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The Marine Mammal Center begins new leptospirosis study in California
October 23, 2008The Marine Mammal Center is seeing a large number of leptospirosis cases in California sea lions this year and is leading a study to determine when and why the sea lions contract this disease. Every four to five years, the Center sees a surge in the number of sea lions admitted as a result of this bacterial infection that affects the kidneys and can be lethal for patients. The current research will focus on the factors contributing to these cycles of disease so that scientists will have an understanding of how the disease spreads and what the risks are to sea lions and other animals. Recently, the Center began taking blood samples, tagging, and releasing wild juvenile California sea lions in the Bay Area as part of the new research study.
"The blood samples our team will collect from wild California sea lions will help them determine kidney function and exposure rates among these animals," said Dr. Jeffrey Boehm, Executive Director at The Marine Mammal Center. "The data will also help us understand more about the susceptibility of sea lions in the population during an epidemic and clarify the relationship between the stranded sea lions with leptospirosis we see here at the Center and those that are susceptible in the population."
Leptospirosis epidemics were first documented in California sea lions in the early 1970s and are caused by spiral shaped bacteria called leptospires. Many different animal species, including humans, carry the bacterium which can leech into water or soil and survive there for weeks to months. Humans and animals can become infected through contact with contaminated urine, water, or soil. If not treated, the patient can develop kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, and respiratory distress. The Marine Mammal Center advises beach goers and their dogs to stay away from marine mammals they may encounter on beaches and to call the Center's 24-hour response line at (415) 289-SEAL should they come across any marine mammal in distress.
Collaborators in this new study include the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, University of California Los Angeles, University of California at Davis, Penn State University and the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa.
The Marine Mammal Center
Collaborators in this new study include the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, University of California Los Angeles, University of California at Davis, Penn State University and the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa.
The Marine Mammal Center
Sea Lions Current Events and Sea Lions News RSSTags reveal white sharks have neighborhoods in the north Pacific, say Stanford researchers
The white shark may be the ultimate loner of the ocean, cruising thousands of miles in a solitary trek, but a team of researchers has discovered that the sharks have maintained such a consistent pattern of migration that over tens of thousands of years the white sharks in the northeastern Pacific Ocean have separated themselves into a population genetically distinct from sharks elsewhere in the world.
Scientists report first remote, underwater detection of harmful algae, toxins
Scientists at NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have successfully conducted the first remote detection of a harmful algal species and its toxin below the ocean's surface.
Wildlife faces cancer threat
While cancer touches the lives of many humans, it is also a major threat to wild animal populations as well, according to a recent study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
Changing ocean conditions led to decline in Alaska's sea lion population
A new study out of Alaska points out the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems, and the need for increased research and stronger science based management to address future concerns.
Ocean virus identified in human blood samples
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Seal rookeries could provide a reliable food source for endangered California condors, study finds
A team of scientists is proposing that endangered California condors raised in captivity be released near seal and sea lion rookeries so that the birds can once again feast on the carcasses of marine mammals as their ancestors did centuries ago.
Elephant seal pups suffer from ocean warming
Ocean warming has a negative impact on the condition of elephant seals, reveals a study published in the Open Access journal BMC Biology. High ocean temperatures observed from 1975 to the late 1990s are correlated with a 28% decrease in the weight of elephant seal pups. Elephant seals are shown to be sensitive to ocean temperature changes associated with both long-term 25-year cycles and short-term 3-4 year cycles such as those caused by El Ni'±o.
Most sick sea lions are inbred: research suggests a new focus in wildlife rehabilitation programmes
A team of scientists from Cambridge University and The Marine Mammal Center, USA, has studied sea lions undergoing rehabilitation in order to assess the effects of inbreeding on disease susceptibility. The team found that sea lions born to related parents took longer to recuperate and were affected more by infectious diseases and cancer than those sea lions born to dissimilar parents. The scientists argue that natural mortality of wild populations may be less random than was previously thought. Dr. William Amos, head of the research group at Cambridge University's Zoology Department, said "Our findings carry two messages. First, susceptibility to a wide range of diseases, from algal toxins t
Tachographs for diving animals
Seals, sea lions and penguins have two things in common with whales and dolphins: They are all ocean swimmers and evoke human sympathy - not only from children. Especially when whales become stranded or seals fall victim to an epidemic, some of us ask: How did this happen? Could this be prevented in future? The job of answering such questions lies with marine biology researchers, thus the creation of "BioMar". This three-year project, initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the Microsystems Technology 2000+ program ended recently. Its aim was to record the living habits and movements of ocean animals using miniaturized electronic devices. One su
Sea lions score top marks
CALIFORNIA sea lions may have the best memory of all non-human creatures. A female called Rio that learned a trick involving letters and numbers could still perform it 10 years later- even though she hadn`t performed the trick in the intervening period. Learning concepts such as "sameness"- when one letter or number matches another, for example- is thought to require sophisticated brain processing. So scientists expect animals to have trouble retaining the ability over long periods unless they are given repeated reminders of the rules. Primates like the rhesus macaque have been found to have impressive long-term memories, but Rio trumped them all. Colleen Kastak and Ronald Schusterman, mari
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