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Weisbrod TC, de Wit M, Hernandez JA, Panike AL, Rotstein D, Stacy NI. Manatee Trichechus manatus latirostris calf mortality in Florida: a retrospective review of pathology data from 2009-2017. Dis Aquat Organ 2021; 147:111-126. [PMID: 34913440 DOI: 10.3354/dao03639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
High maternal investment and extended inter-calving intervals in Florida manatees Trichechus manatus latirostris make calf survivorship critical to overall population growth. However, detailed patterns of causes of mortality in calves have not been reported and state agency statistics report portions of perinatal mortality based on body length rather than actual cause of death (COD). The objectives of this study were to categorize COD based on necropsy data and geographical location in Florida for 1209 manatee calf carcasses (<236 cm total length) examined between January 2009 and December 2017 and to describe factors contributing to calf mortality. Results indicated COD was attributed to natural causes (47%, n = 573), cold stress syndrome (38%, n = 457), watercraft injury (13%, n = 155), or other human-related causes (2%, n = 24). Natural causes were the leading COD for small calves <151 cm, with death due to stillbirth or dystocia most frequent (48%, n = 273/573). Enteric trematodiasis contributed to a large proportion of deaths from natural causes in large calves within the southwest region of Florida, with an increasing annual trend. Brevetoxicosis contributed substantially to natural causes within the southwest region exclusively and was commonly comorbid with enteric trematodiasis. Cold stress syndrome was the leading cause of death for large calves (151-235 cm), with the Atlantic region having the highest proportion of cases. Watercraft injury was a sustained threat to large calves, especially within the southwest region. This report provides details on specific health threats and patterns of mortality among manatee calves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana C Weisbrod
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32608, USA
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Palmer K, Bangma JT, Reiner JL, Bonde RK, Korte JE, Boggs ASP, Bowden JA. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in plasma of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). Mar Pollut Bull 2019; 140:610-615. [PMID: 30803684 PMCID: PMC6529203 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous, synthetic anthropogenic chemicals known to infiltrate and persist in biological systems as a result of their stability and bioaccumulation potential. This study investigated 15 PFAS, including short-chain carboxylic and sulfonic acids, and their presence in a threatened herbivore, the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). Seven of the 15 PFAS examined were detected in manatee plasma. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) (ranging from 0.13 to 166 ng/g ww) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) (ranging from 0.038 to 3.52 ng/g ww) were detected in every manatee plasma sample examined (n = 69), with differing medians across sampling sites in Florida, Crystal River (n = 39), Brevard County (n = 18), Everglades National Park (n = 8), and four samples (n = 4) from Puerto Rico. With an herbivorous diet and long life-span, the manatee provides a new perspective to monitoring PFAS contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kady Palmer
- Grice Marine Laboratory, College of Charleston, 205 Fort Johnson Rd, Charleston, SC 29412, United States.
| | - Jacqueline T Bangma
- Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 221 Fort Johnson Rd, Charleston, SC 29412, United States
| | - Jessica L Reiner
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Rd, Charleston, SC 29412, United States.
| | - Robert K Bonde
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, 7920 NW 71st Street, Gainesville, FL 32653, United States.
| | - Jeffrey E Korte
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 135 Cannon Street, Suite 303, Charleston, SC 29425, United States.
| | - Ashley S P Boggs
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Rd, Charleston, SC 29412, United States
| | - John A Bowden
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Rd, Charleston, SC 29412, United States; University of Florida, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32601, United States.
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