[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] Rare mussels almost 'wiped out'

 

LONDON - The largest population in English waters of an endangered species of mollusc has almost been destroyed.

Insect charity Buglife has called for an inquiry after the death of up to 90% of the freshwater pearl mussels at the Ennerdale Water Reservoir in Cumbria.

It is thought that water levels in the outflow of the reservoir fell, causing the temperature to go up and oxygen levels to go down.

"This is devastating news," said Buglife chief executive Matt Shardlow.

Meet the mussel:

The freshwater pearl mussel is a type of mollusc, of which there are around 85,000 recognised extant species

The freshwater pearl mussel can grow up to 15cm long

Their larvae resemble tiny mussels with hinged shells that snap shut when they find a suitable juvenile fish to attach themselves to

It is thought that the freshwater pearl mussel may once have been the most numerous bivalve mollusc in the world

In bivalve molluscs, the gills both "breathe" and produce a water flow through the animal, which is used for both reproduction and excretion

About 80,000 freshwater mussels were lost in this single instance, out of an estimated total population in England and Scotland of about 12m, according to Buglife.

Mr Shardlow compared the loss to wiping out a medium-sized city in the UK, in human terms. The species is protected under UK and international legislation.

"The UK supports a large proportion of the world population for this species and we have an international responsibility to protect these animals," said Matt Shardlow.

The freshwater pearl mussel recently joined giant pandas and Javan rhinos in a list of the world's 365 "most endangered species", assembled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) last year.

The species is thought to be one of the longest-living invertebrates in existence ,with individuals surviving for up to 150 years.

"The bloated corpses of animals born when Charles Darwin was alive have been floating out of their beds and (are) being swept into the Irish Sea," said Matt Shardlow.

The mussels take 10-12 years to reach sexual maturity, meaning that it takes time to build up numbers.

"If you get to the point where the river is just uninhabitable, you cause 150 years' worth of damage, and that's what's happened in this instance," said Matt Shardlow.

Matt Shardlow said the pearl mussel had been in "relatively steep decline", in recent years, partly because of poaching and illegal pearl fishing.

But he said it was exacerbated by the mussel's complicated life cycle.

The molluscs take 10-12 years to reach sexual maturity "The larvae come out and they attach to the gills of salmon and trout and live there for a while," said Matt Shardlow.

"They then drop off and they live in gravel in the riverbed and then gradually grow into the big mussels that one recognises as pearl mussels."

It means that changes to fish populations or silt and soil being washed into the river system have negative effects on the species.

Pollutants from agriculture have also affected the species.

"On top of that they've got issues to do with water flow and oxygen availability, which is obviously the problem that they've had here," said Matt Shardlow.

"We must understand the cause of this disaster so that it never happens again," he said.

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[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] Pollutants Could Pose Health Risks for Five Sea Turtle Species

 

Charleston, SC — Researchers at the Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML) and four partner organizations have measured for the first time concentrations of 13 perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) in five different endangered species of sea turtles. While PFC toxicology studies have not yet been conducted on turtles, the levels of the compounds seen in all five species approach the amounts known to cause adverse health effects in other animals.

PFCs are human-made compounds that have many uses including stain-resistant coatings, fire-fighting foams and emulsifiers in plastics manufacturing. They have become widespread pollutants, are detectable in human and wildlife samples worldwide, infiltrate food chains, and have been shown in laboratory animals -- rats, mice and fish -- to be toxic to the liver, the thyroid, neurobehavioral function and the immune system. The PFCs most commonly found in the environment are perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).

Located in Charleston, S.C., the HML is a collaboration of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the College of Charleston and the Medical University of South Carolina.

"In our experiment, we wanted to accomplish two goals," says NIST research biologist and study lead Jennifer Keller. "We wanted to get the first accurate measurements of the plasma blood concentrations of PFCs in five sea turtle species across different trophic [food chain] levels, and then compare those concentrations to ones known to cause toxic effects in laboratory animals. That way, we could estimate the potential health risks from PFC exposure for all five turtles."

The five sea turtle species studied were the green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead and Kemp's ridley. Their preferred diets range up the food chain from the green's sea grasses and algae to the crabs favored by the Kemp's ridley. The researchers expected that the PFC concentrations would be higher in species that fed farther up the food chain, since their prey's tissues would probably concentrate the pollutants.

