Epidemiology of skin changes in endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca).
Photographic identification catalogs of individual killer whales (Orcinus orca) over time provide a tool for remote health assessment. We retrospectively examined digital photographs of Southern Resident killer whales in the Salish Sea to characterize skin changes and to determine if they could be a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2023-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286551 |
| _version_ | 1797788233709387776 |
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| author | Joseph K Gaydos Judy St Leger Stephen Raverty Hendrik Nollens Martin Haulena Eric J Ward Candice K Emmons M Bradley Hanson Ken Balcomb Dave Ellifrit Michael N Weiss Deborah Giles |
| author_facet | Joseph K Gaydos Judy St Leger Stephen Raverty Hendrik Nollens Martin Haulena Eric J Ward Candice K Emmons M Bradley Hanson Ken Balcomb Dave Ellifrit Michael N Weiss Deborah Giles |
| author_sort | Joseph K Gaydos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Photographic identification catalogs of individual killer whales (Orcinus orca) over time provide a tool for remote health assessment. We retrospectively examined digital photographs of Southern Resident killer whales in the Salish Sea to characterize skin changes and to determine if they could be an indicator of individual, pod, or population health. Using photographs collected from 2004 through 2016 from 18,697 individual whale sightings, we identified six lesions (cephalopod, erosions, gray patches, gray targets, orange on gray, and pinpoint black discoloration). Of 141 whales that were alive at some point during the study, 99% had photographic evidence of skin lesions. Using a multivariate model including age, sex, pod, and matriline across time, the point prevalence of the two most prevalent lesions, gray patches and gray targets, varied between pods and between years and showed small differences between stage classes. Despite minor differences, we document a strong increase in point prevalence of both lesion types in all three pods from 2004 through 2016. The health significance of this is not clear, but the possible relationship between these lesions and decreasing body condition and immunocompetence in an endangered, non-recovering population is a concern. Understanding the etiology and pathogenesis of these lesions is important to better understand the health significance of these skin changes that are increasing in prevalence. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:33:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1a81f49823a34a96876f2beaa0d96192 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:33:39Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-1a81f49823a34a96876f2beaa0d961922023-07-04T05:32:01ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032023-01-01186e028655110.1371/journal.pone.0286551Epidemiology of skin changes in endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca).Joseph K GaydosJudy St LegerStephen RavertyHendrik NollensMartin HaulenaEric J WardCandice K EmmonsM Bradley HansonKen BalcombDave EllifritMichael N WeissDeborah GilesPhotographic identification catalogs of individual killer whales (Orcinus orca) over time provide a tool for remote health assessment. We retrospectively examined digital photographs of Southern Resident killer whales in the Salish Sea to characterize skin changes and to determine if they could be an indicator of individual, pod, or population health. Using photographs collected from 2004 through 2016 from 18,697 individual whale sightings, we identified six lesions (cephalopod, erosions, gray patches, gray targets, orange on gray, and pinpoint black discoloration). Of 141 whales that were alive at some point during the study, 99% had photographic evidence of skin lesions. Using a multivariate model including age, sex, pod, and matriline across time, the point prevalence of the two most prevalent lesions, gray patches and gray targets, varied between pods and between years and showed small differences between stage classes. Despite minor differences, we document a strong increase in point prevalence of both lesion types in all three pods from 2004 through 2016. The health significance of this is not clear, but the possible relationship between these lesions and decreasing body condition and immunocompetence in an endangered, non-recovering population is a concern. Understanding the etiology and pathogenesis of these lesions is important to better understand the health significance of these skin changes that are increasing in prevalence.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286551 |
| spellingShingle | Joseph K Gaydos Judy St Leger Stephen Raverty Hendrik Nollens Martin Haulena Eric J Ward Candice K Emmons M Bradley Hanson Ken Balcomb Dave Ellifrit Michael N Weiss Deborah Giles Epidemiology of skin changes in endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca). PLoS ONE |
| title | Epidemiology of skin changes in endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca). |
| title_full | Epidemiology of skin changes in endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca). |
| title_fullStr | Epidemiology of skin changes in endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca). |
| title_full_unstemmed | Epidemiology of skin changes in endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca). |
| title_short | Epidemiology of skin changes in endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca). |
| title_sort | epidemiology of skin changes in endangered southern resident killer whales orcinus orca |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286551 |
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