Today I chatted with Dr. Andrea Bogomolni, a researcher, artist and naturalist. Dr. Andrea is an interdisciplinary scientist. She earned a PhD in pathobiology from the University of Connecticut. Her research is directed towards understanding and interpreting interdisciplinary aspects of Ocean Health, and has largely focused on pathogen transmission in marine animals and the marine environment within the framework of One Health. She co-founded and currently chair the Northwest Atlantic Seal Research Consortium.
The Northwest Atlantic Seal Research Consortium (NASRC) stemmed from a series of workshops to bring together seal researchers and those interested in increasing seal populations in the NW Atlantic. In 2013, NASRC was established as a consortium with the goal of increasing collaborations and discussions in the region. NASRC has been at the forefront of providing fact based information for local government, media and education centers throughout the region. A link to our most recent FAQs focusing on seals of the Northeast can be found here.
For her it is crucially important to find a way for people, sharks and pinnipeds to « live together and coexist together ». It is time to solve problem together, to improve our way of understanding the ecosystem to protect it better. « We are all connected and connected to the Ocean ».
«One person can do a lot and you are not alone, there is a big community out there that wants to help»
You can find more about Andrea, including her research and educational program here: andreabogomolni.com
You want to know more about her work and research: check the abstracts below
A Community Science Approach to Conservation Challenges Posed by Rebounding Marine Mammal Populations: Seal-Fishery Interactions in New England.
Bogomolni, A., Nichols, O. C., & Allen, D. (2021). Frontiers in Conservation Science, 2, 34.
Between 1880-1962, gray and harbor seals were targeted in legal seal bounty hunts across Maine and Massachusetts due to a perceived competition with commercial fisheries. Following their extirpation 50 years ago, legislative protections allowed seals to recolonize historical grounds along the New England coast. With this conservation success story, conflict has re-emerged as seen in the numerous media articles reflecting a temperament beckoning to the past century, with calls to cull the population and the spread of misinformation. The return of seals after decades of near-absence has created a new ecological and psychological baseline for New Englanders where for three generations, seals were rarely present. Although seals are statutorily protected species, unlike the tools and resources available for depleted, threatened or endangered species, the support needed to increase opportunities for coexistence of humans with rebounding pinnipeds, are comparatively lacking. Even as gray seals have the highest fisheries bycatch levels of any marine mammal in the U.S., resources to address these management challenges are minimal due to limitations and prioritization processes for committing available support. While seal conservation has been a success, the manner in which management is often separately applied to ecosystem elements (e.g., harvested species, protected species) contributes to knowledge gaps, and a disconnect between the goals of conservation to sustainably utilize natural resources while also protecting the intrinsic value of resources for ecosystem health. Solutions to such coexistence challenges could benefit from a more holistic ecosystem conservation approach. To address these disconnects, a two-day workshop was convened to understand seal-fishery interactions where we provided opportunities for community members to meet and learn from one another including, but not limited to, fishermen, natural resource managers, marine mammal stranding response personnel and scientists. A convening that might otherwise result in tumultuous and adversarial engagement, we used as a tool to engage. This community science approach led to long-term relationships that have allowed for successful applied, and community driven, solutions. Here we share the lessons learned and subsequent partnerships. Our intent is to share our approach to address other marine mammal conservation conflict challenges, allowing for collaborative pathways toward long-term coexistence.
AL Bass, AL Bogomolni, GA Early, OC Nichols, K Patchett. 2016. Seals and ecosystem health: meeting report of the Northwest Atlantic Seal Research Consortium. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 2016-01.
Prevalence of influenza A virus in live-captured North Atlantic gray seals: a possible wild reservoir.
Puryear WB, Keogh M, Hill N, Moxley J, Josephson E, Davis KR, Bandoro C, Lidgard D, Bogomolni A, Levin M, Lang S. 2016. 3. Emerging Microbes & Infections.
Influenza A virus (IAV) has been associated with multiple unusual mortality events (UMEs) in North Atlantic pinnipeds, frequently attributed to spillover of virus from wild-bird reservoirs. To determine if endemic infection persists outside of UMEs, we undertook a multiyear investigation of IAV in healthy, live-captured Northwest Atlantic gray seals (Halichoerus grypus). From 2013 to 2015, we sampled 345 pups and 57 adults from Cape Cod, MA, USA and Nova Scotia, Canada consistently detecting IAV infection across all groups. There was an overall viral prevalence of 9.0% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.4%-12.5%) in weaned pups and 5.3% (CI: 1.2%-14.6%) in adults, with seroprevalences of 19.3% (CI: 15.0%-24.5%) and 50% (CI: 33.7%-66.4%), respectively. Positive sera showed a broad reactivity to diverse influenza subtypes. IAV status did not correlate with measures of animal health nor impact animal movement or foraging. This study demonstrated that Northwest Atlantic gray seals are both permissive to and tolerant of diverse IAV, possibly representing an endemically infected wild reservoir population.
