辽东湾斑海豹线粒体苏氨酸和脯氨酸及控制区部分序列分析

通过PCR产物测序法,测定了46只辽东湾斑海豹线粒体DNA的一段包括部分苏氨酸和脯氨酸tRNA基因及部分控制区的717 bp序列,得到17个序列单元型。与港海豹相比,所有辽东湾斑海豹17个单元型在控制区序列中都有2处缺失,是区分港海豹和斑海豹的种间分子标记。与日本海和鄂霍次克海区斑海豹m tDNA相同片段进行比较研究,发现辽东湾斑海豹的线粒体控制区DNA的单元型比例相对较少,遗传多样性水平相对较低。辽东湾斑海豹m tDNA的16296位点即苏氨酸tRNA基因序列的最后一位有1个C碱基的插入,16607位点存在T/C转换,这两个变异位点是鉴别辽东湾斑海豹与日本及鄂霍次克海区斑海豹的重要分子标记。初步表明,辽东湾斑海豹与日本海、鄂霍次克海斑海豹是属于不同的地理种群,或者辽东湾斑海豹同这两个海区斑海豹未发生基因交流或者雌性个体的相互交流。     

Evidence for long‐term spatial displacement of breeding and pupping harbour seals by shellfish aquaculture over three decades

• 1. Shellfish mariculture is increasing worldwide and often occurs adjacent to marine mammal breeding and feeding habitat. To better understand breeding pinniped vulnerability to potential shellfish mariculture disturbance and displacement effects in a US National Park, potential mechanisms were explored that may affect the proportion of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) selecting high quality haul‐out sites near shellfish aquaculture within a large colony, and overall seal utilization of that colony in relation to other regional colonies.
• 2. Seal haul‐out sites isolated from the mainland (no predator access) had higher pup:adult ratios, indicating they are generally more important for pupping. Short‐term human disturbance did not have a significant effect on spatial use, but rather spatial use was pre‐determined by general sandbar isolation. Using multiple competing hypothesis and an information‐theoretic approach, it was found that within the estuary, after removing effects of El Niño, the proportion of seals (total seals and pups only) hauled out near mariculture sites was 8 ± 2% lower during years of higher oyster harvest. Annual oyster harvest was used as a measure of aquaculture activity that could result in direct disturbance or indirect displacement of harbour seals.
• 3. At the regional scale, oyster harvest, seal counts at a nearby colony, and loss of a major haul‐out site within the estuary, best explained pup and total seal use compared with the region. Regional population size, short‐term human disturbance rate, and other factors were not important. Concurrent with higher oyster harvest, the proportion of regional seals using the estuary declined by 7 ± 2% for seal pups (–65 ± 18 total pups), and 5 ± 2% for total counts ( ? 192 ± 58 total seals). These findings (both within the estuary and at the regional scale) were essentially identical whether modelling oyster harvest as either a continuous or categorical (low/high) variable and when using either frequentist or Bayesian statistical analyses.
• 4. Marine reserves set aside for wildlife may be less effective when the highest quality breeding and pupping sites are adjacent to regular aquaculture activities. These effects may not be detectable until additional natural variation lowers the quality of nearby habitats. Published in 2011. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

     

Disturbance‐induced responses of VHF and satellite tagged harbour seals

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Depredation by harbor seal and spiny dogfish in a Georges Bank gillnet fishery

Abstract Depredation can have economic, social and ecological impacts by decreasing fishery landings and threatening marine predator populations through increased risk of entanglement. This investigation quantified the loss of landings attributed to harbour seal, Phoca vitulina L., and spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias L., depredation in the Georges Bank, Massachusetts, USA gillnet fishery. Approximately 1361 kg (2.38%) of fish was discarded from a total possible catch weight of nearly 57 300 kg because it was unsalable following depredation. Spiny dogfish accounted for 1134 kg (1.98%), and harbour seal accounted for 227 kg (0.40%) of discards. This represented an estimated US$2250 loss in profits from a total possible catch value of almost US$61 800, signifying a 3.64% market‐value loss during the assessment period. These results suggest that discarding due to harbour seal and spiny dogfish depredation results in a relatively small market loss to fishers, although additional information and research is needed before this can be confirmed. This study is the first on this subject in the fishery and provides baseline information on depredation rates that could be useful if harbour seal and spiny dogfish populations continue to increase.     

