Assessment of fecal steroid and thyroid hormone metabolites in eastern North Pacific gray whales
Abstract Baleen whale fecal samples have high potential for endocrine monitoring, which can be used as a non-invasive tool to identify the physiological response to disturbance events and describe population health and vital rates. In this study, we used commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays...
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Oxford University Press (OUP)
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaa110 http://academic.oup.com/conphys/article-pdf/8/1/coaa110/34738207/coaa110.pdf |
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croxfordunivpr:10.1093/conphys/coaa110 2024-10-06T13:47:31+00:00 Assessment of fecal steroid and thyroid hormone metabolites in eastern North Pacific gray whales Lemos, Leila S Olsen, Amy Smith, Angela Chandler, Todd E Larson, Shawn Hunt, Kathleen Torres, Leigh G Cooke, Steven Cetacean Society International Mamie Markham Research Award Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute Oregon Sea Grant Program Development funds NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Science and Technology Ocean Acoustics Program 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaa110 http://academic.oup.com/conphys/article-pdf/8/1/coaa110/34738207/coaa110.pdf en eng Oxford University Press (OUP) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Conservation Physiology volume 8, issue 1 ISSN 2051-1434 journal-article 2020 croxfordunivpr https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaa110 2024-09-10T04:13:45Z Abstract Baleen whale fecal samples have high potential for endocrine monitoring, which can be used as a non-invasive tool to identify the physiological response to disturbance events and describe population health and vital rates. In this study, we used commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to validate and quantify fecal steroid (progestins, androgens and glucocorticoids) and thyroid hormone metabolite concentrations in eastern North Pacific gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) along the Oregon coast, USA, from May to October of 2016–2018. Higher mean progestin metabolite concentrations were observed in postweaning females, followed by pregnant females. Mean androgen, glucocorticoid and thyroid metabolites were higher in mature males. Progestin, glucocorticoids and thyroid fecal metabolites varied significantly by year, with positive correlations between progestin and androgen, and between glucocorticoid and thyroid metabolites. We also present two case studies of a documented injured whale and a mature male displaying reproductive competitive behavior, which provide reference points for physiologically stressed individuals and adult breeding males, respectively. Our methods and findings advance the knowledge of baleen whale physiology, can help guide future research on whale physiology and can inform population management and conservation efforts regarding minimizing the impact of anthropogenic stressors on whales. Article in Journal/Newspaper baleen whale Oxford University Press Pacific Conservation Physiology 8 1 |
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Oxford University Press |
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croxfordunivpr |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Baleen whale fecal samples have high potential for endocrine monitoring, which can be used as a non-invasive tool to identify the physiological response to disturbance events and describe population health and vital rates. In this study, we used commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to validate and quantify fecal steroid (progestins, androgens and glucocorticoids) and thyroid hormone metabolite concentrations in eastern North Pacific gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) along the Oregon coast, USA, from May to October of 2016–2018. Higher mean progestin metabolite concentrations were observed in postweaning females, followed by pregnant females. Mean androgen, glucocorticoid and thyroid metabolites were higher in mature males. Progestin, glucocorticoids and thyroid fecal metabolites varied significantly by year, with positive correlations between progestin and androgen, and between glucocorticoid and thyroid metabolites. We also present two case studies of a documented injured whale and a mature male displaying reproductive competitive behavior, which provide reference points for physiologically stressed individuals and adult breeding males, respectively. Our methods and findings advance the knowledge of baleen whale physiology, can help guide future research on whale physiology and can inform population management and conservation efforts regarding minimizing the impact of anthropogenic stressors on whales. |
author2 |
Cooke, Steven Cetacean Society International Mamie Markham Research Award Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute Oregon Sea Grant Program Development funds NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Science and Technology Ocean Acoustics Program |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lemos, Leila S Olsen, Amy Smith, Angela Chandler, Todd E Larson, Shawn Hunt, Kathleen Torres, Leigh G |
spellingShingle |
Lemos, Leila S Olsen, Amy Smith, Angela Chandler, Todd E Larson, Shawn Hunt, Kathleen Torres, Leigh G Assessment of fecal steroid and thyroid hormone metabolites in eastern North Pacific gray whales |
author_facet |
Lemos, Leila S Olsen, Amy Smith, Angela Chandler, Todd E Larson, Shawn Hunt, Kathleen Torres, Leigh G |
author_sort |
Lemos, Leila S |
title |
Assessment of fecal steroid and thyroid hormone metabolites in eastern North Pacific gray whales |
title_short |
Assessment of fecal steroid and thyroid hormone metabolites in eastern North Pacific gray whales |
title_full |
Assessment of fecal steroid and thyroid hormone metabolites in eastern North Pacific gray whales |
title_fullStr |
Assessment of fecal steroid and thyroid hormone metabolites in eastern North Pacific gray whales |
title_full_unstemmed |
Assessment of fecal steroid and thyroid hormone metabolites in eastern North Pacific gray whales |
title_sort |
assessment of fecal steroid and thyroid hormone metabolites in eastern north pacific gray whales |
publisher |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaa110 http://academic.oup.com/conphys/article-pdf/8/1/coaa110/34738207/coaa110.pdf |
geographic |
Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Pacific |
genre |
baleen whale |
genre_facet |
baleen whale |
op_source |
Conservation Physiology volume 8, issue 1 ISSN 2051-1434 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaa110 |
container_title |
Conservation Physiology |
container_volume |
8 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1812175721843392512 |