Occurrence and patterns of antibiotic resistance in vertebrates off the Northeastern United States coast.
Rose, Julie; Gast, Rebecca; Bogomolni, Andrea; Ellis, Julie; Lentell, Betty; Touhey, Kathleen; Moore, Michael. 2009. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 67: 421-431.
The prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the marine environment is a growing concern, but the degree to which marine mammals, seabirds and fish harbor these organisms is not well documented. This project sought to identify the occurrence and patterns of antibiotic resistance in bacteria isolated from vertebrates of coastal waters in the northeastern United States. Four hundred and seventy-two isolates of clinical interest were tested for resistance to a suite of 16 antibiotics. Fifty-eight percent were resistant to at least one antibiotic, while 43% were resistant to multiple antibiotics. A multiple antibiotic resistance index value ≥0.2 was observed in 38% of the resistant pathogens, suggesting exposure of the animals to bacteria from significantly contaminated sites. Groups of antibiotics were identified for which bacterial resistance commonly co-occurred. Antibiotic resistance was more widespread in bacteria isolated from seabirds than marine mammals, and was more widespread in stranded or bycaught marine mammals than live marine mammals. Structuring of resistance patterns based on sample type (live/stranded/bycaught) but not animal group (mammal/bird/fish) was observed. These data indicate that antibiotic resistance is widespread in marine vertebrates, and they may be important reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the marine environment.
Bogomolni, A. Assessing differences in species susceptibility to Phocine Distemper Virus (PDV) in harp, harbor and grey seals of the Northwest Atlantic. Ph.D Dissertation, University of Connecticut 2014.
Victims or vectors: a survey of marine vertebrate zoonoses from coastal waters of the Northwest Atlantic.
Bogomolni AL, Gast RJ, Ellis JC, Dennett M, Pugliares KR, Lentell BJ, Moore MJ. 2008. DAO 81: 13-38, 2008.
Surveillance of zoonotic pathogens in marine birds and mammals in the Northwest Atlantic revealed a diversity of zoonotic agents. We found amplicons to sequences from Brucella spp., Leptospira spp., Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. in both marine mammals and birds. Avian influenza was detected in a harp seal and a herring gull. Routine aerobic and anaerobic culture showed a broad range of bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics. Of 1460 isolates, 797 were tested for resistance, and 468 were resistant to one or more anti-microbials. 73% (341/468) were resistant to 1-4 drugs and 27% (128/468) resistant to 5-13 drugs. The high prevalence of resistance suggests that many of these isolates could have been acquired from medical and agricultural sources and inter-microbial gene transfer. Combining birds and mammals, 45% (63/141) of stranded and 8% (2/26) of by caught animals in this study exhibited histopathological and/or gross pathological findings associated with the presence of these pathogens. Our findings indicate that marine mammals and birds in the Northwest Atlantic are reservoirs for potentially zoonotic pathogens, which they may transmit to beachgoers, fishermen and wildlife health personnel. Conversely, zoonotic pathogens found in marine vertebrates may have been acquired via contamination of coastal waters by sewage, run-off and agricultural and medical waste. In either case these animals are not limited by political boundaries and are therefore important indicators of regional and global ocean health.
Molecular characterization of Giardia intestinalis haplotypes in marine animals: variation and zoonotic potential
Lasek-Nesselquist E, Bogomolni AL, Gast RJ, Welch DM, Ellis JC, Sogin ML, Moore MJ.2008. DAO 81:39-51.
