cause abortion storms in sheep in 1957. the discovery of a t. gondii specific antibody test, sabin-feldman dye test in 1948 led to the recognition that t. gon ... | 2008 | 19120791 |
| chronic oral exposure to bunker c fuel oil causes adrenal insufficiency in ranch mink (mustela vison). | animals living in the near-shore marine environment are predisposed to contact with chemical contaminants through land- and ocean-based activities. the release of petroleum hydrocarbons into the marine environment is a stressor to this environment and its resident wildlife. the stress response to chemical threats is dependent on an intact hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which also may be a target to the effects of these chemicals. ranch mink (mustela vison) were used as surrogates for sea o ... | 2008 | 17763884 |
| bald eagles and sea otters in the aleutian archipelago: indirect effects of trophic cascades. | because sea otters (enhydra lutris) exert a wide array of direct and indirect effects on coastal marine ecosystems throughout their geographic range, we investigated the potential influence of sea otters on the ecology of bald eagles (haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the aleutian islands, alaska, usa. we studied the diets, productivity, and density of breeding bald eagles on four islands during 1993-1994 and 2000-2002, when sea otters were abundant and scarce, respectively. bald eagles depend on nea ... | 2008 | 18959310 |
| using demography and movement behavior to predict range expansion of the southern sea otter. | in addition to forecasting population growth, basic demographic data combined with movement data provide a means for predicting rates of range expansion. quantitative models of range expansion have rarely been applied to large vertebrates, although such tools could be useful for restoration and management of many threatened but recovering populations. using the southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis) as a case study, we utilized integro-difference equations in combination with a stage-structu ... | 2008 | 18839772 |
| gene sequences for cytochromes p450 1a1 and 1a2: the need for biomarker development in sea otters (enhydra lutris). | there has been recent public concern regarding the impacts of environmental pollution on populations of otters. population level impacts have been seen with otter (lutra lutra) populations in europe due to polychlorinated biphenyls, and with some segments of the prince william sound, ak, sea otter (enhydra lutris) population following the exxon valdez oil spill. despite public interest in these animals and their ecological significance, there are few tools that allow for the study of otter's res ... | 2008 | 18761099 |
| contamination status and accumulation profiles of organotins in sea otters (enhydra lutris) found dead along the coasts of california, washington, alaska (usa), and kamchatka (russia). | organotin compounds (ots) including mono- to tri-butyltins, -phenyltins, and -octyltins were determined in the liver of adult sea otters (enhydra lutris) found dead along the coasts of california, washington, and alaska in the usa and kamchatka, russia. total concentrations of ots in sea otters from california ranged from 34 to 4100ng/g on a wet weight basis. the order of concentrations of ots in sea otters was total butyltins>total octyltins> or = total phenyltins. elevated concentrations of bu ... | 2008 | 18304586 |
| chlorinated, brominated, and perfluorinated compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace elements in livers of sea otters from california, washington, and alaska (usa), and kamchatka (russia). | concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (ddts, hchs, and chlordanes), polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (pbdes), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs), perfluorinated compounds (pfcs), and 20 trace elements were determined in livers of 3- to 5-year old stranded sea otters collected from the coastal waters of california, washington, and alaska (usa) and from kamchatka (russia). concentrations of organochlorine pesticides, pcbs, and pbdes were high in sea otter ... | 2008 | 18385877 |
| food limitation leads to behavioral diversification and dietary specialization in sea otters. | dietary diversity often varies inversely with prey resource abundance. this pattern, although typically measured at the population level, is usually assumed to also characterize the behavior of individual animals within the population. however, the pattern might also be produced by changes in the degree of variation among individuals. here we report on dietary and associated behavioral changes that occurred with the experimental translocation of sea otters from a food-poor to a food-rich environ ... | 2008 | 18195370 |
| polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs) in livers of california sea otters. | concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs) were measured in livers of 81 adult female sea otters collected along the california coast in 1992-2002. concentrations of summation operatorpahs in livers of sea otters were in the range of 588-17400ng/g lipid wt (mean: 3880ng/g, lipid wt). on a wet weight basis, the concentrations ranged from 17 to 1430ng/g (mean: 146ng/g). overall, di- and tri-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, namely, naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene/anthracene, and ... | 2008 | 18177687 |
