| 1. |
- Neimanis, Astrida, et al.
(författare)
-
Fathoming chemical weapons in the Gotland Deep
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Cultural Geographies. - : SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD. - 1474-4740 .- 1477-0881. ; 24:4, s. 631-638
-
Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- At the end of World War II, tens of thousands of tons of chemical warfare agents - mostly mustard gas - were dumped in the Gotland Deep - a deep basin in the middle of the otherwise shallow Baltic Sea. Decades later, these weapons are being reactivated - both literally (perhaps on the faces of dead seals, and in fishermens nets) and also in our imaginations. In this story that recounts the beginning of our research into this situation, militarization meets with environmental concern: the past floats into the present, where humans and non-humans are equally implicated, where the sea itself conditions the kinds of questions we can ask, and answers we might get, and where terms like threat and risk remain undecided. After spending time on Gotland Island - the closest terrestrial site to these weapons dumps - we ask what kinds of research methods might be adequate to these tangled, underwater tales that we find so difficult to fathom.
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
- Jansson, Desiree S., et al.
(författare)
-
Post mortem findings and their relation to AA amyloidosis in free-ranging Herring gulls (Larus argentatus)
- 2018
-
Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. - 1932-6203. ; 13:3
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Since the late 1990s, high mortality and declining populations have been reported among sea birds including Herring gulls ( Larus argentatus) from the Baltic Sea area in Northern Europe. Repeated BoNT type C/D botulism outbreaks have occurred, but it remains unclear whether this is the sole and primary cause of mortality. Thiamine deficiency has also been suggested as a causal or contributing factor. With this study, we aimed to investigate gross and microscopic pathology in Herring gulls from affected breeding sites in Sweden in search of contributing diseases. Herring gulls from Iceland served as controls. Necropsies and histopathology were performed on 75 birds, of which 12 showed signs of disease at the time of necropsy. Parasites of various classes and tissues were commonly observed independent of host age, e.g. oesophageal capillariosis and nematode infection in the proventriculus and gizzard with severe inflammation, air sac larid pentastomes and bursal trematodiasis in pre-fledglings. Gross and microscopic findings are described. Notably, amyloidosis was diagnosed in 93 and 33% of the adult birds from Sweden and Iceland, respectively ( p<0.001), with more pronounced deposits in Swedish birds ( p<0.001). Gastrointestinal deposits were observed in the walls of arteries or arterioles, and occasionally in villi near the mucosal surface. Amyloid was identified within the intestinal lumen in one severely affected gull suggesting the possibility of oral seeding and the existence of a primed state as previously described in some mammals and chickens. This could speculatively explain the high occurrence and previously reported rapid onset of amyloidosis upon inflammation or captivity in Herring gulls. Amyloid-induced malabsorbtion is also a possibility. The Herring gull SAA/AA protein sequence was shown to be highly conserved but differed at the N-terminus from other avian species.
|
|
| 4. |
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
- Neimanis, Aleksija, et al.
(författare)
-
Causes of Death and Pathological Findings in Stranded Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from Swedish Waters
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Animals. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-2615. ; 12:3, s. 369-369
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) are useful indicators of the health of their wild populations and marine ecosystems, yet their elusive nature makes studying them in their natural environment challenging. Stranded porpoises provide an excellent source of data to study the health and biology of these animals and identify causes of death, diseases and other threats. The aim of this study was to document pathology, and where possible, cause of death in porpoises from Swedish waters. Post-mortem examinations were performed on 128 stranded porpoises collected from 2006 to 2020. Overall, bycatch including definitive and probable cases was the most common cause of death (31.4%), followed by disease (21.3%), predominantly pneumonia. In adults, infectious disease was the most common cause of death. Bacteria with zoonotic potential such as Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae and Brucella sp. were documented for the first time in porpoises from Swedish waters, as was the porpoise-adapted group B Salmonella enterica ST416/ST417. Three of four deaths from non-infectious diseases involved parturition complications. Four cases of suspected predation were documented, but further analyses are required to confirm these findings. Our results are consistent with those from other regions in Europe and serve as a reference for future monitoring for changing patterns of health and disease of porpoises and their environments.
|
|
| 8. |
|
|
| 9. |
|
|
| 10. |
|
|
| 11. |
- Roos, Anna, et al.