Analysis of blood gases,serum fat and serum protein: a new approach to estimate survival chances of stranded Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) pups from the German North Sea

Background

Facing numerous challenges, such as illness, storms or human disturbance, some harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) pups lose contact to their dams and are found abandoned along the North Sea coast. In Schleswig-Holstein, pups with the prospect of surviving rehabilitation are admitted to the Seal Center Friedrichskoog. Despite elaborate clinical health assessments on admission, including differential hematology, in 2010, 17% of 108 admitted pups did not survive the first 20 days. The death rate during the years 2006 and 2009 varied between 9 and 19%. To broaden the spectrum of variables which could be predictive for survival, blood gas and serum analyses were performed for 99 pups using venous blood. Variables included total CO₂, pH, partial CO₂, HCO₃^–, base excess and anion gap as well as glucose, urea nitrogen, sodium, potassium and chloride. Moreover, total serum protein and fat (triglyceride) concentrations were measured for all pups on admission.

Results

Repeated measurements of 12 randomly selected individuals revealed a significant (p = 0.002) positive influence of time in rehabilitation on triglyceride concentrations. This trend probably shows the improvement of the pups’ nutritional status as a consequence of the shift from milk replacer formula to fish. No such positive influence was detected for total protein concentrations though. Hematologic values, including blood gases, were not predictive for survival.

Conclusions

For the first time blood gas values are reported in this study for a large sample size (N = 99) of seal pups (regardless of their health status). The ranges and medians calculated from the data can serve as a stepping stone towards the establishment of reference values for neonate harbor seals. However, future investigations on the development of blood gases in harbor seals with different health conditions and ages over time are necessary to allow for a better understanding of acid–base regulation in harbor seals.     

辽东湾斑海豹线粒体ND4、tRNAArg、ND4L和ND3基因序列分析

用PCR产物直接测序法,测定渤海辽东湾斑海豹15个个体线粒体的一段从ND3到ND4基因长度为625 bp的DNA序列。其中的1~118 bp是ND3基因的后部分,120~188 bp是tRNAArg基因完整序列,189~485 bp是ND4L基因完整序列,479~625 bp是ND4基因的前部分。在ND4L和ND4之间,有7个碱基是重叠编码的。15个序列间,只有ND4L基因中有一个位点发生C/T碱基转换。与GenBank中的斑海豹序列比较,tRNAArg基因序列完全一致,而ND4L基因序列则有两处发生转换。利用从GenBank中下载的22个海豹科动物的ND4L基因序列的系统发生分析表明,海豹科动物分为南半球和北半球两大类群,斑海豹与港海豹为北半球种类,亲缘关系最近。     

利用线粒体DNA序列进行斑海豹鉴定的研究

通过对待鉴定的血液样品中线粒体控制区扩增和序列测定,并与基因库中序列比对分析,成功地对斑海豹进行了种类鉴定。本研究所用方法在野生珍稀动物的种类鉴定中有很好的应用价值。     

Reference values for serum biochemical parameters in free-ranging harp seals

Background — The harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) is one of the most important predators in the Northeastern Atlantic ecosystem. Establishing biochemical reference intervals is important for evaluating the health status of harp seals kept in captivity and for evaluating the effects of environmental changes on the health of populations in the wild. Objective — The purpose of this study was to determine reference values for serum biochemical parameters in wild adult harp seals using readily available current methods. Methods — Blood samples were obtained from 14 adult female harp seals and 9 suckling pups on the pack ice of the Greenland Sea in early March 1998. Seven seals were humanely killed on the ice by permission of the Norwegian Directory for Fisheries and in conjunction with several other research projects. The seals were sampled within 15 minutes postmortem. Remaining seals were captured alive and sampled via the extradural intravertebral vein. Serum biochemical parameters were measured using a Technicon Axon analyzer and included electrolytes (sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, and calcium), substrates (free fatty acids, triglycerides, fructosamine, and glucose), end products (urea and uric acid), and proteins (total protein, globulins, and albumin). Serum protein electrophoresis also was done. Data were tested for normality and reference limits were calculated as mean ±1.96 × SD. Results between groups were compared using 2‐tailed t‐tests. Results — Serum levels of glucose and triglycerides were lower, but serum levels of urea were higher in dead animals than in animals that were captured alive. Serum levels for 7 of 17 parameters were significantly different in pups compared with adults. Separate reference intervals were calculated for adult seals and seal pups. Conclusion — Both sampling method and age should be considered when evaluating the results of analysis of serum parameters in wild and captive harp seals.     

Behavioural responses of harbour seals to human‐induced disturbances

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Age–length relationships in UK harbour seals during a period of population decline

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