| causes and consequences of marine mammal population declines in southwest alaska: a food-web perspective. | populations of sea otters, seals and sea lions have collapsed across much of southwest alaska over the past several decades. the sea otter decline set off a trophic cascade in which the coastal marine ecosystem underwent a phase shift from kelp forests to deforested sea urchin barrens. this interaction in turn affected the distribution, abundance and productivity of numerous other species. ecological consequences of the pinniped declines are largely unknown. increased predation by transient (mar ... | 2009 | 19451116 |
| temporal trends (1992-2007) of perfluorinated chemicals in northern sea otters (enhydra lutris kenyoni) from south-central alaska. | perfluorinated chemicals (pfcs) have been detected in abiotic and biotic matrices worldwide, including the arctic ocean. considering these chemicals' persistent and bioaccumulative potentials, it was expected that levels of pfcs, like those of many legacy organic pollutants, would respond slowly to the restrictions in production and usage. temporal trend studies in remote areas, such as the arctic, can help determine the chronology of contamination and the response of the environment to regulati ... | 2009 | 18839236 |
| a reanalysis of competing hypotheses for the spread of the california sea otter. | from 1938 to 1972, the range of california sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) expanded with the northern and southern fronts spreading at rates of approximately 1.4 km/yr and 3.1 km/yr, respectively. j. a. lubina and s. a. levin proposed the following three factors to explain the large disparity in spread rates: (1) regional differences in dispersal; (2) regional differences in population growth; and (3) advection due to the known presence of a southerly flowing offshore current. while lubina an ... | 2009 | 19769128 |
| using stable isotopes to investigate individual diet specialization in california sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis). | differences in diet composition among conspecifics (dietary specialization) have been documented across a broad range of taxonomic groups and habitats, and such variation at the individual level is increasingly recognized as an important component of diversity in trophic interactions. accurate identification of individual dietary specialization, however, requires longitudinal dietary records that are labor-intensive and cost-prohibitive to obtain for many species. here we explore the use of stab ... | 2009 | 19449691 |
| estimating cause-specific mortality rates using recovered carcasses. | stranding networks, in which carcasses are recovered and sent to diagnostic laboratories for necropsy and determination of cause of death, have been developed to monitor the health of marine mammal and bird populations. these programs typically accumulate comprehensive, long-term datasets on causes of death that can be used to identify important sources of mortality or changes in mortality patterns that lead to management actions. however, the utility of these data in determining cause-specific ... | 2009 | 19204341 |
| prey choice and habitat use drive sea otter pathogen exposure in a resource-limited coastal system. | the processes promoting disease in wild animal populations are highly complex, yet identifying these processes is critically important for conservation when disease is limiting a population. by combining field studies with epidemiologic tools, we evaluated the relationship between key factors impeding southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis) population growth: disease and resource limitation. this threatened population has struggled to recover despite protection, so we followed radio-tagged se ... | 2009 | 19164513 |
| remarkable resilience of teeth. | tooth enamel is inherently weak, with fracture toughness comparable with glass, yet it is remarkably resilient, surviving millions of functional contacts over a lifetime. we propose a microstructural mechanism of damage resistance, based on observations from ex situ loading of human and sea otter molars (teeth with strikingly similar structural features). section views of the enamel implicate tufts, hypomineralized crack-like defects at the enamel-dentin junction, as primary fracture sources. we ... | 2009 | 19365079 |
| phocine distemper virus in northern sea otters in the pacific ocean, alaska, usa. | phocine distemper virus (pdv) has caused 2 epidemics in harbor seals in the atlantic ocean but had never been identified in any pacific ocean species. we found that northern sea otters in alaska are infected with pdv, which has created a disease threat to several sympatric and decreasing pacific marine mammals. | 2009 | 19523293 |
| bartonella endocarditis: a pathology shared by animal reservoirsand patients. | bartonellae were first recognized to cause endocarditis in humans in 1993 when cases caused by bartonella quintana, b. elizabethae, and b. henselae were reported. since the first isolation of bartonella vinsonii subspecies berkhoffii from a dog with endocarditis, this organism has emerged as an important pathogen in dogs and an emerging pathogen in people. subsequently, four types of b. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii have been described, all of which have been associated with endocarditis in dogs. a ... | 2009 | 19538271 |