Giardia intestinalis is a microbial
eukaryotic parasite that causes diarrheal disease in
humans and other vertebrates worldwide. The negative
effect on quality of
life and economics caused by G. intestinalis may be increased by its potential status as a zoonosis, or a
disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. The zoonotic potential of G. intestinalis has been
implied for over 2 decades,
with human-infecting genotypes (belonging to the 2 major subgroups, Assemblages A and B) occurring in wildlife
and domesticated animals. There are recent reports of G. intestinalis in shellfish, seals, sea lions and
whales, suggesting that
marine animals are also potential reservoirs of human disease. However, the prevalence, genetic diversity and
effect of G. intestinalis in marine environments and the role that marine animals play in transmission of this
parasite to humans
are relatively unexplored. Here, we provide the first thorough molecular characterization of G. intestinalis
in marine vertebrates. Using a multi-locus sequencing approach, we identify human-infecting G. intestinalis
haplotypes of both
Assemblages A and B in the fecal material of dolphins, porpoises, seals, herring gulls Larus argentatus,
common eiders Somateria mollissima and a thresher shark Alopias vulpinus. Our results indicate that G.
intestinalis is prevalent in
marine ecosystems, and a wide range of marine hosts capable of harboring zoonotic forms of this parasite
exist. The presence of G. intestinalis in marine ecosystems raises concerns about how this disease might be
transmitted among different
host species.
Discrimination between Bycatch and Other Causes of Cetacean and Pinniped Stranding
Bernaldo de Quiros Y. Hartwick M, RotsteinD, GarnerM, Bogomolni A, GreerW, NiemeyerM, EarlyG, WenzelF, Moore M. 2018. DAO. Vol. 127: 83-95.
The challenge of identifying cause of death in discarded bycaught marine mammals stems from a combination of the non-specific nature of the lesions of drowning, the complex physiologic adaptations unique to breath holding marine mammals, lack of case histories, and the diverse nature of fishing gear. While no pathognomonic lesions are recognized, signs of acute external entanglement, bulging or reddened eyes, recently ingested gastric contents, pulmonary changes, and decompression-associated gas bubbles have been identified in the condition of peracute underwater entrapment (PUE) syndrome in previous studies of marine mammals. We reviewed the gross necropsy and histopathology reports of 36 cetaceans and pinnipeds including 20 directly observed bycaught and 16 live stranded animals that were euthanized between 2005 and 2011 for lesions consistent with PUE. We identified 5 criteria which present at significantly higher rates in bycaught marine mammals: external signs of acute entanglement, red or bulging eyes, recently ingested gastric contents, multi-organ congestion, and disseminated gas bubbles detected grossly during the necropsy and histologically. In contrast, froth in the trachea or primary bronchi, and lung changes (i.e. wet, heavy, froth, edema, congestion, and hemorrhage) were poor indicators of PUE. This is the first study that provides insight into the different published parameters for PUE in bycatch. For regions frequently confronted by stranded marine mammals with non-specific lesions, this could potentially aid in the investigation and quantification of marine fisheries interactions.
Compositional discrimination of decompression and decomposition gas bubbles in bycaught seals and dolphins.
Bernaldo de Quirós Y, Seewald J.S., Sylva SP, Greer W, Niemeyer M, Bogomolni AL, Moore MJ. 2015. PLOS One 8:12, e83994, 2013.
Gas bubbles in marine mammals entangled and drowned in gillnets have been previously described by computed tomography, gross examination and histopathology. The absence of bacteria or autolytic changes in the tissues of those animals suggested that the gas was produced peri- or post-mortem by a fast decompression, probably by quickly hauling animals entangled in the net at depth to the surface. Gas composition analysis and gas scoring are two new diagnostic tools available to distinguish gas embolisms from putrefaction gases. With this goal, these methods have been successfully applied to pathological studies of marine mammals. In this study, we characterized the flux and composition of the gas bubbles from bycaught marine mammals in anchored sink gillnets and bottom otter trawls. We compared these data with marine mammals stranded on Cape Cod, MA, USA. Fresh animals or with moderate decomposition (decomposition scores of 2 and 3) were prioritized. Results showed that bycaught animals presented with significantly higher gas scores than stranded animals. Gas composition analyses indicate that gas was formed by decompression, confirming the decompression hypothesis.
Peracute underwater entrapment of pinnipeds and cetaceans. Chapter in: Moore, MJ, van der Hoop, J, Barco, SG, Costidis, AM, Gulland, FM, Jepson, PD, Moore, KT, Raverty S, 6.McLellan, WA. (Editors) (2013). Criteria and case definitions for serious injury and death of pinnipeds and cetaceans caused by anthropogenic trauma: underwater entrapment, chronic entanglement, sharp and blunt vessel, and gunshot.
