Relationships between blubber and respiratory vapour steroid hormone concentrations in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Respiratory vapour ("blow") has been successfully used as a sample matrix for reproductive and adrenal endocrine assessments of some captive cetacean species. Given that the accuracy of blow hormone measurements can be affected by seawater contamination, variable sample volumes, and respir...
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Western Illinois University Regional Center
2019
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ftunivqespace:oai:espace.library.uq.edu.au:UQ:3c70ea7 2023-05-15T17:10:49+02:00 Relationships between blubber and respiratory vapour steroid hormone concentrations in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) Mingramm, Fletcher M. J. Keeley, Tamara Whitworth, Deanne J. Dunlop, Rebecca A. 2019-09-01 https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:3c70ea7 eng eng Western Illinois University Regional Center doi:10.1578/AM.45.5.2019.465 issn:0167-5427 issn:1996-7292 orcid:0000-0001-7001-3366 orcid:0000-0003-2327-5958 orcid:0000-0002-9097-0240 orcid:0000-0002-0427-6317 HOLSW2016-R1-F003 100006313 Not set Dolphin Tursiops-Truncatus Progesterone Concentrations Enzyme-Immunoassay Testosterone Cetaceans Cortisol Samples Blow 1103 Animal Science and Zoology 1104 Aquatic Science 2309 Nature and Landscape Conservation Journal Article 2019 ftunivqespace https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.45.5.2019.465 2020-12-08T07:00:25Z Respiratory vapour ("blow") has been successfully used as a sample matrix for reproductive and adrenal endocrine assessments of some captive cetacean species. Given that the accuracy of blow hormone measurements can be affected by seawater contamination, variable sample volumes, and respiratory water dilution, it is a much more difficult technique to use for studies on wild cetaceans. Herein, we aimed to determine if blow sampling was a viable technique to measure reproductive and adrenal hormone concentrations in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). To achieve this, concentrations of progesterone, testosterone, oestradiol, and cortisol were measured in paired blow and blubber samples collected from free-swimming whales (n = 48). Hormone concentrations were compared between sample types and examined in relation to a whale's demographic class and the season when it was sampled. Testosterone concentrations were poorly correlated between sample types. In contrast, blubber concentration had a significant impact on the fit of the blow progesterone, oestradiol, and cortisol models (chi(2) = [11.52, 22.57, 6.121, p = [< 0.001, < 0.001, 0.013], respectively). There was little further evidence that blow hormone concentrations were driven by the physiological condition of a whale. Overall, the, strongest evidence came from one adult female who was presumed to be pregnant based on her blubber progesterone concentration (9.97 ng/g). This adult female displayed a blow progesterone concentration of 0.94 ng/mL, which was markedly higher than all other adult females and most other whales with the exception of two. Currently, however, blubber sampling is the preferred option for studying the endocrinology of humpback whales, primarily due to the ease of sample collection and robustness of hormone analyses. Further refinements and validation tests are required before blow hormone monitoring can he used as a non-invasive alternative. Article in Journal/Newspaper Megaptera novaeangliae The University of Queensland: UQ eSpace Aquatic Mammals 45 5 465 477 |
institution |
Open Polar |
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The University of Queensland: UQ eSpace |
op_collection_id |
ftunivqespace |
language |
English |
topic |
Dolphin Tursiops-Truncatus Progesterone Concentrations Enzyme-Immunoassay Testosterone Cetaceans Cortisol Samples Blow 1103 Animal Science and Zoology 1104 Aquatic Science 2309 Nature and Landscape Conservation |
spellingShingle |
Dolphin Tursiops-Truncatus Progesterone Concentrations Enzyme-Immunoassay Testosterone Cetaceans Cortisol Samples Blow 1103 Animal Science and Zoology 1104 Aquatic Science 2309 Nature and Landscape Conservation Mingramm, Fletcher M. J. Keeley, Tamara Whitworth, Deanne J. Dunlop, Rebecca A. Relationships between blubber and respiratory vapour steroid hormone concentrations in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) |
topic_facet |
Dolphin Tursiops-Truncatus Progesterone Concentrations Enzyme-Immunoassay Testosterone Cetaceans Cortisol Samples Blow 1103 Animal Science and Zoology 1104 Aquatic Science 2309 Nature and Landscape Conservation |
description |
Respiratory vapour ("blow") has been successfully used as a sample matrix for reproductive and adrenal endocrine assessments of some captive cetacean species. Given that the accuracy of blow hormone measurements can be affected by seawater contamination, variable sample volumes, and respiratory water dilution, it is a much more difficult technique to use for studies on wild cetaceans. Herein, we aimed to determine if blow sampling was a viable technique to measure reproductive and adrenal hormone concentrations in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). To achieve this, concentrations of progesterone, testosterone, oestradiol, and cortisol were measured in paired blow and blubber samples collected from free-swimming whales (n = 48). Hormone concentrations were compared between sample types and examined in relation to a whale's demographic class and the season when it was sampled. Testosterone concentrations were poorly correlated between sample types. In contrast, blubber concentration had a significant impact on the fit of the blow progesterone, oestradiol, and cortisol models (chi(2) = [11.52, 22.57, 6.121, p = [< 0.001, < 0.001, 0.013], respectively). There was little further evidence that blow hormone concentrations were driven by the physiological condition of a whale. Overall, the, strongest evidence came from one adult female who was presumed to be pregnant based on her blubber progesterone concentration (9.97 ng/g). This adult female displayed a blow progesterone concentration of 0.94 ng/mL, which was markedly higher than all other adult females and most other whales with the exception of two. Currently, however, blubber sampling is the preferred option for studying the endocrinology of humpback whales, primarily due to the ease of sample collection and robustness of hormone analyses. Further refinements and validation tests are required before blow hormone monitoring can he used as a non-invasive alternative. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mingramm, Fletcher M. J. Keeley, Tamara Whitworth, Deanne J. Dunlop, Rebecca A. |
author_facet |
Mingramm, Fletcher M. J. Keeley, Tamara Whitworth, Deanne J. Dunlop, Rebecca A. |
author_sort |
Mingramm, Fletcher M. J. |
title |
Relationships between blubber and respiratory vapour steroid hormone concentrations in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) |
title_short |
Relationships between blubber and respiratory vapour steroid hormone concentrations in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) |
title_full |
Relationships between blubber and respiratory vapour steroid hormone concentrations in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) |
title_fullStr |
Relationships between blubber and respiratory vapour steroid hormone concentrations in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Relationships between blubber and respiratory vapour steroid hormone concentrations in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) |
title_sort |
relationships between blubber and respiratory vapour steroid hormone concentrations in humpback whales (megaptera novaeangliae) |
publisher |
Western Illinois University Regional Center |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:3c70ea7 |
genre |
Megaptera novaeangliae |
genre_facet |
Megaptera novaeangliae |
op_relation |
doi:10.1578/AM.45.5.2019.465 issn:0167-5427 issn:1996-7292 orcid:0000-0001-7001-3366 orcid:0000-0003-2327-5958 orcid:0000-0002-9097-0240 orcid:0000-0002-0427-6317 HOLSW2016-R1-F003 100006313 Not set |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.45.5.2019.465 |
container_title |
Aquatic Mammals |
container_volume |
45 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
465 |
op_container_end_page |
477 |
_version_ |
1766067477056323584 |