Effects of capture on adrenal steroid and vasopressin concentrations in free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

Vitamin blood concentration and vitamin supplementation in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in European facilities

BACKGROUND As fish eaters bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in human care need to receive daily vitamin supplementation, because whole thawed fish lacks certain vitamins. However, the exact concentration of supplementation has not been established and is a matter of discussion. To ensure adequate vitamin supplementation in pets, vitamin blood concentrations are measured. This is not a co...

Correlation Between Urinary Vasopressin and Water Content of Food in the Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Marine mammals, including the bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus, must rely on the water content of their food to achieve water balance. We have investigated the endocrine role of the antidiuretic hormone (vasopressin) in relation to food intake and water conservation. A series of seven bottlenose dolphins, maintained in a controlled environment, were sampled for blood and urine before and a...

Adrenal Hormones in Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Influential Factors and Reference Intervals

Inshore common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are exposed to a broad spectrum of natural and anthropogenic stressors. In response to these stressors, the mammalian adrenal gland releases hormones such as cortisol and aldosterone to maintain physiological and biochemical homeostasis. Consequently, adrenal gland dysfunction results in disruption of hormone secretion and an inappropriate...

Decreased lymphocyte responses in free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are associated with increased concentrations of PCBs and DDT in peripheral blood.

Since 1987, large-scale mortalities of dolphins have been reported along the Atlantic coast of North America, in the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Mediterranean Sea. Autopsied bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, which were collected from the large-scale mortality along the Atlantic coast in 1987 to 1988, exhibited opportunistic infections indicative of immune dysfunction. Further, these anima...

THOMAS MATTHEW GALLIGAN. Using Blubber to Assess Steroid Hormone Homeostasis in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Exposed to Organochlorine Pesticides. (Under the direction of ASHLEY