Paul D. Jepson, Michelle Barbieri, Susan G. Barco, Yara Bernaldo de Quiros, Andrea Bogomolni, Kerri Danil, Teri Rowles. DAO. 103: 229-264.
Post-mortem examination of dead and live stranded beach-cast pinnipeds and cetaceans for determination of a cause of death provides valuable information for the management, mitigation and prosecution of unintentional and sometimes malicious human impacts, such as vessel collision, fishing gear entanglement and gunshot. Delayed discovery, inaccessibility, logistics, human safety concerns, and weather make these events challenging. Over the past 3 decades, in response to public concern and federal and state or provincial regulations mandating such investigations to inform mitigation efforts, there has been an increasing effort to objectively and systematically investigate these strandings from a diagnostic and forensic perspective. This Theme Section provides basic investigative methods, and case definitions for each of the more commonly recognized case presentations of human interactions in pinnipeds and cetaceans. Wild animals are often adversely affected by factors such as parasitism, anthropogenic contaminants, 0biotoxins, subclinical microbial infections and competing habitat uses, such as prey depletion and elevated background and episodic noise. Understanding the potential contribution of these subclinical factors in predisposing or contributing to a particular case of trauma of human origin is hampered, especially where putrefaction is significant and resources as well as expertise are limited. These case criteria descriptions attempt to acknowledge those confounding factors to enable an appreciation of the significance of the observed human-derived trauma in that broader context where possible.
Gas bubbles in seals, dolphins and porpoises entangled and drowned at depth in gill nets.
Michael J. Moore, Andrea L. Bogomolni, et al. 2009. Veterinary Pathology January 27.
Gas bubbles were found in 15 of 23 gillnet-drowned bycaught harp (Pagophilus groenlandicus), harbor (Phoca vitulina) and gray (Halichoerus grypus) seals, common (Delphinus delphis) and white-sided (Lagenorhyncus acutus) dolphins, and harbor porpoises (Phocaena phocaena) but in only 1 of 41 stranded marine mammals. Cases with minimal scavenging and bloating were chilled as practical and necropsied within 24 to 72 hours of collection. Bubbles were commonly visible grossly and histologically in bycaught cases. Affected tissues included lung, liver, heart, brain, skeletal muscle, gonad, lymph nodes, blood, intestine, pancreas, spleen, and eye. Computed tomography performed on 4 animals also identified gas bubbles in various tissues. Mean +/- SD net lead line depths (m) were 92 +/- 44 and ascent rates (ms-1) 0.3 +/- 0.2 for affected animals and 76 +/- 33 and 0.2 +/- 0.1, respectively, for unaffected animals. The relatively good carcass condition of these cases, comparable to 2 stranded cases that showed no gas formation on computed tomography (even after 3 days of refrigeration in one case), along with the histologic absence of bacteria and autolytic changes, indicate that peri- or postmortem phase change of supersaturated blood and tissues is most likely. Studies have suggested that under some circumstances, diving mammals are routinely supersaturated and that these mammals presumably manage gas exchange and decompression anatomically and behaviorally. This study provides a unique illustration of such supersaturated tissues. We suggest that greater attention be paid to the radiology and pathology of bycatch mortality as a possible model to better understand gas bubble disease in marine mammals.
Saxitoxin Increases Phocine Distemper Virus Replication upon In-Vitro Infection in Harbor Seal Immune Cells.
Bogomolni A., Bass A., Fire S., Jasperse L., Levin M., Waring G., De Guise S. 2016. Harmful Algae 51, 89-926.
Worldwide, stranded marine mammals and the network personnel who respond to marine mammal mortality have provided much of the information regarding marine morbillivirus infections. An assay to determine the amount of virus present in tissue samples would be useful to assist in routine surveying of animal health and for monitoring large-scale die-off events. False negatives from poor-quality samples prevent determination of the true extent of infection, while only small amounts of tissue samples or archived RNA may be available at the time of collection for future retrospective analysis. We developed a one-step duplex real-time reverse transcriptase quantitative-PCR assay (RT-qPCR) based on Taqman probe technology to quantify phocine distemper virus (PDV) isolated from an outbreak in harbor (Phoca vitulina concolor) and gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) along the northeast US coast in 2006. The glyceraldehyde-3-phosphatedehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene was selected to assess RNA quality. This duplex assay is specific for PDV and sensitive through a range of 100 to 109 copies ds-plasmid DNA. For the GAPDH target, the reaction in duplex amplified 100 to 109 copies of ds-plasmid DNA and was detectable in multiple seal species. This assay reduced the likelihood of false negative results due to degradation of tissues and well-to-well variability while providing sensitive and specific detection of PDV, which would be applicable in molecular epidemiologic studies and pathogen detection in field and laboratory investigations involving a variety of seal species.