| primate dental enamel: what it says about diet. | what kinds of fractures do teeth sustain and how do they resist disintegration? this study involved the mechanical loading of extracted human and sea otter teeth using hard and soft indenters to simulate hard and soft diets. the tests were accompanied by real-time imaging. at least three types of fracture were seen in the enamel--median, radial and margin cracks. each kind of fracture appears to have a different cause, although the distinction between median and radial cracks blurs as they propa ... | 2009 | 19828968 |
| prevalence and risk factors associated with sarcocystis neurona infections in opossums (didelphis virginiana) from central california. | sarcocystis neurona, a protozoal parasite shed by opossums (didelphis virginiana), has been shown to cause significant morbidity and mortality in horses, sea otters, and other marine mammals. over the course of 3 years (fall 2005-summer 2008), opossums from central california were tested for infection with s. neurona. of 288 opossums sampled, 17 (5.9%) were infected with s. neurona based on the molecular characterization of sporocysts from intestinal scrapings or feces. risk factors evaluated fo ... | 2009 | 19735983 |
| ultrastructural and molecular confirmation of the development of sarcocystis neurona tissue cysts in the central nervous system of southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis). | in 2004, three wild sea otters were diagnosed with putative sarcocystis neurona-associated meningoencephalitis by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. schizonts, free merozoites and tissue cysts were observed in the brains of all three infected animals. tissue cysts walls from sea otter 1 (so1) stained positively using anti-s. neurona polyclonal antiserum. however, positive staining does not preclude infection by closely related or cross-reactive tissue cyst-forming coccidian parasites. two ... | 2009 | 19527725 |
| sequencing and characterization of mixed function monooxygenase genes cyp1a1 and cyp1a2 of mink (mustela vison) to facilitate study of dioxin-like compounds. | as part of an ongoing effort to understand aryl hydrocarbon receptor (ahr) mediated toxicity in mink, cdnas encoding for cyp1a1 and the cyp1a2 mixed function monooxygenases were cloned and characterized. in addition, the effects of selected dibenzofurans on the expression of these genes and the presence of their respective proteins (p4501a) were investigated, and then correlated with the catalytic activities of these proteins as measured by ethoxyresorufin o-deethylase (erod) and methoxyresorufi ... | 2009 | 19041884 |
| characterization of beta-hemolytic streptococci isolated from southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) stranded along the california coast. | the goal of this study was to characterize the beta-hemolytic streptococci cultured from southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) stranded off the coast of california (usa) and to verify identifications made using the lancefield system. lancefield serotyping and biochemical analysis alone was inadequate for isolate characterization. final identification was based on sequence analysis of a portion of the 16s ribosomal rna gene from 12 of the 35 total isolates. the majority of isolates (10 of 1 ... | 2009 | 19117701 |
| canine distemper vaccination is a safe and useful preventive procedure for southern sea otters (enhydra lutra nereis). | from 2002 to 2006, eight captive southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) at research and display institutions in california at risk of exposure to potentially lethal morbiliviruses were vaccinated with a commercial recombinant poxvirus vectored canine distemper (cd) vaccine. serum-neutralizing (sn) antibody responses were followed for several years. the goal of this study was to determine whether 1) cd vaccination was a safe preventive medicine procedure for this species; 2) sea otters produ ... | 2009 | 20063817 |
| limited genetic diversity among sarcocystis neurona strains infecting southern sea otters precludes distinction between marine and terrestrial isolates. | sarcocystis neurona is an apicomplexan parasite identified as a cause of fatal neurological disease in the threatened southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis). in an effort to characterize virulent s. neurona strains circulating in the marine ecosystem, this study developed a range of markers relevant for molecular genotyping. highly conserved sequences within the 18s ribosomal gene array, the plastid-encoded rna polymerase (rpob) and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 mitochondrial gene (co1) ... | 2010 | 20071081 |
| uptake and transmission of toxoplasma gondii oocysts by migratory, filter-feeding fish. | from bottlenose dolphins, to walruses, to sea otters, the parasitic protozoan toxoplasma gondii is infecting marine mammals around the world. whereas the terrestrial transmission pathways of t. gondii are well-described, the transmission pathway by which marine mammals are being infected is unknown. we hypothesize that migratory filter feeders, specifically northern anchovies (engraulis mordax) and pacific sardines (sardinops sagax), are serving as biotic vectors for t. gondii within the marine ... | 2010 | 20097009 |
