Diving on damage – The muscle transcriptome of parasitic infested harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) hints at oxidative stress but not hypoxia

Dönmez, Eda Merve; Siebert, Ursula; Fabrizius, Andrej
Frontiers in Marine Science (2023)

The only native cetacean in German waters, the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), is impacted by numerous pathological lesions in the respiratory tract mainly caused by parasites or bacteria. Although harbor…


Immune responses of the critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis ssp. asiaeorientalis) to escalating anthropogenic stressors in the wild and seminatural environments

Nabi, Ghulam; Li, Ying; McLaughlin, Richard W.; Mei, Zhigang; Wang, Kexiong; Hao, Yujiang; Zheng, Jinsong; Wang, Ding
Frontiers in Physiology (2020)

Increasing anthropogenic stressors are potential threats to biodiversity conservation and management of Yangtze finless porpoises (YFPs). The objective of this study was to indirectly compare the habitat quality of a…


Social, reproductive and contextual influences on fecal glucocorticoid metabolites in captive Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

Serres, Agathe; Robeck, Todd; Deng, Xiaojun; Steinman, Karen; Hao, Yujiang; Wang, Ding
Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens (2020)

Although the use of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGCM) measurements as non-invasive biomarkers for the stress response in mammals has increased, few studies have been conducted in odontocetes. We investigated if…


A field effort to capture critically endangered vaquitas Phocoena sinus for protection from entanglement in illegal gillnets

Rojas-Bracho, L.; Gulland, F. M. D.; Smith, C. R.; Taylor, B.; Wells, R. S.; Thomas, P. O.; Bauer, B.; Heide-Jørgensen, M. P.; Teilmann, J.; Dietz, R.; Balle, J. D.; Jensen, M. V.; Sinding, M. H. S.; Jaramillo-Legorreta, A.; Abel, G.; Read, A. J.; Westgate, A. J.; Colegrove, K.; Gomez, F.; Martz, K.; Rebolledo, R.; Ridgway, S.; Rowles, T.; van Elk, C. E.; Boehm, J.; Cardenas-Hinojosa, G.; Constandse, R.; Nieto-Garcia, E.; Phillips, W.; Sabio, D.; Sanchez, R.; Sweeney, J.; Townsend, F.; Vivanco, J.; Vivanco, J. C.; Walker, S.
Endangered Species Research (2019)

In 2017 an emergency field effort was undertaken in an attempt to prevent the extinction of the world’s most endangered marine mammal, the vaquita (Phocoena sinus). The rescue effort involved…


The possible effects of high vessel traffic on the physiological parameters of the critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis ssp. asiaeorientalis)

Nabi, Ghulam; Hao, Yujiang; McLaughlin, Richard William; Wang, Ding
Frontiers in Physiology (2018)

Poyang is the largest freshwater lake in China, where the acoustic environment and space for the critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoises (YFPs) has been altered by heavy vessel traffic and…


Developing a new research tool for use in free-ranging cetaceans: recovering cortisol from harbour porpoise skin

Bechshoft, T.; Wright, A. J.; Weisser, J. J.; Teilmann, J.; Dietz, R.; Hansen, M.; Bjorklund, E.; Styrishave, B.
Conservation Physiology (2015)

We developed a chemical analytical procedure for sampling, extracting and determining epidermal skin cortisol concentrations (SCCs) in the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) using gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. In brief, this…


Evaluation of immune and stress status in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena): can hormones and mRNA expression levels serve as indicators to assess stress?

Müller, Sabine; Lehnert, Kristina; Seibel, Henrike; Driver, Jörg; Ronnenberg, Katrin; Teilmann, Jonas; van Elk, Cornelius; Kristensen, Jakob; Everaarts, Eligius; Siebert, Ursula
BMC Vet Res (2013)

The harbour porpoise is exposed to increasing pressure caused by anthropogenic activities in its marine environment. Numerous offshore wind farms are planned or under construction in the North and Baltic…


Investigations of thyroid and stress hormones in free-ranging and captive harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena): A pilot study

Siebert, Ursula; Pozniak, Blazej; Anderson Hansen, Kirstin; Nordstrom, Gwyneth; Teilmann, Jonas; van Elk, Niels; Vossen, Arndt; Dietz, Rune;
Aquatic Mammals (2011)

Increasing anthropogenic activities in the marine environment are potential threats to the health of harbor porpoises by causing unnatural continuous stress to the animals. The present study was a first…