This was generally the case. Plant-eating green turtles had the lowest plasma concentrations for the majority of PFCs examined, especially PFOS. As expected, leatherbacks, loggerheads and Kemp's ridleys had progressively higher PFOS concentrations. Surprisingly, however, hawksbills -- who browse low on the food chain, primarily on sponges -- recorded the second-highest average concentration of PFOS and were the only species to have a detectable PFOA level. The researchers surmise that this may relate to the locations where the hawksbills forage, or it may suggest that sponges have unusually high concentrations of PFOS and PFOA.

In the second part of the study, Keller and her colleagues compared the plasma concentrations of PFOS that they found in the five sea turtle species with previously reported concentrations that were shown to have adverse health effects in laboratory animals. The results showed that hawksbills, loggerheads and Kemp's ridleys had PFOS concentrations approaching those linked to liver and neurobehavioral toxicity in other animals; levels in loggerheads and Kemp's ridleys approached those linked to thyroid disruption in other animals; and all five species had levels that approached those linked to suppressed immunity in other animals.

"Better understanding the threat of PFCs, especially PFOS, to sea turtles can help wildlife managers and others develop strategies to deal with potential health problems," Keller says. "Our study provides the first baseline data in this area but more research is needed -- especially for hawksbills after seeing their unexpectedly high PFC exposure."

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[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] Debby destroys large number of sea turtle nests

 

Debby destroys large number of sea turtle nests

Jun 27, 2012 11:50 AM EDT

FORT MYERS BEACH, FL -
According to the group Turtle Time, of the 46 turtle nests on Fort Myers Beach before Tropical Storm Debby, there are only four that have not been affected by sand or water.

Some of the nests had a lot of sand on them or were washed out.

While biologists won't know the true impact until hatching season is over, what started out as a promising year for sea turtle nests turned out to be devastating.

Biologists are scrambling to relocate nests that had sand over them, so there's still a chance eggs could hatch.

There's a month and a half left in nesting season.

NBC News

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[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] Rogue Dolphin, Alone After Katrina, Menaces Lake Area

 

Slidell, LA - A menacing animal is terrorizing residents of an upscale waterfront community just outside New Orleans. But it's not your run-of-the-mill beastly wild animal. Instead, it's a sweet-faced bottle-nosed dolphin and hospital officials say he's already taken a bite out of three people who have entered the waters of Lake Pontchartrain in Slidell, La.

Second in size to the great Salt Lake in Utah, Lake Pontchartrain is home to many wild animals. The Slidell Dolphin, as the juvenile male is known, made the body of water his home just after Katrina when a small pod made their way into the lake. The pod eventually left--leaving the lone dolphin to fend for himself.

Residents in the community of Lakeshore Estates say they are not only concerned for one another, they are concerned about the animal's safety as well. "Somebody's going to get bitten by this dolphin, they are going to get mad and they are going to shoot the dolphin," one unidentified resident told ABC affiliate WGNO.

Members of the Louisiana Fish and Wildlife held a community meeting earlier this week, brining in experts from NOAA to help determine the dolphin's future and advise residents on ways to avoid the aggressive mammal.

The basic concept includes abiding by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits giving food to many wild animals including dolphins.

Stacey Horstman, bottlenose dolphin conservation coordinator for NOAA Fisheries Service, told ABC News she spent two days observing the aggressive dolphin--who appeared to have a few injuries related to its proximity to humans--such as a healing cut from a sharp fish hook.

"Fishing gear and boat-related injuries are common for wild dolphins that have lost their natural wariness to people and boats because of our interactions with them," says Hortsman. "We observed people encircling and corralling the dolphin with their jet-skis and boats. They were also reaching out to grab his fins and flippers and otherwise touch and pet him with their hands and objects."

It's this interaction that makes the male dolphin lose his natural weariness to humans, "The dolphin is showing normal male dominance behavior. However, these behaviors are misdirected at people and boats because of people interacting with him."

Unlike water park attractions, Hortsman advises that it's not safe to pet or lure the creature. "The most important thing to do is to avoid seeking out the dolphin to play or swim with it. If you are recreationally swimming in the canal, stay close to the water's edge to avoid swimming in the middle of the canal where the dolphin tends to swim. If you see the dolphin, leave the water as quickly as possible to avoid any potential interactions."

