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At least 667 records · Page 37Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Heart rates of northern elephant seals diving at sea and resting on the beach.

Heart rates of northern elephant seals diving at sea and during apnoea on land were monitored to test whether a cardiac response to submergence is an important factor in their ability to make repetitive, long-duration dives. Seven juvenile northern elephant seals were captured at Año Nuevo, CA, instrumented and translocated to release sites around Monterey Bay. Heart rate and dive depth were recorded using custom-designed data loggers and analogue tape monitors during the seals' return to Año Nuevo. Heart rates during apnoea and eupnoea were recorded from four of the seals after they hauled out on the beach. Diving patterns were very similar to those of naturally migrating juveniles. The heart rate response to apnoea at sea and on land was a prompt bradycardia, but only at sea was there an anticipatory tachycardia before breathing commenced. Heart rate at sea declined by 64% from the surface rate of 107 +/- 3 beats min-1 (mean +/- S.D.), while heart rate on land declined by 31% from the eupnoeic rate of 65 +/- 8 beats min-1. Diving heart rate was inversely related to dive duration in a non-linear fashion best described by a continuous, curvilinear model, while heart rate during apnoea on land was independent of the duration of apnoea. Occasionally, instantaneous heart rate fell as low as 3 beats min-1 during diving. Although bradycardia occurs in response to apnoea both at sea and on land, only at sea is heart rate apparently regulated to minimise eupnoeic time and to ration oxygen stores to ensure adequate supplies for the heart and brain not only as the dive progresses normally but also when a dive is abnormally extended.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Seasonal changes in buoyancy and diving behaviour of adult grey seals.

Phocid seals go through dramatic seasonal changes in body mass and composition as a result of the spatial and temporal separation of foraging, reproduction and moulting. These changes in body fat content and body mass result in seasonal changes in buoyancy, which in turn may influence diving behaviour. We examined the longitudinal changes in buoyancy and diving behaviour of 14 adult grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) during two periods that represent maximal contrast in body mass and composition. During both the post-moulting (PM) and pre-breeding (PB) periods, grey seals were negatively buoyant. However, buoyancy increased by 47.9 % between the PM and PB periods. Descent rate was significantly faster during the PM period (1.0+/-0.07 m s(-1)) than during the PB period (0.7+/-0.06 m s(-1)), suggesting that seals were aided by negative buoyancy during the downward portion of dives. Ascent rate was also significantly faster during the PM period (0.8+/-0.06 m s(-1)) than during the PB period (0.6+/-0.05 m s(-1)), contradicting the prediction that more buoyant animals should ascend faster. The effects of drag could not account for this discrepancy. Dive depth and surface interval between dives did not differ significantly between the two periods. Similarly, the distribution of dive shapes used by individuals did not differ between the two periods. However, dive duration was significantly longer during the PB period than during the PM period (5.5+/-0.25 min compared with 4.4+/-0.24 min, respectively) as was time spent at the bottom of the dive (3.1+/-0.22 min compared with 2.5+/-0.15 min, respectively).

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2001

Effects of training on forced submersion responses in harbor seals.

In several pinniped species, the heart rates observed during unrestrained dives are frequently higher than the severe bradycardias recorded during forced submersions. To examine other physiological components of the classic 'dive response' during such moderate bradycardias, a training protocol was developed to habituate harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) to short forced submersions. Significant changes were observed between physiological measurements made during naive and trained submersions (3-3.5 min). Differences were found in measurements of heart rate during submersion (naive 18+/-4.3 beats min(-1) versus trained 35+/-3.4 beats min(-1)), muscle blood flow measured using laser-Doppler flowmetry (naive 1.8+/-0.8 ml min(-1) 100 g(-1) versus trained 5.8+/-3.9 ml min(-1) 100 g(-1)), change in venous P(O(2)) (naive -0.44+/-1.25 kPa versus trained -1.48+/-0.76 kPa) and muscle deoxygenation rate (naive -0.67+/-0.27 mvd s(-1) versus trained -0.51+/-0.18 mvd s(-1), a relative measure of muscle oxygenation provided by the Vander Niroscope, where mvd are milli-vander units). In contrast to the naive situation, the post-submersion increase in plasma lactate levels was only rarely significant in trained seals. Resting eupneic (while breathing) heart rate and total oxygen consumption rates (measured in two seals) were not significantly different between the naive and trained states. This training protocol revealed that the higher heart rate and greater muscle blood flow in the trained seals were associated with a lower muscle deoxygenation rate, presumably secondary to greater extraction of blood O(2) during trained submersions. Supplementation of muscle oxygenation by blood O(2) delivery during diving would increase the rate of blood O(2) depletion but could prolong the duration of aerobic muscle metabolism during diving. This alteration of the dive response may increase the metabolic efficiency of diving.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Shrapnell's membrane in a mammal exposed to extreme pressure variations: morphological and radiological observations in the hooded seal.

