Exploring the Indian River Bottlenose Dolphin Virome
IAAAM 2013
Thomas B. Waltzek1*; James F.X. Wellehan2; Galaxia Cortes-Hinojosa2; Terry F. Ng3; Eric Delwart3; Stephen D. McCulloch4; Juli D. Goldstein4; Adam M. Schaefer4; Patricia A. Fair5; John S. Reif6; Gregory D. Bossart4,7
1University of Florida, Infectious Diseases and Pathology, Gainesville, Florida, 32610, USA; 2University of Florida, Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Gainesville, Florida, 32610, USA; 3Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, California, 94118, USA; 4Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University, Marine Mammal Research and Conservation Program, Center for Marine Ecosystems Health Ft. Pierce, Florida, 34946, USA; 5Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, NOAA, NOS, Charleston, South Carolina, 29142 USA; 6College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA; 7Georgia Aquarium, NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30313, USA
Abstract
The Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Health and Risk Assessment (HERA) project is a comprehensive, integrated, multi-disciplinary research program designed to assess environmental and anthropogenic stressors, as well as the health and long-term viability of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. Health and risk assessments of dolphin populations are especially critical in areas where stocks are depleted or show signs of epidemic disease and/or high mortality, and in areas where the habitat is being intensely altered or impacted by human influences. Toward this goal, members of the Harbor Branch/FAU Marine Mammal Research and Conservation (MMRC) program, the University of Florida's Wildlife and Aquatic Veterinary Disease Laboratory (WAVDL), and the Blood Systems Research Institute (BSRI) teamed up to conduct a viral survey of Indian River bottlenose dolphins.
As part of the HERA project, Indian River bottlenose dolphins were sampled during July 2012 health assessments. Respiratory, fecal, and buffy coat samples were shipped to WAVDL where validated conventional and quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays were used to survey samples for a wide variety of known marine mammal viruses. Additionally, collaboration between WAVDL and BSRI permitted the first unbiased metagenomic effort to discover divergent viruses in bottlenose dolphins using high throughput sequencing. The results of this cooperative diagnostic approach are to be discussed including reports of several novel viruses from dolphins.
Acknowledgements
The HERA project is conducted under NMFS permit number 14352-02 issued to Dr. Bossart.
*Presenting author