This is not the first time animals synonymous with being cute and lovely have gone rogue. In April, 37-year-old Anthony Hensley drowned after being attacked by a swan. The father of two worked for a company that used the natural beauties to keep geese from a local neighborhood. While patrolling a local lake on his kayak, police believe Hensley got too close to the swan's nesting area and was attacked. He rolled off his kayak and drowned while the feathery bird continued to attack him.

For now, NOAA has no plans to remove the Slidell dolphin, something residents are split on. "He's my neighbor," one local man tells WGNO. Another resident tells the station, "He's not in a natural environment. Maybe they should find him a girlfriend."

"The most effective and safe solution for the dolphin and people is to change our human behaviors that have created his behaviors," says Hortsman. "Therefore, we currently don't plan to move the dolphin for this reason and because research also shows that relocating animals is not an effective or long-term solution."

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[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] KOI HERPESVIRUS DISEASE - USA: (MISSOURI)

 

KOI HERPESVIRUS DISEASE - USA: (MISSOURI)
*****************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>

Date: Wed 20 Jun 2012
Source: Fox 4 News, Kansas City [edited] <http://fox4kc.com/2012/06/20/biologists-id-virus-behind-blue-springs-lake-carp-die-off/>

Officials say that they have identified the culprit behind a massive carp die-off last month [May 2012] at Blue Springs Lake [Missouri].

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, the koi herpesvirus (KHV) killed approximately 16 000 carp at the Jackson County lake -- or about 75 percent of the carp in the lake.

Officials say that KHV is named for koi, a fish commonly kept in aquariums and aquaculture. Koi are ornamental varieties of common carp that have been bred for varying colors and fin shapes. KHV most commonly occurs in hatchery operations with large numbers of fish.

The virus affects only the common carp species but goldfish can be carriers without showing symptoms of the virus. The virus cannot be transmitted to humans, officials said.

Fish biologists say that carp are an exotic, invasive species in Missouri, and that popular native fish such as largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish should actually benefit due to less competition for food and less habitat destruction by carp.

Biologists say that the virus has a short incubation period, spreads rapidly from fish to fish, but is only lethal to common carp. There is no treatment for this disease. The virus is fairly well established in North America. Similar outbreaks have occurred in Michigan, New York, Indiana, California, Ontario (Canada), and Arizona.

The virus could have been introduced by someone dumping unwanted bait, koi, or goldfish into the lake, officials said.

Officials with the Department of Conservation say that the large population of carp at Blue Springs Lake, in combination with ideal water temperatures, led to the die-off.

Conservation officials say that the lake remains safe for fishing, boating, and swimming.

[Byline: Jason M Vaughn]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Since Koi herpesvirus disease (KHD) in common carp (_Cyprinus
carpio_) was detected in Israel and Germany in 1998, the disease has been reported throughout the world. The disease is transmitted by fish-to-fish contact and it is also possible that the disease can spread through contaminated water, nets, and other equipment. As other herpesvirus, KHD has the capacity to remain latent in the infected fish and become activated and cause disease when some stressors trigger it.

More information on KHD is found in OIE Aquatic Manual chapter (2009 update), which is available at <http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Health_standards/aahm/2010/2.3.06_KHVD.pdf>.

A picture of common carp can be seen at
<http://img.photo-forum.net/site_pics/196/t_1301253191_P1020167_fhdrs.jpg>.

A map of the affected area can be accessed at <http://healthmap.org/r/2DGg>. - Mod. PMB]

[see also:
Koi herpesvirus disease - UK: (England) 20120619.1173349 Koi herpesvirus disease - Sweden: (VG) OIE 20120517.1135973 Koi herpesvirus disease - Italy: (VN), OIE 20120513.1131835
2011
----
Koi herpesvirus disease - UK: (England) 20111027.3192 Die-off, carp - USA (06): (IN) koi herpes virus 20111005.2999 Koi herpesvirus disease - Spain: OIE 20110808.2408 Die-off, carp - USA (05): (MI): koi herpes virus 20110807.2386 2010
----
Koi herpesvirus disease - UK: (England) 20100828.3069 Undiagnosed fish die-off - USA (02): (NJ) koi herpesvirus susp.
20100528.1773
Koi herpesvirus, carp - USA: (CA) 20100523.1707
2009
----
Koi herpesvirus disease - UK (02): (England) 20090918.3273 Koi herpesvirus disease - UK 20090814.2893 Koi herpesvirus, carp - USA: (AZ) 20090703.2395 Koi herpesvirus disease - USA (AZ) 20090613.2186
2008
----
Koi herpesvirus disease - UK (02): (England) 20080926.3044 Koi herpesvirus disease - UK 20080908.2807
2007
----
Koi herpesvirus disease - UK (02) 20071108.3630 Koi herpesvirus disease - UK 20070817.2688] .................................................sb/pmb/mj/dk/ll
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted or archived material.