The function of Shrapnell's membrane (pars flaccida; PF) in middle-ear mechanics is still an enigma, though numerous proposals have been put forward, e.g. protection of pars tensa, equalizing of middle-ear pressure, sound transmission, and the site of origin of otitis media. In this study the PF was studied in a mammal (the hooded seal) which exposes itself to extreme pressure differences (from 1 to 100 atmospheres) when diving. Formaldehyde-fixed temporal bones obtained from newborn, one-year-old, and adult seals (three of each) were cleansed and decalcified in 10 per cent EDTA. The lateral wall of the middle-ear cavity, including the whole tympanic membrane with its bony surroundings, was then excised and photodocumented. Thin sections were cut parallel with, and perpendicular to, the handle of the malleus, stained with haematoxylin-eosin, toluidine blue or Giemsa stain and examined under a light microscope. One seal head was subjected to high resolution computerized tomography (HRCT) before sectioning. The PF was observed to be a narrow fissure measuring a maximum of 0.8 mm between processus brevis of the malleus and the notch of Rivinus in pars squamosa (pars tensa diameter 10-12 mm). It seems unlikely that the PF of the hooded seal participates in pressure equalization in the middle ear. The main function of the lateral wall of the attic, including the minimal PF, appears to be to protect the middle-ear ossicles and allow movement of the malleus.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Contaminant-related suppression of delayed-type hypersensitivity and antibody responses in harbor seals fed herring from the Baltic Sea.

Recent mass mortalities among several marine mammal populations have led to speculation about increased susceptibility to viral infections as a result of contaminant-induced immunosuppression. In a 2.5-year study, we fed herring from either the relatively uncontaminated Atlantic Ocean or the contaminated Baltic Sea to two groups of captive harbor seals and monitored immune function in the seals. Seals fed the contaminated fish were less able to mount a specific immunological response to ovalbumin, as measured by in vivo delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions and antibody responses. The skin reaction to this protein antigen was characterized by the appearance of mononuclear cells which peaked at 24 hr after intradermal administration, characteristic of DTH reactions in other animals studied. These DTH responses correlated well with in vitro tests of T-lymphocyte function, implicating this cell type in the reaction. Aryl-hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor-dependent toxic equivalent (TEQ) profiles in blubber biopsies taken from the seals implicated polychlorinated biphenyls rather than dioxins or furans in the observed immunosuppression. Marine mammal populations currently inhabiting polluted coastal environments in Europe and North America may therefore have an increased susceptibility to infections, and pollution may have played a role in recent virus-induced mass mortalities.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Immunohistochemical localization of steroidogenic enzymes and prolactin receptors in the corpus luteum and placenta of spotted seals (Phoca largha) during late pregnancy.

To study luteal function in the late gestational period of Phocidae (seals), we analyzed the localization of steroidogenic enzymes (P450scc, 3betaHSD and P450arom) and prolactin receptors in the corpora lutea of pregnant spotted seals (Larga seal; Phoca largha) immunohistochemically. P450scc, 3betaHSD and prolactin receptors were present in all luteal cells of each corpus luteum, and most luteal cells were immunostained for P450arom. Although we analyzed only two specimens, P450scc, 3betaHSD and prolactin receptors were negatively immunostained in the placentae. P450arom was present in the syncytiotrophoblast of placentae. These findings suggest that 1) the corpus luteum of the spotted seal synthesizes pregnenolone, progesterone and estrogen during late gestational period, 2) the placenta of this species do not possess the capacity to synthesize progesterone, and 3) like other terrestrial carnivores, this species requires prolactin to maintain the corpus luteum during pregnancy. These characteristics support the recent classification of family Phocidae in the order Carnivora, and suggest a relationship between prolactin and reproductive failure during the post-implantation period in pinnipeds.

3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases↗
PubMed1992

Seasonal testosterone pattern in Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi).