| pcb exposure in sea otters and harlequin ducks in relation to history of contamination by the exxon valdez oil spill. | exposure to contaminants other than petroleum hydrocarbons could confound interpretation of exxon valdez oil spill effects on biota at prince william sound, alaska. hence, we investigated polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) in blood of sea otters and harlequin ducks sampled during 1998. pcb concentrations characterized by lower chlorinated congeners were highest in sea otters from the unoiled area, whereas concentrations were similar among harlequin ducks from the oiled and unoiled area. blood enzy ... | 2010 | 20132952 |
| molecular characterization of sarcocystis neurona strains from opossums (didelphis virginiana) and intermediate hosts from central california. | sarcocystis neurona is a significant cause of neurological disease in horses and other animals, including the threatened southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis). opossums (didelphis virginiana), the only known definitive hosts for s. neurona in north america, are an introduced species in california. s. neurona dna isolated from sporocysts and/or infected tissues of 10 opossums, 6 horses, 1 cat, 23 southern sea otters, and 1 harbor porpoise (phocoena phocoena) with natural infections was analy ... | 2010 | 20226596 |
| effect of estuarine wetland degradation on transport of toxoplasma gondii surrogates from land to sea. | the flux of terrestrially derived pathogens to coastal waters presents a significant health risk to marine wildlife, as well as to humans who utilize the nearshore for recreation and seafood harvest. anthropogenic changes in natural habitats may result in increased transmission of zoonotic pathogens to coastal waters. the objective of our work was to evaluate how human-caused alterations of coastal landscapes in california affect the transport of toxoplasma gondii to estuarine waters. toxoplasma ... | 2010 | 20802072 |
| evidence for a novel marine harmful algal bloom: cyanotoxin (microcystin) transfer from land to sea otters. | "super-blooms" of cyanobacteria that produce potent and environmentally persistent biotoxins (microcystins) are an emerging global health issue in freshwater habitats. monitoring of the marine environment for secondary impacts has been minimal, although microcystin-contaminated freshwater is known to be entering marine ecosystems. here we confirm deaths of marine mammals from microcystin intoxication and provide evidence implicating land-sea flow with trophic transfer through marine invertebrate ... | 2010 | 20844747 |
| endangered sea otters threatened by toxic algae. | 2010 | 21137600 | |
| self-mating in the definitive host potentiates clonal outbreaks of the apicomplexan parasites sarcocystis neurona and toxoplasma gondii. | tissue-encysting coccidia, including toxoplasma gondii and sarcocystis neurona, are heterogamous parasites with sexual and asexual life stages in definitive and intermediate hosts, respectively. during its sexual life stage, t. gondii reproduces either by genetic out-crossing or via clonal amplification of a single strain through self-mating. out-crossing has been experimentally verified as a potent mechanism capable of producing offspring possessing a range of adaptive and virulence potentials. ... | 2010 | 21203443 |
| dogs, cats, and kin: a molecular species-level phylogeny of carnivora. | phylogenies underpin comparative biology as high-utility tools to test evolutionary and biogeographic hypotheses, inform on conservation strategies, and reveal the age and evolutionary histories of traits and lineages. as tools, most powerful are those phylogenies that contain all, or nearly all, of the taxa of a given group. despite their obvious utility, such phylogenies, other than summary 'supertrees', are currently lacking for most mammalian orders, including the order carnivora. carnivora ... | 2010 | 19900567 |
| enteric bacterial pathogen detection in southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) is associated with coastal urbanization and freshwater runoff. | although protected for nearly a century, california's sea otters have been slow to recover, in part due to exposure to fecally-associated protozoal pathogens like toxoplasma gondii and sarcocystis neurona. however, potential impacts from exposure to fecal bacteria have not been systematically explored. using selective media, we examined feces from live and dead sea otters from california for specific enteric bacterial pathogens (campylobacter, salmonella, clostridium perfringens, c. difficile an ... | 2010 | 19720009 |
| a protozoal-associated epizootic impacting marine wildlife: mass-mortality of southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) due to sarcocystis neurona infection. | during april 2004, 40 sick and dead southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) were recovered over 18km of coastline near morro bay, california. this event represented the single largest monthly spike in mortality ever recorded during 30 years of southern sea otter stranding data collection. because of the point-source nature of the event and clinical signs consistent with severe, acute neurological disease, exposure to a chemical or marine toxin was initially considered. however, detailed post ... | 2010 | 20615616 |