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[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] Nanoscopic Look at an Estuary's Green Algae

 

LONDON — The pico is a very small unit, even smaller than the nano as it is the equivalent of 10-12. The biologist Aitor Alonso has devoted himself to studying green algae of this imperceptible size in the Bilbao estuary, paying particular attention to the area beyond the Nervión estuary. This has enabled him to identify six genera and eleven nano- and picoplanktonic species that until now had not been catalogued in these waters. He has also put forward some measures designed to optimize the methodology to be applied to these analyses.

His thesis, defended at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), is entitled Algas verdes en el picoplancton y nanoplancton del estuario del río Nervión (Golfo de Vizcaya) (Green algae in the picoplankton and nanoplankton in the estuary of the river Nervión (Bay of Biscay).

All the algae contain chlorophyll A, but it is chlorophyll B that characterises green algae and gives them their pigment. "They have been used for producing biofuels, for treating sewage, etc. Research has also been done on them in the quest for products for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries," says Alonso. But the practical applications of the green algae were not the starting point of this research, rather their extremely high relative presence among the smallest organisms in the Nervión estuary.

"There is an abundance of them among the smallest algae in the plankton, in other words, picoplankton. Most of what can be found of that size, apart from bacteria, are green algae." So his main aim was to find out a little more about this specific diversity. Data like, for example, that the most abundant green algae belong to the chlorophyta division, which dominate in the outer part of this estuary during the summer.

The samples collected by Alonso between 2007 and 2010 have been used to isolate and analyse 26 algae strains from the estuary of the Nervión and other nearby ones. "We knew the green algae were a significant group, but not which species it actually consisted of," he explains. On the bases of 26 strains, he has been able to identity in his research six genera and eleven species: Eutreptiella (E. eupharyngeae and E. gymnastica), Mamiella (M. gilva), Nephroselmis (N. pyriformis), Pyramimonas (P. orientalis, P. moestrupii, P. grossii, P. robusta and P. propulsa), Oltmannsiellopsis (O. unicellularis and O. viridis) and cf. Chlamydomonas.

Alonso's main aim was to put a name to the species comprising the community of green algae in the estuary of Bilbao, but the path covered to achieve this has also been a significant contribution of this thesis. Studying organisms of such a tiny fraction like the picoplankton is complicated, and in this case the combination of three techniques was chosen: epifluorescence (an advanced alternative to the conventional optical microscope), flow cytometry (used to classify and count the cells that are found in fluids), and the TSA-FISH technique (which expands -- more than other techniques -- the fluorescent signals that work as algal markers, thus increasing sensitivity and facilitating analysis). The researcher has put forward a number of proposals to improve the performance of these techniques and to make a correct interpretation of the results obtained through them.

Alonso has concentrated, above all, on the problems of and possible solutions to the application of Tyramide Signal Amplification (TSA)-FISH. He concludes that in order to make the fitoplankton count as universal as possible, a protocol based on this technique needs to meet certain premises. For example, as the TSA-FISH has difficulties when it comes to doing the sample count, he recommends using flow cytometry for this task.

The research also revealed shortcomings in the permeability of certain cultures analysed; that could lead to the importance of one or more microalgae groups, which could be in fact significant in the community, being overlooked. In order to avoid this problem, the proposal is to use an extra permeation through enzymatic treatment. With these measures TSA-FISH would allow a simple, quantitative, precise and reliable measurement to be made in addition to the monitoring of the phytoplanktonic populations.

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[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] Rogue Dolphin, Alone After Katrina, Menaces Lake Area

 

Slidell, LA - A menacing animal is terrorizing residents of an upscale waterfront community just outside New Orleans. But it's not your run-of-the-mill beastly wild animal. Instead, it's a sweet-faced bottle-nosed dolphin and hospital officials say he's already taken a bite out of three people who have entered the waters of Lake Pontchartrain in Slidell, La.