Blood samples from four captive male Hawaiian monk seals were collected at intervals of one month for one year for testosterone assay. Plasma testosterone concentrations, measured by radioimmunoassay, revealed a clear seasonal pattern. The lowest mean testosterone concentration (0.09 +/- 0.04 ng ml-1) occurred in January, and the highest (1.78 +/- 0.40 ng ml-1) in June. The seasonal occurrence of births and of injuries related to mating in wild populations of Hawaiian monk seals showed a distinct association with the period of high testosterone. This study supports other data that indicate that the Hawaiian monk seal is a seasonal breeder and is reproductively active for longer than monachine seals that live in higher latitudes.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Origins and biological accumulation of small plastic particles in fur seals from Macquarie Island.

One hundred and sixty four plastic particles (mean length 4.1 mm) recovered from the scats of fur seals (Arctocephalus spp.) on Macquarie Island were examined. Electron micrographs of 41 of the plastic particles showed that none could be identified as plastic pellet feedstock from their shapes. Commonly, such pellets are cylindrical and spherical. Instead, all the 164 plastic particles from the seal scats were angular particles of 7 colors (feedstock particles are normally opaque or white) and could be classified into 2 categories: i) fragmented along crystal lines and likely to be the result of UV breakdown; and ii) worn by abrasion (where striations were clearly visible) into irregular shapes with rounded corners. White, brown, green, yellow and blue were the most common colors. In composition, they came from 5 polymer groups; polyethylene 93%, polypropylene 4%, poly(1-Cl-1-butenylene) polychloroprene 2%, melamine-urea (phenol) (formaldehyde) resin 0.5%, and cellulose (rope fiber) 0.5%. The larger groups are buoyant with a specific gravity less than that of seawater. These small plastic particles are formed from the breakdown of larger particles (fragments). Their origin seems to be from the breakdown of user plastics washed ashore and ground down on cobbled beaches. Certainly most particles (70%) had attained their final form by active abrasion. It is hypothesized that the plastic particles were washed out to sea and then selected by size and consumed by individuals of a pelagic fish species, Electrona subaspera, who in turn were consumed by the fur seals. Thus, the particles were accumulated both by the fish and the seals in the usual process of their feeding.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

A memory like a female Fur Seal: long-lasting recognition of pup's voice by mothers.

In colonial mammals like fur seals, mutual vocal recognition between mothers and their pup is of primary importance for breeding success. Females alternate feeding sea-trips with suckling periods on land, and when coming back from the ocean, they have to vocally find their offspring among numerous similar-looking pups. Young fur seals emit a 'mother-attraction call' that presents individual characteristics. In this paper, we review the perceptual process of pup's call recognition by Subantarctic Fur Seal Arctocephalus tropicalis mothers. To identify their progeny, females rely on the frequency modulation pattern and spectral features of this call. As the acoustic characteristics of a pup's call change throughout the lactation period due to the growing process, mothers have thus to refine their memorization of their pup's voice. Field experiments show that female Fur Seals are able to retain all the successive versions of their pup's call.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Molecular and morphometric evidence for separate species of Uncinaria (Nematoda: Ancylostomatidae) in California sea lions and northern fur seals: hypothesis testing supplants verification.

California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) and northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) are each believed to host distinct hookworm species (Uncinaria spp.). However, a recent morphometric analysis suggested that a single species parasitizes multiple pinniped hosts, and that the observed differences are host-induced. To explore the systematics of these hookworms and test these competing hypotheses, we obtained nucleotide sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA (D2/D3 28S, D18/D19 28S, and internal transcribed spacer [ITS] regions) from 20 individual hookworms parasitizing California sea lion and northern fur seal pups where their breeding grounds are sympatric. Five individuals from an allopatric population of California sea lions were also sampled for ITS-1 and D18/D19 28S sequences. The 28S D2/D3 sequences showed no diagnostic differences among hookworms sampled from individual sea lions and fur seals, whereas the 28S D18/D19 sequences had one derived (apomorphic) character demarcating hookworms from northern fur seals. ITS sequences were variable for 7 characters, with 4 derived (apomorphic) states in ITS-1 demarcating hookworms from California sea lions. Multivariate analysis of morphometric data also revealed significant differences between nematodes representing these 2 host-associated lineages. These results indicate that these hookworms represent 2 species that are not distributed indiscriminately between these host species, but instead exhibit host fidelity, evolving independently with each respective host species. This evolutionary approach to analyzing sequence data for species delimitation is contrasted with similarity-based methods that have been applied to numerous diagnostic studies of nematode parasites.