| a comparative analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of the eurasian otter lutra lutra (carnivora; mustelidae). | otter populations are declining throughout the world and most otter species are considered endangered. molecular methods are suitable tools for population genetic research on endangered species. in the present study, we analyzed the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequence of the eurasian otter lutra lutra. the mitochondrial dna sequence of the eurasian otter is 16,505 bp in length and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 trnas, 2 rrnas, and a control region (cr). the cr sequence o ... | 2010 | 19757186 |
| persistent organic pollutants in the blood of free-ranging sea otters (enhydra lutris ssp.) in alaska and california. | as part of tagging and ecologic research efforts in 1997 and 1998, apparently healthy sea otters of four age-sex classes in six locations in alaska and three in california were sampled for persistent organic pollutants (pops) and other chemicals of ecologic or environmental concern (coecs). published techniques for the detection of pops (specifically ∑polychlorinated biphenyls [pcbs], ∑ddts, ∑hexachlorocyclohexanes [hchs], ∑polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [pahs], ∑chlordanes [chls], hexachlorob ... | 2010 | 20966272 |
| a quantitative ecological risk assessment of the toxicological risks from exxon valdez subsurface oil residues to sea otters at northern knight island, prince william sound, alaska. | a comprehensive, quantitative risk assessment is presented of the toxicological risks from buried exxon valdez subsurface oil residues (ssor) to a subpopulation of sea otters (enhydra lutris) at northern knight island (nki) in prince william sound, alaska, as it has been asserted that this subpopulation of sea otters may be experiencing adverse effects from the ssor. the central questions in this study are: could the risk to nki sea otters from exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs) ... | 2010 | 20862194 |
| immunomodulatory effects upon in vitro exposure of california sea lion and southern sea otter peripheral blood leukocytes to domoic acid. | during red tide bloom events, the marine diatom pseudo-nitzschia produces the toxin domoic acid (da), which has been associated with stranding and mortality events involving california sea lions (zalophus californianus) and southern sea otters (enhydra lutris). in addition to these well-documented da-induced neurotoxic events, there is increasing concern that da may exert chronic effects, such as immunomodulation, which may potentially increase an individual's susceptibility to a number of oppor ... | 2010 | 20688647 |
| using ecological function to develop recovery criteria for depleted species: sea otters and kelp forests in the aleutian archipelago. | recovery criteria for depleted species or populations normally are based on demographic measures, the goal being to maintain enough individuals over a sufficiently large area to assure a socially tolerable risk of future extinction. such demographically based recovery criteria may be insufficient to restore the functional roles of strongly interacting species. we explored the idea of developing a recovery criterion for sea otters (enhydra lutris) in the aleutian archipelago on the basis of their ... | 2010 | 20088959 |
| where did all the aleut men go? aleut male attrition and related patterns in aleutian historical demography and social organization. | historical, economic, and political influences on aleut demography and social organization are considered in relation to an apparent deficit of aleut males in the early 20th century. ethnohistoric records detail persistent waves of explorers, fur hunters, missionaries, bureaucrats, and foreign fishermen coming to the aleutian region for economic exploitation, with some making it their home. the first major wave consisted of russian and siberian crews in pursuit of sea otters and fur seals. these ... | 2010 | 21417885 |
| variation in delta13c and delta15n diet-vibrissae trophic discrimination factors in a wild population of california sea otters. | the ability to quantify dietary inputs using stable isotope data depends on accurate estimates of isotopic differences between a consumer (c) and its diet (d), commonly referred to as trophic discrimination factors (tdfs) and denoted by delta(c-d). at present, tdfs are available for only a few mammals and are usually derived in captive settings. the magnitude of tdfs and the degree to which they vary in wild populations is unknown. we determined delta13c and delta15n tdfs for vibrissae (i.e., wh ... | 2010 | 20945772 |
| reproductive cycles of marine mammals. | marine mammals conform to the general mammalian reproductive system centered on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. most marine mammals are long-lived and of large body size with lesser reproductive rates than many other animals, a consequence of their interaction with the marine environment where the demands of acquiring resources from the ocean must be balanced with the need for bearing offspring in a suitable place for survival. the degree of spatial and temporal separation of these life ... | 2011 | 20869821 |
| are sea otters being exposed to subsurface intertidal oil residues from the exxon valdez oil spill? | twenty years after the exxon valdez oil spill, scattered patches of subsurface oil residues (ssor) can still be found in intertidal sediments at a small number of shoreline locations in prince william sound, alaska. some scientists hypothesize that sea otters continue to be exposed to ssor by direct contact when otters dig pits in search of clams. this hypothesis is examined through site-specific examinations where ssor and otter-dug pits co-occur. surveys documented the exact sediment character ... | 2011 | 21185036 |