Second in size to the great Salt Lake in Utah, Lake Pontchartrain is home to many wild animals. The Slidell Dolphin, as the juvenile male is known, made the body of water his home just after Katrina when a small pod made their way into the lake. The pod eventually left--leaving the lone dolphin to fend for himself.

Residents in the community of Lakeshore Estates say they are not only concerned for one another, they are concerned about the animal's safety as well. "Somebody's going to get bitten by this dolphin, they are going to get mad and they are going to shoot the dolphin," one unidentified resident told ABC affiliate WGNO.

Members of the Louisiana Fish and Wildlife held a community meeting earlier this week, brining in experts from NOAA to help determine the dolphin's future and advise residents on ways to avoid the aggressive mammal.

The basic concept includes abiding by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits giving food to many wild animals including dolphins.

Stacey Horstman, bottlenose dolphin conservation coordinator for NOAA Fisheries Service, told ABC News she spent two days observing the aggressive dolphin--who appeared to have a few injuries related to its proximity to humans--such as a healing cut from a sharp fish hook.

"Fishing gear and boat-related injuries are common for wild dolphins that have lost their natural wariness to people and boats because of our interactions with them," says Hortsman. "We observed people encircling and corralling the dolphin with their jet-skis and boats. They were also reaching out to grab his fins and flippers and otherwise touch and pet him with their hands and objects."

It's this interaction that makes the male dolphin lose his natural weariness to humans, "The dolphin is showing normal male dominance behavior. However, these behaviors are misdirected at people and boats because of people interacting with him."

Unlike water park attractions, Hortsman advises that it's not safe to pet or lure the creature. "The most important thing to do is to avoid seeking out the dolphin to play or swim with it. If you are recreationally swimming in the canal, stay close to the water's edge to avoid swimming in the middle of the canal where the dolphin tends to swim. If you see the dolphin, leave the water as quickly as possible to avoid any potential interactions."

This is not the first time animals synonymous with being cute and lovely have gone rogue. In April, 37-year-old Anthony Hensley drowned after being attacked by a swan. The father of two worked for a company that used the natural beauties to keep geese from a local neighborhood. While patrolling a local lake on his kayak, police believe Hensley got too close to the swan's nesting area and was attacked. He rolled off his kayak and drowned while the feathery bird continued to attack him.

For now, NOAA has no plans to remove the Slidell dolphin, something residents are split on. "He's my neighbor," one local man tells WGNO. Another resident tells the station, "He's not in a natural environment. Maybe they should find him a girlfriend."

"The most effective and safe solution for the dolphin and people is to change our human behaviors that have created his behaviors," says Hortsman. "Therefore, we currently don't plan to move the dolphin for this reason and because research also shows that relocating animals is not an effective or long-term solution."

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[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] Birds, turtles, other wildlife hit hard across Sarasota

 

Birds, turtles, other wildlife hit hard across Sarasota


By Shelby Webb
Herald-Tribune Intern

Tuesday, June 26, 2012 at 4:10 p.m.

LONGBOAT KEY - Squinting into an onslaught of wind and sand whipped up by Tropical Storm Debby, Lou Newman pointed to a flock of about 100 birds huddled on a sand dune on Longboat Key this week.

"These are all that's left," Newman said, a hint of dismay in his voice. "It's a huge loss."

The skimmer colony — which numbered at 450 adults and about 100 chicks before the storm — was culled dramatically by Tropical Storm Debby.

While the storm mostly caused inconvenience and some minor tree or flooding damage for Southwest Florida residents this week, the main victims of the storm were seabirds and marine life that reside in coastal waters.

Unhatched sea turtles and beach-nesting birds were the worst hit.

In Tampa, a mother manatee was found dead in the waters off Bayshore Boulevard, and her two calves swam ashore Tuesday along the flooded road. Members of the Tampa Police Marine Patrol called Lowry Park Zoo and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to help rescue the baby manatees.

Sea turtles across the region were devastated by the storm, mainly eggs and newborn turtles.

Before the storm hit the beaches, Mote Marine counted 1,367 loggerhead turtle nests sprinkled from Longboat to Venice last week; Sarasota County officials said there were 2,600 turtle nests overall in the county.

