Abstract

A discussion of the research and information requirements needed to improve the state of aquatic animal medicine, and the problems encountered in researching aquatic animal medicine.

Notes

How much data on marine mammals is readily available in the literature? A student was sent to the library and given one day in which to come up with marine mammal information covering several topics. Very little information was obtained except on the subject of Clinical Pathology.

The National Library of Medicine which catalogues all international research was perused using the key word "dolphin". During the period from 1965-1978 there were 121 citations only.

The USSR and the USA have been producing most of the publications.

• Areas where research is needed
• Anesthesia - tranquilizers, hypnotics and respiratory assistance.
• Disease - diagnostic tests, normative values, improved data collection and dissemination, tests and pharmacology.
• Nutrition - establish requirements, standard diets and stabilize food sources.
• Research oriented problems:
• Research funds - USSR has the least financial difficulty in this area, followed by the USA and then Europe.
• Collection - Procurement - high expense and administrative overhead. The Federal regulations, paperwork and legalities of the situation need to be simplified.
• Maintenance - stress, reproductive costs.
• Dedicated research facilities are needed which have centralized efficiency. It is difficult to do research on animals kept primarily for performance and display.

Summary

1. The data base on marine mammals as available to the researcher on the open literature is thin and old, with many articles dating back to the 1940's.
2. There are many restraints on research such as lack of cooperation, fiscal support, unnecessary controls and paperwork.
3. Marine mammal researchers are becoming an endangered species.

Comment by Jay Sweeney: The National Library of Medicine does not necessarily catalogue all marine mammal research. There are quite a few publications, some by myself in the JAVMA which have been overlooked by this survey.