Ancylostomatoidea↗
PubMed2001

Isolation and characterization of two parasitic protozoa from a Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi) with meningoencephalomyelitis.

Two species of protozoans were isolated from a harbor seal with fatal meninogoencephalitis. Serologic reactivity was detected to both Sarcocystis neurona and Toxoplasma gondii. Parasites associated with brain inflammation and necrosis reacted only with immunohistochemical stains utilizing polyclonal antisera raised against Sarcocystis neurona. However, 2 distinct parasites were observed in cell cultures derived from the seal's brain tissue. These parasites were separated by mouse passage and limiting dilution. Purified zoites from 1 isolate (HS1) reacted strongly with polyclonal antiserum to S. neurona and with the harbor seal's own serum (1:2,560 for each) on indirect immunofluorescent antibody tests (IFAT), but weakly to antisera to T. gondii and Neospora caninum (1:40). Zoites from the second isolate (HS2) reacted positively with T. gondii polyclonal antiserum (1:81,920) and with the harbor seal's own serum (1:640), but weakly to S. neurona and N. caninum antisera (1:80 or less). Amplification and sequence analysis of protozoal DNA encoding portions of the 18s ribosomal RNA (18s rDNA) and the adjacent first internal transcribed spacer (ITSI) were performed for both isolates, and resulting sequences were compared to those from similar protozoans. Based on molecular characterization, parasite morphology, serologic reactivity, histology, and immunohistochemistry, HS1 was indistinguishable from S. neurona, and HS2 was indistinguishable from T. gondii.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Absence of circadian patterns of secretion of melatonin or cortisol in Weddell seals under continuous natural daylight.

Blood samples were obtained from adult female Weddell seals in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, utilizing four different seals every 2 h for 24 h on two occasions in November 1987. Plasma levels of melatonin were mostly near zero, whereas the values for cortisol were high (2101 +/- 54 and 1908 +/- 108 (S.E.M.) nmol/l, n = 52). For both hormones there was no evidence of a diurnal pattern of secretion. Juvenile seals sampled in December 1985 also had no evidence of a diurnal secretion pattern of melatonin, but blood levels of melatonin were higher than in adults. The results indicate that secretion of melatonin in adult Weddell seals ceases during the Antarctic summer.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Thyroid hormone status in gray seal (Halichoerus grypus) pups from the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in relation to organochlorine pollutants.

Marine apex predators, such as the gray seal (Halichoerus grypus), are exposed to high concentrations of organochlorine (OC) compounds via biomagnification in the food web. These lipophilic pollutants are transferred from the female to her offspring during lactation, and there is particular concern for endocrine disruption in the offspring. Herein we examined associations between the blubber concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and metabolites, chlordanes, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and plasma concentrations of thyroid hormones (thyroxine [T4] and tri-iodothyronine [T3]) in free-ranging, newly weaned gray seal pups from the Baltic Sea and the Norwegian waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Concentrations of total T3 (TT3) and free T3 (FT3) were significantly lower in the polluted seals from the Baltic Sea. Blubber concentrations of the sum of the analyzed PCB congeners (sigmaPCBs) and the sum of the DDT compounds (sigmaDDTs) were correlated negatively with plasma TT3 and FT3 concentrations. The results from this study indicate that OCs may affect levels of thyroid hormones in free-ranging gray seal pups, and that more focus should be put on T3 when addressing the possible effects of OCs on thyroid hormone function and status in nonrodent species.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1996

Tuberculosis in sea lions and fur seals from the south-western Atlantic coast.

Diverse pathological conditions causing the strandings and/or deaths of several species of sea lions and seals on the northern coast of the province of Buenos Aires are being studied. Tuberculosis was diagnosed in six cases of strandings, involving two otariid seal species (one Otaria flavescens and five Arctocephalus australis), between March 1989 and December 1992. Necropsies were performed on all six cases. Granulomatous lesions were observed in the prescapular and hepatic lymph nodes. Lesions were also seen in the lungs, pleura, liver, spleen and peritoneum. Bacteriological isolation was attempted from all the samples. The isolates were identified as belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Some showed characteristics consistent with M. bovis, whereas others demonstrated properties of M. tuberculosis. Genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from these strains was analysed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), using IS6110, a genetic marker found only in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Using the IS6110 probe, similar fingerprints were obtained, suggesting a common source of infection. However, the pattern of DNA differed from DNA patterns of M. bovis isolated from humans and cattle in Argentina, which generally contain a unique 1.9 kbp band. These results suggest that mycobacteria isolated from wild seals form a different grouping inside the M. tuberculosis complex. This is the first time that tuberculosis has been detected in wild seals from the south-western Atlantic coast.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Isolation and characterization of novel Helicobacter spp. from the gastric mucosa of harp seals Phoca groenlandica.