Though it will take several days to assess the specific number of nests destroyed or harmed, Laird Wreford, Sarasota County coastal resources manager, said most of the nests were probably washed out or at least sustained damage.

However, Laird said, the adult turtles were likely able to ride the storm out. "It is part of their natural adaptation," he said. "So they're able to withstand some events like this."

But beach erosion resulting from the storm will take a toll on many creatures that rely on sand to nest or hunt.

The South Jetty in Venice was washed over, and across the region beaches continued to deteriorate.

"We've seen quite a bit of moderate to severe erosion," Laid said, adding that 10 to 15 feet of sand had been washed away in some areas.

The Longboat Key black skimmer colony — popular among wildlife enthusiasts and birders on the key — was a case study in how a big storm like Debby can devastate sea life.

On Sunday afternoon, Newman — a retired veterinarian turned wildlife photographer — went to south Longboat to check on the skimmers. He was shocked by what he saw.

Only about 100 of the 450 adult birds remained, and sat grouped behind an abandoned clubhouse.

More than 100 chicks and eggs, which had just began to hatch about two weeks before the storm, were caught in the surf and buried by wind-propelled sand. Live chicks were killed and eggs were destroyed.

"It was carnage out here," said Bonnie Samuelsen, a member of the Sarasota Audubon Society who also checked on the skimmers.

Black skimmers are one of the three main types of seabirds that nest on area beaches, along with least terns and snowy plovers.

The skimmers are few in number and are close to becoming a threatened species, Samuelsen said. They are not able to produce enough young to sustain the species, and from 2005 until 2011, not a single skimmer chick was able to survive to maturity.

"Generations from now, people may not be able to see these birds," she said.

The chicks not caught in the surf or buried in sand mostly fell prey to laughing gulls, Newman said, which were eagerly waiting for the babies to poke their heads out of the sand and water.

Only about four of the estimated 100 chicks were able to make their way to the protection of the group of adults.

After seeing the toll Debby took on the skimmers, Newman and Samuelsen felt compelled to act.

They were able to find 32 chicks still alive, and a representative from Wildlife Inc., a rescue group on Anna Maria Island, took the chicks to its rehabilitation center.

Though the winds slowed on Monday, the skimmers still huddled on a sand dune to keep from being blown away.

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[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] Manicured turtles swim for science

 

Miami, FL - Scientists tracking the dispersal of hatchling loggerhead turtles have resorted to the nail salon to help fit tiny tags to the endangered creatures.

The Florida team tried several ideas to attach the technology to the animals, which measure less than 20cm in length.

This included making little harnesses, and using tough epoxy adhesives.

But it was only when the turtle shells were prepared like a manicurist primes fingernails that the satellite tags would stay on for a useful period.

"My collaborator typically has very fancy toenails that are nicely manicured with painted waves and other designs on them," recalls Kate Mansfield, a US National Marine Fisheries Service scientist in Miami.

"We gave her manicurist a call and her manicurist recommended we use an acrylic base coat. We went out to our local pharmacy and picked some up and tried it on the turtles. We prepped the shell, sanded it down a little bit, buffed it nicely - kind of a turtle spa.

"The acrylic base coat extended our attachments by upwards of two to three months."

The nail trick is a breakthrough in the study of Atlantic loggerheads (Caretta caretta) because scientists have been struggling to find an effective way to study these animals' early years.

Something like 80% of female loggerheads will nest in Florida. When their hatchlings emerge 40-70 days later, they make a mad dash for the water and swim out into the open ocean.

Researchers have some information on the movements of these neonates from strandings and bycatch, but those first few years in the Atlantic are largely "lost years" to science. It may be up to a decade before these wanderers return to near-shore habitats.

Fitting satellite trackers is the obvious answer, and the latest generation of tags is now small enough not to impede the junior turtles' natural behaviour.

Loggerheads are found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.
Considered "endangered" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

But the compact solar-powered units, originally developed to study the migration of birds, are expensive and must stay in place long enough to return useful data and justify the investment.

This is complicated by the speed at which the turtles grow. Their weight can increase five-fold in their first three months at sea.

Mansfield and colleagues approached the problem in a number of ways, even making little costumes out of Lycra and neoprene wet suit material to carry the tags.

