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Olsen AY, Smith A, Hempstead C, Larson SE. Analytical Validation and Assessment of Baseline Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites in Northern Sea Otters ( Enhydra lutris kenyoni) in Human Care. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2175. [PMID: 37443973 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs) have been used as a non-invasive and indirect measurement of the complex stress response in a variety of species. Animals in facilities under managed care allow for the longitudinal study of FGMs in a controlled environment. Animal histories often include environmental, husbandry, and medical notes that can be matched to FGM concentrations to aid in the physiological validation of adrenal stimulation and response. The goal of this study was to demonstrate analytical validations using two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (EIA) to measure FGMs from northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) under human care (Seattle Aquarium, Seattle, WA, USA) and to determine baseline and stress response spike levels for individual sea otters. Individual variation was found among the four subjects in the study with fecal baseline levels ranging from 20.2 to 83.7 ng/g for cortisol-immunoreactive metabolites and 52.3 to 102 ng/g for corticosterone-immunoreactive metabolites. As a retrospective study, 39 percent of hormone peaks were associated with notes and most FGM spikes were associated with veterinary procedures or days in which enrichment items were provided and produced an excitatory response. Monitoring baseline FGMs levels and events associated with hormone peak values may provide insight into effective husbandry management to improve the overall welfare of sea otters and other marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Y Olsen
- Seattle Aquarium, 1483 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Angela Smith
- Seattle Aquarium, 1483 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | | | - Shawn E Larson
- Seattle Aquarium, 1483 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
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Beaman JE, Mulligan C, Moore C, Mitchell D, Narayan E, Burke da Silva K. Resident wild koalas show resilience to large-scale translocation of bushfire-rescued koalas. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coac088. [PMID: 36726864 PMCID: PMC9885738 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife translocation is increasingly utilized as a conservation management action, to mitigate the immediate negative effects of habitat loss and fragmentation (e.g. from land clearing or bushfires). Previous research has shown that stress responses can help or hinder survival in translocated wildlife and determine the efficacy of translocation as a conservation action. Yet these translocated animals are only one side of the equation, with translocation also potentially impacting the animals in the recipient population. We measured physiological markers of stress (faecal cortisol metabolite concentrations and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratios) and assessed health condition in a wild koala population one year after a major translocation of bushfire-rescued koalas on Kangaroo Island. We expected to find a high population density at the site (>0.75 koalas per hectare) and that resident koalas would show signs of chronic stress and ill health as a result of territorial conflict over food trees and reproductive opportunities. In contrast, we found that only one-fifth of the population remaining at the site were translocated koalas. The overall population density was also much lower (0.21 koalas per hectare) than anticipated. With no evidence of mass mortality at the site, we suggest that the majority of translocated koalas dispersed away from the site. Our stress marker measurements did not differ between the wild koalas and a sample of captive (non-display) koalas at the nearby Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park and were generally low compared to other studies. Veterinary examinations found that most koalas were in good body condition with very few diagnostic indicators of systemic ill health. Overall, our results suggest that, if there is adequate landscape-scale habitat connectivity and opportunity for dispersal, translocated koalas are likely to disperse from the site of release, with limited impacts on recipient koala populations at translocation release sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian E Beaman
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia 5042
| | - Connor Mulligan
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia 5042
| | - Claire Moore
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia 5042
| | - Dana Mitchell
- Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, 4068 Playford Hwy, Duncan, South Australia 5223
- Kangaroo Island Koala & Wildlife Rescue Centre, 4068 Playford Hwy, Duncan, South Australia 5223
| | - Edward Narayan
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Lawes, Queensland 4343
| | - Karen Burke da Silva
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia 5042
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Southern Sea Otter Rehabilitation: Lessons and Impacts from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL GARDENS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/jzbg3040047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
As biodiversity continues to decline across the globe, conservation of wildlife species and the ecosystems they inhabit is more important than ever. When species dwindle, ecosystems that depend on them are also impacted, often leading to a decrease in the life-giving services healthy ecosystems provide to humans, wildlife, and the global environment. Methods of wildlife conservation are complex and multi-faceted, ranging from education and advocacy to, research, restoration, and rehabilitation. Here, we review a conservation program focused on helping recover the federally listed threatened southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) population. We describe the development of unique rehabilitation methods and steps taken to advance the program’s conservation impact. Understanding this evolution can inform conservation efforts for other vulnerable species and their ecosystems.