Since the recent discovery of Helicobacter cetorum in cetaceans and its role in the development of gastritis, speculation has existed as to whether pinnipeds have Helicobacter spp. associated gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. The gastric mucosa of 4 stranded harp seals Phoca groenlandica from the Massachusetts coastline were assessed for Helicobacter spp. by culture and PCR. We cultured 2 novel Helicobacter spp. from the pyloric antrum of 1 of the 4 harp seals studied, and identified these by PCR in 2 of the 4 seals. Both gram-negative bacterial isolates were catalase- and oxidase-positive. However, a fusiform helicobacter with flexispira morphology was urease-positive, and a spiral-shaped helicobacter was urease-negative. Slender, spiral and fusiform-shaped bacteria were detected in the gastric mucosa by the Warthin-Starry stain. Histopathologic analysis revealed mild diffuse lymphoplasmacytic gastritis within the superficial mucosa of the pyloric antrum of both infected seals. The 2 bacterial isolates were classified by 16S rRNA analysis; they clustered with other enteric helicobacters and represent 2 novel Helicobacter spp. The urease-negative bacterial isolate clustered with H. canis and the urease-positive isolate clustered with an isolate from a sea lion and isolates from sea otters. This cluster of pinniped isolates has 97 % similarity to a number of Helicobacter species, but appears to be most closely related to other helicobacters with flexispira morphology. These findings suggest that the novel Helicobacter spp. may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of gastrointestinal diseases in pinnipeds. To our knowledge, this represents the first isolation and characterization of a novel Helicobacter spp. from pinnipeds.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Sealpox in captive grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and their handlers.

Histopathologic, ultrastructural, and negative-staining studies indicated that nodular lesions on the flippers, head, and necks of recently weaned, captive grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) were similar to sealpox lesions reported from several other species of seals. Virions associated with the nodules were characteristic of the parapoxvirus subgroup of pox viruses. Two of the three persons handling the seals developed nodular lesions similar to "milker's nodules," the characteristic lesion in persons infected with parapoxvirus. The clinical course of the parapoxvirus infection in both the grey seals and their handlers is described. It was concluded that although sealpox is transmissible to man, the mild clinical manifestations place it in the nuisance category of zoonotic diseases.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Serologic study of phocine distemper in a population of harbor seals in Scotland.

A serologic survey of the prevalence of morbillivirus antibodies was conducted in a population of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from northeastern Scotland, where mortality was comparatively low during the 1988 phocine distemper virus outbreak. None of the 12 seals sampled before the epizootic were seropositive. Thirty-five (52%) of 68 seals sampled after the beginning of the epizootic were seropositive, although there were significant age-related differences in both the number of seropositive individuals and in antibody levels. Marking studies showed that most seropositive seals caught during the peak of the epizootic survived for several months. Thus, the low mortality observed in this population did not appear to result from a lack of contact with the virus.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2002

Response of wild subantarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus tropicalis) females to ketamine and tiletamine-zolazepam anesthesia.

This study is the first to compare the anesthetic effects of two cyclohexamines on free-ranging subantarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus tropicalis) females. From April to July 1999, 107 females were immobilized for tooth extraction and blood sampling, using either ketamine (Ketalar, n = 58) alone or tiletamine-zolazepam (Zoletil 100, n = 49) mixture. Animals were injected intramuscularly at mean doses of 2.1 mg/kg for ketamine and 1.1 mg/kg for tiletamine-zolazepam mixture. Individual response to both drugs was highly variable. The dosage required to achieve a satisfactory level of anesthesia was smaller for subantarctic fur seals than for most other species of seals and was less for animals in better body condition. Few side effects were observed during the trials, aside from mild tremors caused by ketamine, and respiratory depression or prolonged apnea caused by tiletamine-zolazepam. We recommend use of ketamine, especially by those with little experience in anesthesia of fur seals. However, precautionary measures should be taken, such as using low doses for animals in good body condition and being prepared for anesthetic emergencies to avoid any casualties.

Anesthetics, Combined↗