Utility of fur as a biomarker for persistent organic pollutants in Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus)

Taylor, Shannon; Lynch, Michael; Terkildsen, Michael; Stevenson, Gavin; Yates, Alan; Piro, N.; Araujo, Jesuina de; Gray, Rachael

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.204

Cited by 9 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…One group of animals for which a variety of monitoring techniques has been employed are the pinnipeds (true seals, fur seals, and sea lions; Croxall 1992, Huber et al 2001. They are known to be affected by marine pollution, commercial and recreational fisheries, oil spills, and tourism (Kirkwood et al 2003, Cassini et al 2004, McIntosh et al 2015, Alava and Ross 2018, Taylor et al 2018. They are known to be affected by marine pollution, commercial and recreational fisheries, oil spills, and tourism (Kirkwood et al 2003, Cassini et al 2004, McIntosh et al 2015, Alava and Ross 2018, Taylor et al 2018.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As top order predators, these animals are considered indicators of marine ecosystem health and recovery (Southwell et al 2013). They are known to be affected by marine pollution, commercial and recreational fisheries, oil spills, and tourism (Kirkwood et al 2003, Cassini et al 2004, McIntosh et al 2015, Alava and Ross 2018, Taylor et al 2018. In the era of the Anthropocene, reliably measuring anthropogenic impacts on the marine ecosystem is more critical than ever (Zalasiewicz et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Remotely piloted aircraft improve precision of capture–mark–resight population estimates of Australian fur seals

et al. 2019

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Remotely piloted aircraft (RPA or drones) have become a powerful tool for use in spatial and temporal ecology. Major benefits for environmental management, including improved accuracy and precision for population monitoring of fauna, are being realized. We used Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus) as a model system to assess how counts and capture-mark-resight (CMR) estimates derived from RPA surveys compared with both traditionally used ground counts and CMR abundance estimates at two colonies in southeastern Australia. To manage the large volume of data, we implemented a citizen science portal SealSpotter to screen RPA imagery for animals of the target age classes. Capture-mark-resight estimates and direct counts using RPA imagery provided measurable improvement in monitoring precision when compared with traditional techniques. A key methodological assumption of CMR estimates is that there is uniform mixing of marked animals across the focal area. This was also validated using spatial data derived from images and linear models, a novel capability of the RPA technique. Our findings have the potential to improve wildlife monitoring techniques for fur seals and are broadly transferable to a wide range of other animal taxa where CMR techniques are employed. Furthermore, they add to the growing body of evidence that demonstrates the benefits of RPAs for wildlife monitoring exceed those of traditional techniques.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remotely piloted aircraft improve precision of capture–mark–resight population estimates of Australian fur seals

et al. 2019

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“…An alopecia syndrome that affects thermoregulation and may reduce female survival in AFSs has been recognised at Lady Julia Percy Island [73] and may have exacerbated the pup reduction at this site. It is thought that this syndrome could be the expression of endocrine disrupting dioxin persistent organic pollutants [74]. Fluctuations in live pup counts can be caused by abnormally high early pup mortality (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The diet of the Australian fur seal is being monitored [30], there has also been some research into disease, pup body condition and health [73, 74, 84]. Future research needs to combine these projects temporally and spatially so that we can interpret the changes we are observing in the ecosystem.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding meta-population trends of the Australian fur seal, with insights for adaptive monitoring

et al. 2018

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Effective ecosystem-based management requires estimates of abundance and population trends of species of interest. Trend analyses are often limited due to sparse or short-term abundance estimates for populations that can be logistically difficult to monitor over time. Therefore it is critical to assess regularly the quality of the metrics in long-term monitoring programs. For a monitoring program to provide meaningful data and remain relevant, it needs to incorporate technological improvements and the changing requirements of stakeholders, while maintaining the integrity of the data. In this paper we critically examine the monitoring program for the Australian fur seal (AFS) Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus as an example of an ad-hoc monitoring program that was co-ordinated across multiple stakeholders as a range-wide census of live pups in the Austral summers of 2002, 2007 and 2013. This 5-yearly census, combined with historic counts at individual sites, successfully tracked increasing population trends as signs of population recovery up to 2007. The 2013 census identified the first reduction in AFS pup numbers (14,248 live pups, -4.2% change per annum since 2007), however we have limited information to understand this change. We analyse the trends at breeding colonies and perform a power analysis to critically examine the reliability of those trends. We then assess the gaps in the monitoring program and discuss how we may transition this surveillance style program to an adaptive monitoring program than can evolve over time and achieve its goals. The census results are used for ecosystem-based modelling for fisheries management and emergency response planning. The ultimate goal for this program is to obtain the data we need with minimal cost, effort and impact on the fur seals. In conclusion we identify the importance of power analyses for interpreting trends, the value of regularly assessing long-term monitoring programs and proper design so that adaptive monitoring principles can be applied.

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“…Immunological studies to understand drivers of disease in free-range Australian sea lions could prove helpful for the conservation management of populations. For example, understanding the effect of ecotoxicological biomarkers recently described for Australian pinnipeds ( 21 , 22 ) on health and immunity could inform management regulations. Immunological studies have highlighted the role of pollutants, tourism and co-infections as stressors for Galapagos sea lions ( 5 ) and bottlenose dolphins ( 23 , 24 ) and contributed toward the informed design of management actions ( 23 – 25 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing Immune Profiles of Endangered Australian Sea Lion (Neophoca cinerea) Pups Within the Context of Endemic Hookworm (Uncinaria sanguinis) Infection

et al. 2022

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As a top predator, the endangered Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) is a sentinel of ecosystem change, where population trends can reflect broader shifts in the marine environment. The population of this endemic pinniped was historically diminished by commercial sealing, and recovery has been slowed by fishery interactions, disease and, potentially, pollutants. Hookworm infects 100% of neonatal pups and has been identified as a contributor to population decline. Here, a multivariable approach using traditional serological and novel molecular tools such as qPCR and ddPCR was used to examine immune phenotypes of developing Australian sea lion pups infected with the endemic hookworm (Uncinaria sanguinis) from two South Australian colonies. Results show changing immunophenotypes throughout the patent period of infection represented by pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6), IgG and acute-phase proteins. Although cytokines may prove useful as markers of resistance, in this study, IL-6 is determined to be an early biomarker of inflammation in Australian sea lion pups, excluding the alternative hypothesis. Additionally, immunological differences between animals from high- and low-intensity hookworm seasons, as well as ivermectin-treated animals, indicate hookworm infection modulation of the host immune response, as evidenced by a lower IL-6 mRNA expression in the non-treated groups. This study of the Australian sea lion is an example of an ecoimmunological approach to disease investigation, which can be applied to evaluate the impact of environmental and anthropogenic factors on susceptibility to infectious diseases in free-ranging species

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Utility of fur as a biomarker for persistent organic pollutants in Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus)

Cited by 9 publications

References 36 publications

Remotely piloted aircraft improve precision of capture–mark–resight population estimates of Australian fur seals

Remotely piloted aircraft improve precision of capture–mark–resight population estimates of Australian fur seals

Understanding meta-population trends of the Australian fur seal, with insights for adaptive monitoring

Developing Immune Profiles of Endangered Australian Sea Lion (Neophoca cinerea) Pups Within the Context of Endemic Hookworm (Uncinaria sanguinis) Infection

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