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Santymire RM, Young M, Lenihan E, Murray MJ. Preliminary Investigation into Developing the Use of Swabs for Skin Cortisol Analysis for the Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola). Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12202868. [PMID: 36290254 PMCID: PMC9597772 DOI: 10.3390/ani12202868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Zoos and aquaria play an important role in preventing the mass extinction of wildlife through public awareness of conservation issues and providing a safe haven for wildlife populations. Because aquatic populations face many challenges due to pollution and global warming, it is important to develop an understanding of how species can cope with their environment whether it be in the wild or under human care. Here, we were interested in developing non-invasive methods to study fish stress physiology. We use the unique ocean sunfish (Mola mola) to develop the use of skin swabs to measure the stress hormone, cortisol. We used known times of stress including when a mola was injured or ill and during acclimation to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We found that cortisol increased initially within the first month of being admitted to the aquarium, but returned to normal values afterward. Molas also had elevated cortisol when being treated for an injury or illness. This is the first step in the development of the use of skin swabs to collect samples for stress analysis in the mola. Additional biochemical analysis is needed to confirm these results and allow this method to be applied to other species of fish. Abstract The ocean sunfish (mola; Mola mola) is the heaviest bony fish in the world. This slow-moving fish often is injured by fishing boats that use drift gillnets attributing to its listing as Vulnerable by the IUCN. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (Monterey, CA, USA) has a program that brings in smaller molas from the ocean and acclimates them for an exhibit. When they grow too large for the million-gallon Open Seas exhibit, they are returned to Monterey Bay through a “reverse” acclimatization. Our overall goal was to use skin swabs to evaluate mola stress physiology to better understand the effects of this program. Our objectives were to validate this non-invasive method by taking opportunistic swabs throughout acclimatization and during stressful events. We swabbed each individual (n = 12) in three different body locations. Swabs were analyzed using a cortisol enzyme immunoassay. We averaged the three swabs and examined the absolute change of cortisol from the first taken upon handling to during treatments and the different acclimation stages. We considered elevated cortisol concentrations to be ≥1.5-fold higher than the first sample. Overall, mean (±SEM) cortisol varied among individuals (564.2 ± 191.5 pg/mL swab (range, 18.3–7012.0 pg/mL swab). The majority (four of six) of molas swabbed within the first week or month had elevated skin cortisol compared to their first sample. All seven molas that were being treated for an injury or illness had elevated skin cortisol (range, 1.7- to 127.6-fold higher) compared to their post-acclimation sample. This is the first step in validating the use of non-invasive skin swabs for glucocorticoid analysis in the mola. Further biochemical analysis is needed to determine the specific steroids that are being measured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M. Santymire
- Biology Department, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave SE, 4th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Marissa Young
- Veterinary Services, Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940, USA
| | - Erin Lenihan
- Veterinary Services, Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940, USA
| | - Michael J. Murray
- Veterinary Services, Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940, USA
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Panchal N, Desai C, Ghosal R. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels in captive Indian leopards (Panthera pardus fusca) housed under three different enrichment regimes. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0261796. [PMID: 36083970 PMCID: PMC9462577 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental enrichment improves the health and wellbeing of zoo animals. To test this hypothesis, we used Indian leopards (Panthera pardus fusca), one of the popular zoo animals, as a model organism to understand effects of active and passive enrichment elements on stress hormone levels of captive individuals. We included three enrichment categories, category ‘A’ (having both active: cage size of 1204 m3 with raised platforms and earthen flooring, and passive: controlled temperature, playback of forest sounds and sound proof glass to filter visitors’ noise, enrichment elements), category ‘B’ (active enrichment type I, cage size of 264 m3 with air coolers), and category C (active enrichment type II, cage size of 517 m3 without air coolers) for leopards (n = 14) housed in two Indian zoos. We used a group-specific enzyme immunoassay to measure fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM) in captive leopards. For comparison, we analysed samples from free-ranging leopards, as well. fGCM levels (Mean±SEM) were 10.45±2.01 and 0.95±0.003 μg/g dry feces in captive and free-ranging leopards, respectively. Our results revealed that fGCM levels of leopards in categories B and C were significantly (P<0.05) different from each other, thus, indicating cage size (an active enrichment element) as an important factor in influencing the physiology of the sampled animals. Overall, the findings of the study will contribute towards informed policies for management of captive Indian leopards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirali Panchal
- Biological and Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Chena Desai
- Biological and Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Ratna Ghosal
- Biological and Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
- * E-mail:
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Chancellor S, Abbo L, Grasse B, Sakmar T, Brown JS, Scheel D, Santymire RM. Determining the effectiveness of using dermal swabs to evaluate the stress physiology of laboratory cephalopods: A preliminary investigation. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 314:113903. [PMID: 34529999 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
To better comprehend the physiology of cephalopods, we used a minimal invasive technique of skin mucus swabs to measure immunoreactive corticosteroids in three cephalopod species commonly kept in captivity and promoted as new model organisms: Euprymna berryi, Sepia bandensis, and Octopus chierchiae. We compared results between sexes and age classes and then evaluated their stress responses during acclimation to a new habitat. To better understand glucocorticoid production, we conducted an adrenocorticotropic hormone, using Cosyntropin (an adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) analogue) challenge with a saline control and swabbed their mantles at 15-minute intervals for 2 h. Results showed cortisol was higher for younger individuals. Additionally, cortisol and corticosterone concentrations decreased by 2-fold after 2 to 4 days of acclimation to a new habitat. We were able to successfully measure 2-fold increase in immunoreactive corticosteroids which reacted with cortisol and corticosterone assays for all the species following ACTH injection, although not all individuals responded similarly. With further investigation, this technique can increase our understanding and management of cephalopods in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Chancellor
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, USA.
| | - Lisa Abbo
- Marine Biological Laboratory, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Joel S Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, USA; Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Florida, USA
| | - David Scheel
- Institute of Culture and the Environment, Alaska Pacific University, Alaska, USA
| | - Rachel M Santymire
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, USA; Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Illinois, USA
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