Decrease stress; train your animals: The effect of handling methods on cortisol levels in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) under human care

Desportes, Geneviève; Buholzer, Lisette; Anderson-Hansen, Kirstin; Blanchet, Marie-Anne; Acquarone, Mario; Shephard, Gwyneth; Brando, Sabrina; Vossen, Arndt; Siebert, Ursula
Aquatic Mammals (2007)

Circulating cortisol levels are accepted as a sensitive indicator of acute stress in marine mammals, particularly in relation with capture and handling. The present study provides the first long-term monitoring…

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…

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…

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…