Immunomodulatory effects of brevetoxin (PbTx-3) upon in vitro exposure in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).
Gebhard E., Levin M., Bogomolni A., De Guise S. 2015. Harmful Algae 44, 54-62.
Harmful algal blooms (HAB), commonly referred to as ‘red tides’, involving the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis produce a series of neurotoxins known as brevetoxins (PbTx). Brevetoxins have long been associated with extensive fish kills, adverse human health effects such as neurotoxic shellfish poisoning, and have been associated with mortality events in aquatic mammals such as bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). The immunotoxicological effects of these brevetoxins have been studied in manatees, humans, and cell lines, however, the effects in bottlenose dolphins remain unclear. There are increasing concerns that dolphins may be exposed to repeated/chronic, sub-lethal concentrations, which may impact their overall health. The objectives of this study were to measure the changes in innate (phagocytosis, respiratory burst, NK cell activity) and adaptive (mitogen-induced B and T lymphocyte proliferation) immune functions upon in vitro exposure to increasing concentrations of brevetoxin (PbTx-3) (0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100, 500, and 1000 nM) using bottlenose dolphin peripheral blood immune cells. Brevetoxin significantly increased spontaneous lymphocyte proliferation at 0.1 1000 nM compared to the unexposed control. Brevetoxin significantly increased T lymphocyte proliferation upon suboptimal (0.1 μg/ml) and optimal (1.0 μg/ml) Con-A stimulation at 0.01-100 nM and 0.1 nM of PbTx-3 respectively, as well as suboptimal (0.05 μg/ml) and optimal (5.0 μg/ml) LPS-induced B lymphocyte proliferation at 0.01-100 nM and 0.01-500 nM of PbTx-3, respectively. Both neutrophil and monocyte respiratory burst were significantly increased at 500 and 1000 nM. There were no significant effects on neutrophil or monocyte phagocytosis or NK cell activity. Importantly, concentrations that modulated immune functions in vitro were within the range measured in the blood of dolphins during two unusual mortality events, suggesting that naturally exposed dolphins may be at risk for immunomodulation. Brevetoxin-induced immunomodulation may increase an animal’s susceptibility to bacterial, viral, or fungal infections. Understanding the risk for immunomodulation upon HAB toxin exposure can contribute in the health assessment and management of marine mammals, as well as guide veterinarians and wildlife rehabilitators in caring for and treating afflicted animals.
In-Vitro Exposure of Harbor Seal Immune Cells to Aroclor 1260 Alters Phocine Distemper Virus Replication
Bogomolni, A Frasca Jr S., Levin M., Matassa K., Nielsen O., Waring G., De Guise S. 2015. Archives of Environmental Toxicology 1-12.
In the last 30 years, several large-scale marine mammal mortality events have occurred, often in close association with highly polluted regions, leading to suspicions that contaminant-induced immunosuppression contributed to these epizootics. Some of these recent events also identified morbillivirus as a cause of or contributor to death. The role of contaminant exposures regarding morbillivirus mortality is still unclear. The results of this study aimed to address the potential for a mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), specifically Aroclor 1260, to alter harbor seal T-lymphocyte proliferation and to assess if exposure resulted in increased likelihood of phocine distemper virus (PDV USA 2006) to infect susceptible seals in an in vitro system. Exposure of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to Aroclor 1260 did not significantly alter lymphocyte proliferation (1, 5, 10, and 20 ppm). However, using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), lymphocytes exposed to 20 ppm Aroclor 1260 exhibited a significant decrease in PDV replication at day 7 and a significant increase at day 11 compared with unexposed control cells. Similar and significant differences were apparent on exposure to Aroclor 1260 in monocytes and supernatant. The results here indicate that in harbor seals, Aroclor 1260 exposure results in a decrease in virus early during infection and an increase during late infection. The consequences of this contaminant-induced infection pattern in a highly susceptible host could result in a greater potential for systemic infection with greater viral load, which could explain the correlative findings seen in wild populations exposed to a range of persistent contaminants that suffer from morbillivirus epizootics.
Google Haul Out: Earth-Observation Imagery and Digital Aerial Surveys in Coastal Wildlife Management and Abundance Estimation.