These were cut to a range of styles. One was referred to as "The Borat" because of its likeness to the "mankini" outfit worn by actor Sacha Baron Cohen in the comedy movie of that name .

The aim was to incorporate a mechanism, such as Velcro, that would allow the tag to drop off after a productive dataset had been acquired.

"We were trying to go in for that Janet Jackson wardrobe-failure moment where the turtles would pop out of their harnesses, but unfortunately we couldn't quite come up with the right mechanism for the harnesses to be shed over time as the turtles grew," Dr Mansfield told BBC News. Direct attachment ideas included using hard epoxy glues.

"The Borat": Timing the release of a harness is extremely difficult, the team found These were found to be short-lived. The top layer of the keratin shell would peel away as the turtle grew. The epoxy glues also had a tendency to deform the shell.

The team eventually settled on a preparation that involved the base-coat of the manicurist's acrylic and a mount for the tags of neoprene strips held in place by a silicone-based adhesive.

Laboratory trials showed this combination would keep the tracker locked down for a minimum of 50-plus days. In contrast, hard epoxy preparations would come off after only a couple of weeks.

Dr Mansfield and colleagues are now compiling a report on what they have learnt about neonate dispersal in the open ocean from their manicured turtles.

The trackers have been returning information such as location and water temperature. This is helping the team understand how the turtles are behaving in their environment, where they are travelling, and the types of physical features in the ocean they are encountering.

"It's very important for the management of the species to know where they are, what they're doing and how they're interacting with their habitat," Dr Mansfield said.

"In particular, for the smallest age classes of turtles, there's very little information. The Atlantic loggerhead doesn't reach maturity for decades, so those turtles have to survive for at least 25 or so years before they can reproduce and put back into the population.

"We need to know what's going on during that time frame to address how best to protect them."

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[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] Dolphin genes hold clues to intelligence

 

Dolphin Genes Hold Clues to Animal Intelligence
Jennifer Welsh, LiveScience Staff WriterDate: 26 June 2012 Time: 07:01 PM ET
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Two bottlenose dolphins put on an acrobatic show.
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Evolution-wise, bottlenose dolphins have left their mammalian brothers in the dust, and new research is showing what genes they changed to do it. These genes include those involved in brain and metabolism.

These changes could be why dolphins are known to be exceptionally smart, able to use tools, recognize themselves and even communicate with each other and with trainers.

"We are interested in what makes a big brain from a molecular perspective," study researcher Michael McGowen, of Wayne State University School of Medicine in Michigan, told LiveSCience. "We decided to look at genes in the dolphin genome to see if there are similarities in the genes that have changed on the dolphin lineage and those that have changed on the primate lineage."

The researchers compared about 10,000 genes from the bottlenose dolphin with nine other animals. (These included the cow, horse, dog, mouse, human, elephant, opossum, platypus and chicken — cows being the dolphin's closest relatives with a sequenced genome.)

By studying its mutations, they pinpointed which genes were "evolving" or what scientists call "being selected for" — genes that underwent changes and were passed on to future generations of dolphins — by comparing them to the analogous genes from the other species. If a dolphin gene has more protein-changing mutations than the cow version, for instance, that means it was actively evolving in the dolphin population at some time. [Animal Code: Our Favorite Genomes]

Brain changes

More than 200 of the genes in their survey were drastically changed in the dolphins. Twenty-seven of these were involved in the nervous system (like the brain and sensory organs). There were also many changes in the genes related to metabolism (similar to changes seen in primates), which McGowen said are important because, "brain tissue uses much more energy than other tissues."

While we know these genes are associated with the brain, and this study says the genes are different in smarter animals, the researchers caution against linking them directly. Differences in the gene's "code" doesn't mean the gene actually acts any differently in the animal.

"We may not know exactly what they do yet even in humans or mice (the two most well-characterized mammals from a genetic perspective), much less dolphins; however, their function in the brain points to their importance," McGowen said. "Probably, changes in these genes could have led to the amazing cognitive capacity seen in dolphins — it definitely points in that direction."

Set apart

Unexpectedly, the researchers also saw that the dolphins were evolving more slowly than some of the other animals, a trait also seen in other mammals with big brains.

"Over time (since the split between dolphins and cows about 70 million years ago), we observe many more mutations or changes in the DNA along the cow branch (and indeed horse and dog branches) than we do along the dolphin branch," McGowen told LiveScience in an email. "This is exactly what we see in primates and elephants."