| wave disturbance overwhelms top-down and bottom-up control of primary production in california kelp forests. | we took advantage of regional differences in environmental forcing and consumer abundance to examine the relative importance of nutrient availability (bottom-up), grazing pressure (top-down), and storm waves (disturbance) in determining the standing biomass and net primary production (npp) of the giant kelp macrocystis pyrifera in central and southern california. using a nine-year data set collected from 17 sites we show that, despite high densities of sea urchin grazers and prolonged periods of ... | 2011 | 22164835 |
| sediment-associated aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in coastal british columbia, canada: concentrations, composition, and associated risks to protected sea otters. | sediment-associated hydrocarbons can pose a risk to wildlife that rely on benthic marine food webs. we measured hydrocarbons in sediments from the habitat of protected sea otters in coastal british columbia, canada. alkane concentrations were dominated by higher odd-chain n-alkanes at all sites, indicating terrestrial plant inputs. while remote sites were dominated by petrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs), small harbour sites within sea otter habitat and sites from an urban referenc ... | 2011 | 21719172 |
| hydrocarbon concentrations and patterns in free-ranging sea otters (enhydra lutris) from british columbia, canada. | with oil pollution recognized as a major threat to british columbia's recovering sea otter (enhydra lutris) population, it is important to distinguish acute from chronic exposures to oil constituent groups in this marine mammal. concentrations and patterns of alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs) were determined in blood samples from 29 live-captured sea otters in two coastal areas of british columbia, as well as in representative samples of their invertebrate prey. hydrocarbon con ... | 2011 | 21769923 |
| antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial isolates from sea otters (enhydra lutris). | bacterial infections are an important cause of sea otter (enhydra lutris) mortality, and some of these infections may originate from terrestrial and anthropogenic sources. antimicrobials are an important therapeutic tool for management of bacterial infections in stranded sea otters and for prevention of infection following invasive procedures in free-ranging otters. in this study, susceptibility to commonly used antimicrobials was determined for 126 isolates of 15 bacterial species or groups fro ... | 2011 | 21441180 |
| serum vitamin a concentrations in captive sea otters (enhydra lutris). | individual dietary preferences and difficulty with animal training create challenges and nutritional concerns when evaluating a captive sea otter (enhydra lutris) diet. the importance of vitamin a within the body reflects the necessity that it be ingested in adequate amounts to ensure optimal health. to compare levels of serum vitamin a concentrations from captive sea otters on daily oral vitamin a supplementation, serum samples from eight adult sea otters from three institutions were evaluated ... | 2011 | 22946382 |
| vitamin a deficiency and hepatic retinol levels in sea otters, enhydra lutris. | vitamin a deficiency has rarely been reported in captive or free-ranging wildlife species. necropsy findings in two captively housed southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) included irregular thickening of the calvaria characterized by diffuse hyperostoses on the internal surface. one animal also had moderate squamous metaplasia of the seromucinous glands of the nose. there was no measurable retinol in the liver of either sea otter. for comparison, hepatic retinol concentration was determine ... | 2011 | 22946376 |
| exposure of sea otters and harlequin ducks in prince william sound, alaska, usa, to shoreline oil residues 20 years after the exxon valdez oil spill. | we assessed whether sea otters and harlequin ducks in an area of western prince william sound, alaska, usa (pws), oiled by the 1989 exxon valdez oil spill (evos), are exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pah) from oil residues 20 years after the spill. spilled oil has persisted in pws for two decades as surface oil residues (sor) and subsurface oil residues (ssor) on the shore. the rare sor are located primarily on the upper shore as inert, nonhazardous asphaltic deposits, and ssor are c ... | 2011 | 21298711 |
| genetic analyses of atypical toxoplasma gondii strains reveal a fourth clonal lineage in north america. | toxoplasma gondii is a widespread parasite of animals that causes zoonotic infections in humans. previous studies have revealed a strongly clonal population structure in north america and europe, while strains from south america are genetically separate and more diverse. however, the composition within north america has been questioned by recent descriptions of genetically more variable strains from this region. here, we examined an expanded set of isolates using sequenced-based phylogenetic and ... | 2011 | 21320505 |