Refining instrument attachment on phocid seals
During the 1960s through to the early 1980s, harnesses were used to attachinstruments to diving marine animals such as seals and penguins. Such devices werereplaced with epoxy and cyan glues and specialist adhesive tapes in the mid-1980sbecause of chafing and drag issues (Wilson et al. 1997, Kooyman...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00519.x http://ecite.utas.edu.au/83775 |
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ftunivtasecite:oai:ecite.utas.edu.au:83775 2023-05-15T16:05:46+02:00 Refining instrument attachment on phocid seals Field, IC Harcourt, RG Boehme, L De Bruyn, PJN Charrassin, J-B McMahon, CR Bester, MN Fedak, MA Hindell, MA 2012 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00519.x http://ecite.utas.edu.au/83775 en eng Soc Marine Mammalogy http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00519.x Field, IC and Harcourt, RG and Boehme, L and De Bruyn, PJN and Charrassin, J-B and McMahon, CR and Bester, MN and Fedak, MA and Hindell, MA, Refining instrument attachment on phocid seals, Marine Mammal Science, 28, (3) pp. E325-E332. ISSN 0824-0469 (2012) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/83775 Biological Sciences Ecology Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) Refereed Article PeerReviewed 2012 ftunivtasecite https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00519.x 2019-12-13T21:48:19Z During the 1960s through to the early 1980s, harnesses were used to attachinstruments to diving marine animals such as seals and penguins. Such devices werereplaced with epoxy and cyan glues and specialist adhesive tapes in the mid-1980sbecause of chafing and drag issues (Wilson et al. 1997, Kooyman 2007). Fedak et al.(1983) were the first to glue instruments directly to the fur of a seal. This simple,direct form of instrument attachment has become the norm in pinniped research,though details of exactly how, where, and what specific products are used vary (e.g.,Fedak et al. 1983, Le Boeuf et al. 1988, Harcourt et al. 1995, Zeno et al. 2008). The attachment of tracking and bio-logging devices has been identified as aparticular animal welfare concern (Hawkins 2004), the main concern being thatthese attachments may cause physical pain and suffering with subsequent changesin behavior or survival. Two recent studies (McMahon et al. 2008, Mazzaro andDunn 2009) have specifically assessed the impacts of attaching tracking instrumentsto seals. McMahon et al. (2008) clearly demonstrated that for southern elephantseals (Mirounga leonina), carrying tracking devices produced no detectable differencesin overwinter mass gain nor in long-term survival. In a study conducted withtwo captive harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), Mazzaro and Dunn (2009) noted no tagassociatedchanges in health or behavior until one tag started to loosen a few daysbefore detachment, at which time a small area became irritated when the epoxycracked and began rubbing against the seal. However, there have been no studies ofpotential injuries that might lead to pain as a result of instrument attachment onwild seals. This is primarily because of the difficulty in monitoring instrumentedmarine mammals following their release. Here we (1) present information on the performance of three different, widely used,epoxies to determine whether any of them might cause burns via exothermic chemicalreactions when the glue cures under common fieldwork conditions in subantarcticand polar deployments; and (2) review injury rates for 454 southern elephant seals and54 Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) that have been resighted after instrumentshave been deployed. Article in Journal/Newspaper Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Phoca vitulina Southern Elephant Seals Weddell Seals eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) Harcourt ENVELOPE(172.417,172.417,-83.817,-83.817) McMahon ENVELOPE(65.148,65.148,-70.835,-70.835) Weddell Marine Mammal Science 28 3 E325 E332 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtasecite |
language |
English |
topic |
Biological Sciences Ecology Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) |
spellingShingle |
Biological Sciences Ecology Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) Field, IC Harcourt, RG Boehme, L De Bruyn, PJN Charrassin, J-B McMahon, CR Bester, MN Fedak, MA Hindell, MA Refining instrument attachment on phocid seals |
topic_facet |
Biological Sciences Ecology Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) |
description |
During the 1960s through to the early 1980s, harnesses were used to attachinstruments to diving marine animals such as seals and penguins. Such devices werereplaced with epoxy and cyan glues and specialist adhesive tapes in the mid-1980sbecause of chafing and drag issues (Wilson et al. 1997, Kooyman 2007). Fedak et al.(1983) were the first to glue instruments directly to the fur of a seal. This simple,direct form of instrument attachment has become the norm in pinniped research,though details of exactly how, where, and what specific products are used vary (e.g.,Fedak et al. 1983, Le Boeuf et al. 1988, Harcourt et al. 1995, Zeno et al. 2008). The attachment of tracking and bio-logging devices has been identified as aparticular animal welfare concern (Hawkins 2004), the main concern being thatthese attachments may cause physical pain and suffering with subsequent changesin behavior or survival. Two recent studies (McMahon et al. 2008, Mazzaro andDunn 2009) have specifically assessed the impacts of attaching tracking instrumentsto seals. McMahon et al. (2008) clearly demonstrated that for southern elephantseals (Mirounga leonina), carrying tracking devices produced no detectable differencesin overwinter mass gain nor in long-term survival. In a study conducted withtwo captive harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), Mazzaro and Dunn (2009) noted no tagassociatedchanges in health or behavior until one tag started to loosen a few daysbefore detachment, at which time a small area became irritated when the epoxycracked and began rubbing against the seal. However, there have been no studies ofpotential injuries that might lead to pain as a result of instrument attachment onwild seals. This is primarily because of the difficulty in monitoring instrumentedmarine mammals following their release. Here we (1) present information on the performance of three different, widely used,epoxies to determine whether any of them might cause burns via exothermic chemicalreactions when the glue cures under common fieldwork conditions in subantarcticand polar deployments; and (2) review injury rates for 454 southern elephant seals and54 Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) that have been resighted after instrumentshave been deployed. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Field, IC Harcourt, RG Boehme, L De Bruyn, PJN Charrassin, J-B McMahon, CR Bester, MN Fedak, MA Hindell, MA |
author_facet |
Field, IC Harcourt, RG Boehme, L De Bruyn, PJN Charrassin, J-B McMahon, CR Bester, MN Fedak, MA Hindell, MA |
author_sort |
Field, IC |
title |
Refining instrument attachment on phocid seals |
title_short |
Refining instrument attachment on phocid seals |
title_full |
Refining instrument attachment on phocid seals |
title_fullStr |
Refining instrument attachment on phocid seals |
title_full_unstemmed |
Refining instrument attachment on phocid seals |
title_sort |
refining instrument attachment on phocid seals |
publisher |
Soc Marine Mammalogy |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00519.x http://ecite.utas.edu.au/83775 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(172.417,172.417,-83.817,-83.817) ENVELOPE(65.148,65.148,-70.835,-70.835) |
geographic |
Harcourt McMahon Weddell |
geographic_facet |
Harcourt McMahon Weddell |
genre |
Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Phoca vitulina Southern Elephant Seals Weddell Seals |
genre_facet |
Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Phoca vitulina Southern Elephant Seals Weddell Seals |
op_relation |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00519.x Field, IC and Harcourt, RG and Boehme, L and De Bruyn, PJN and Charrassin, J-B and McMahon, CR and Bester, MN and Fedak, MA and Hindell, MA, Refining instrument attachment on phocid seals, Marine Mammal Science, 28, (3) pp. E325-E332. ISSN 0824-0469 (2012) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/83775 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00519.x |
container_title |
Marine Mammal Science |
container_volume |
28 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
E325 |
op_container_end_page |
E332 |
_version_ |
1766401663891931136 |