Evaluating the Effects of Stressors on Immune Function during Simulated Dives in Marine Mammals

The major goals of this study were to 1) gain an understanding of the marine mammal immune response with respect to dive adaptation by investigating the response of marine mammal immune cells to simulated dives (i.e. pressure excursions) and 2) to evaluate the potential for additional stressors to a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Romano, Tracy, Thompson, Laura
Other Authors: MYSTIC AQUARIUM AND INST FOR EXPLORATION CT
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 2014
Subjects:
Biology
Anatomy and Physiology
*AQUATIC ANIMALS
*DIVING
*STRESS(PHYSIOLOGY)
ASSAYING
CELLS(BIOLOGY)
HORMONES
MAMMALS
*IMMUNE FUNCTION
SIMULATED DIVES
*MARINE MAMMALS
IMMUNE CELLS
ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Beluga*
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA617500
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA617500
Description
Summary:The major goals of this study were to 1) gain an understanding of the marine mammal immune response with respect to dive adaptation by investigating the response of marine mammal immune cells to simulated dives (i.e. pressure excursions) and 2) to evaluate the potential for additional stressors to alter the response of marine mammal immune cells to simulated dives, thereby providing information which may aid future efforts to assess the impacts of anthropogenic activities on marine mammal health. The specific objectives of this effort were to 1) investigate the effects of simulated dive exposures on cellular immune function in belugas, 2) evaluate the effects of simulated dive exposures on cellular immune function in belugas following a known stressor event, 3) collect biological samples from wild belugas to compare with aquarium whales, and 4) compare the effects of simulated dive exposures on cellular immune function in seals from stranding (stressor) and release (healthy).

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