This is probably because these animals are using a different life-history approach — investing more in their offspring, but having fewer babies — which leads to slower evolution.

"It is striking that we see such similar molecular rates between all of these lineages and they have all such comparative large brains," McGowen said of the dolphins and primates.

The research is detailed in the June 27 issue of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

Follow Jennifer Welsh on Twitter @microbelover or LiveScience @livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+.

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[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] Wild Louisiana dolphin is no "Flipper"

 

Wild dolphin near Slidell is naturally aggressive and must be ignored, experts say
Published: Monday, June 25, 2012, 9:55 PM
Updated: Monday, June 25, 2012, 10:06 PM
By Ramon Antonio Vargas, The Times-Picayune

People who come in to contact with the dolphin living in waterways within the Lakeshore Estates subdivision near Slidell should do their best to ignore the animal, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service representatives told a Lakeshore Estates Homeowners Association meeting on Monday. People have touched, fed and swam with the wild male bottle-nosed dolphin, so the animal is no longer wary of humans or boats, and even approaches them for food. The dolphin is aggressive by nature and at times likes to bite, head-butt and chase acquaintances.

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A lone male bottle-nosed dolphin has made a Lakeshore Estates waterway its home since Hurricane Katrina, when its parents probably swam into the waterway for safety, marine experts say. Soon after the storm, the parents left the area, leaving their newborn calf behind.
"People need to be content to observe, not interact" with the dolphin, said NOAA Marine Mammal Branch chief Laura Engleby. If not, others will join the three people who have recently received treatment at a local hospital for bites from the creature that Engleby dubbed "the Slidell dolphin." Meanwhile, the dolphin, by its continued interaction, risks both injury and the loss of its ability to hunt for its own food, a crucial survival skill, said Stacey Horstman, Engleby's colleague at NOAA.
The dolphin in question made the Lakeshore Estates area its home about the time of Hurricane Katrina. It was a newborn, and its parents probably swam there for safety but left the calf behind after the storm, officials have said.
The sociable dolphin has attracted many spectators, some of whom ignore two signs along the water admonishing people to not feed or disturb the animal. Swimmers and boaters have jumped on the dolphin to feed or play with it, and a few have been bitten as a result.

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During a 30-minute presentation at the Northshore Harbor Center on Monday, Engleby and Horstman informed listeners about the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits giving food to wild dolphins and doing anything that could potentially injure or disturb them. Violators could be fined and imprisoned.
The Slidell dolphin -- like other males of its kind -- wants to exert its dominance over every being it encounters, even the humans it swims up to, Engleby and Horstman said. Aside from headbutting, chasing and biting, it may open its mouth to seem bigger and more intimidating; pop its jaw loudly; or slap others with its tail. People should not interpret those behaviors as an invitation to pet or feed the dolphin, though, or they can be hurt, the NOAA representatives said.
Humans' socializing with dolphins is also dangerous for the animals. Horstman flashed a photograph showing a mark from a fishing hook on the Slidell dolphin's snout. Dolphins far and wide get entangled with fishing gear from boats or are struck by the vessels. They occasionally annoy people who retaliate by shooting, stabbing or gashing them.
"This is a very real consequence," Horstman said. "When (dolphins) become accustomed to people, they can also become annoyances to people."
In a question-and-answer session at the end of the presentation, Lakeshore Estates resident Andrew Stoll pointed out that most of the folks disturbing the dolphin do not live in the upscale neighborhood. One person pleaded with officials to restrict traffic on the waterways the dolphin frequents, and complained about the commotion from outsiders flocking to Lakeshore Estates to see the dolphin.
All of that prompted a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agent in attendance to assure residents he and his colleagues would cite Marine Mammal Protection Act violators.
From the audience, Ed Bordes asked about capturing the dolphin and moving it to an aquarium, before it drowned a child. He asked why officials would prefer "to protect Mickey Mouse" instead of ensuring the safety of residents.
Horstman and Engleby said that simply leaving the dolphin alone would cause it to resort to more traditional behavior. They said the dolphin may not adjust well to a forced relocation to an aquarium, and if taken to another habitat in the wild, he would likely either not survive or simply swim back home to Lakeshore Estates.
Horstman said, "If we start to modify our behaviors, we will change dolphins' behaviors."

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