Moxley J, Bogomolni A, et al. 2017. Bioscience 67, 8: 760-768.
As the sampling frequency and resolution of Earth observation imagery increase, there are growing opportunities for novel applications in population monitoring. New methods are required to apply established analytical approaches to data collected from new observation platforms (e.g., satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles). Here, we present a method that estimates regional seasonal abundances for an understudied and growing population of gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) in southeastern Massachusetts, using opportunistic observations in Google Earth imagery. Abundance estimates are derived from digital aerial survey counts by adapting established correction-based analyses with telemetry behavioral observation to quantify survey biases. The result is a first regional understanding of gray seal abundance in the northeast US through opportunistic Earth observation imagery and repurposed animal telemetry data. As species observation data from Earth observation imagery become more ubiquitous, such methods provide a robust, adaptable, and cost-effective solution to monitoring animal colonies and understanding species abundances.
Marine Mammal Necropsy: An Introductory Guide for Stranding Responders and Field Biologists. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Technical Report-WHOI-2007-06, September 2007. Pugliaris, K., Bogomolni, A., Touhey, K., Herzig, S. Harry, C.T., and M. Moore.
Mortality Trends of Stranded Marine Mammals on Cape Cod and Southeastern Massachusetts, U.S.A 2000-2006.
Bogomolni, Andrea, et al. DAO. 2010;88 (2):143-55.
To understand the cause of death of 405 marine mammals stranded on Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts between 2000 and 2006, a system for coding final diagnosis was developed and categorized as (1) disease, (2) human interaction, (3) mass-stranded with no significant findings, (4) single stranded with no significant findings, (5) rock and/or sand ingestion, (6) predatory attack, (7) failure to thrive or dependent calf or pup, or (8) other. The cause of death for 91 animals could not be determined. For the 314 animals that could be assigned a cause of death, gross and histological pathology results and ancillary testing indicated that disease was the leading cause of mortality in the region, affecting 116/314 (37%) of cases. Human interaction, including harassment, entanglement, and vessel collision, fatally affected 31/314 (10%) of all animals. Human interaction accounted for 13/29 (45%) of all determined gray seal Halichoerus grypus mortalities. Mass strandings were most likely to occur in northeastern Cape Cod Bay; 97/106 (92%) of mass stranded animals necropsied presented with no significant pathological findings. Mass strandings were the leading cause of death in 3 of the 4 small cetacean species: 46/67 (69%) of Atlantic white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus acutus, 15/21 (71%) of long-finned pilot whale Globicephala melas, and 33/54 (61%) of short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis. These baseline data are critical for understanding marine mammal population health and mortality trends, which in turn have significant conservation and management implications. They not only afford a better retrospective analysis of strandings, but ultimately have application for improving current and future response to live animal stranding.
Distribution, feeding habits and morphology of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the Caribbean Sea.
Bolaños-Jiménez, J., Luksenburg, J., Mignucci-Giannoni, A.A., Bogomolni, A., et al. Mammal Review, 2014
Killer whales Orcinus orca are found in all oceans of the world, but most of our knowledge on the species comes from studies conducted at higher latitudes. Studies on killer whales in the Caribbean have been scarce.
We compiled 176 records of killer whales from the Caribbean, including 95 previously unreported records and 81 records recovered from the literature, consisting of 27 capture or kill records, 4 stranding records and 145 sighting records.
Our results indicate that killer whales are widespread in the Caribbean Sea and can be found year-round in the region. Mean group size was 3.7 animals. A diversity of prey items was recorded, including sea turtles and marine mammals and possibly fish. We cannot exclude ecotype or morphotype-specific dietary specialization in the Caribbean population. A preliminary morphological analysis of 10 characters in 52 individuals from 21 different groups suggests that Caribbean killer whales do not represent any of the four Antarctic and subantarctic types, type 1 from the northwest Atlantic, or ‘resident’ and ‘transient’ killer whales from the northwest Pacific. Some Caribbean killer whales share a combination of characters typical of type 2 in the North Atlantic, whereas others share those typical of ‘offshore’ killer whales in the northwest Pacific. The significance of this is unclear. Comparison of Caribbean killer whales to previously described morphotypes and ecotypes is hampered by the lack of detailed, quantitative data on variation within other types, as well as by the lack of comparisons of genetic diversity.
Our study adds to the growing knowledge of the diversity of killer whales worldwide but underscores that additional research is warranted in the tropics.