(författare)
-
Biological findings and causes of death in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) collected between 2006 and 2019 in Sweden
- 2020
-
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Tumlare (n = 109) som samlats in mellan 2006 och 2019 har obducerats av Naturhistoriska riksmuseet i samarbete med Statens Veterinärmedicinska Anstalt (SVA). Denna sammanställning ger data om biologiska parametrar, sjukdom och dödsorsak och utgör grunden för vidare utveckling av hälsoindikatorer för dessa djur.Bifångst och sannolik bifångst (32%) var den vanligaste dödsorsaken bland tumlarna i denna studie, följt av infektionssjukdomar, särskilt lunginflammation (16,5%). De flesta var kalvar eller ungdjur (67%). Näringsstatus skiljde sig i allmänhet mellan bifångade tumlare och de som dog av infektionssjukdomar.Några av tumlarna visade tecken på predation. Gråsälspredation har blivit en vanlig dödsorsak för tumlare i Nordsjön, men det återstår att utvärdera huruvida tumlare blir dödade i Sverige av gråsälar, späckhuggare eller något annat rovdjur.Tumlare är en utmärkt miljöindikator. Tumlares hälsa och sjukdomsstatus återspeglar deras miljö och visar förekomsten av sjukdomsframkallande smittämnen och andra hot mot djur- och människors hälsa i våra marina miljöer. Strandade och bifångade tumlare ger utmärkt och kostnadseffektiv information om tumlares hälsa och biologi och kan också användas för att upptäcka förändringar i populationsdynamiken. Emellertid krävs ett mycket större antal undersökta djur än vad vi har idag för att kunna utvärdera tumlarnas allmänna hälsa.På samma sätt är livshistoriska parametrar, näringsstatus, reproduktiv framgång och sjukdomsstatus potentiella hälsoindikatorer och vår sammanställning av obduktionsdata ger grundläggande data för vidare utveckling av dessa. Framtida utveckling av lovande indikatorer som kroppsindex och ett index över sjukdomsstatus med både historiska data och framtida studier behövs.Slutligen ger resultat från ett fortsatt och utökat hälso- och sjukdomsövervakningsprogram för tumlare en grund för rapportering om Sveriges miljökvalitetsmål "Hav i balans och levande kust och skärgård" och "En rik flora och fauna" samt rapportering inom regionala havskonventioner som ASCOBANS.
|
|
| 12. |
|
|
| 13. |
- Sandholt, Arnar K. S., et al.
(författare)
-
Genomic signatures of host adaptation in group B Salmonella enterica ST416/ST417 from harbour porpoises
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Veterinary research (Print). - Springer Science and Business Media LLC : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0928-4249 .- 1297-9716. ; 52:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A type of monophasic group B Salmonella enterica with the antigenic formula 4,12:a:- (“Fulica-like”) has been described as associated with harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), most frequently recovered from lung samples. In the present study, lung tissue samples from 47 porpoises found along the Swedish coast or as bycatch in fishing nets were analysed, two of which were positive for S. enterica. Pneumonia due to the infection was considered the likely cause of death for one of the two animals. The recovered isolates were whole genome sequenced and found to belong to sequence type (ST) 416 and to be closely related to ST416/ST417 porpoise isolates from UK waters as determined by core-genome MLST. Serovars Bispebjerg, Fulica and Abortusequi were identified as distantly related to the porpoise isolates, but no close relatives from other host species were found. All ST416/417 isolates had extensive loss of function mutations in key Salmonella pathogenicity islands, but carried accessory genetic elements associated with extraintestinal infection such as iron uptake systems. Gene ontology and pathway analysis revealed reduced secondary metabolic capabilities and loss of function in terms of signalling and response to environmental cues, consistent with adaptation for the extraintestinal niche. A classification system based on machine learning identified ST416/417 as more invasive than classical gastrointestinal serovars. Genome analysis results are thus consistent with ST416/417 as a host-adapted and extraintestinal clonal population of S. enterica, which while found in porpoises without associated pathology can also cause severe opportunistic infections.
|
|
| 14. |
- Stavenow, Jasmine, et al.
(författare)
-
Sowerby’s Beaked Whales (Mesoplodon bidens) in the Skagerrak and Adjacent Waters: Historical Records and Recent Post-Mortem Findings
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Oceans. - : MDPI AG. - 2673-1924. ; 3:3, s. 250-267
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In contrast to sparse historical observational records, five Sowerby’s beaked whales (SBW) stranded and died in Swedish waters between 2015 and 2020. Here we summarize historical records of SBWs in the Skagerrak basin and adjacent waters. The three recent stranding events from Sweden are described, and the post-mortem findings, including diet analysis, from the five SBWs are presented. Of 30 historical records of SBWs observations since 1869, 13 (43%) were documented between 2010 and 2021, and records between July and November were the most frequent. The recent stranding events occurred in October 2015 (n = 1), August 2019 (n = 3) and July 2020 (n = 1). Four of the SBWs were examined through necropsy, and one was sampled in the field. They were all sub-adults and included a single female and four males. The causes of death were emaciation, euthanasia due to traumatic injury, and live stranding of undetermined cause. Two SBWs each had a focal bone lesion consistent with osteomyelitis. Other findings included pox-like dermatitis, trauma, focal granulomas in a lymph node and intestine, and ulceration of the stomach. CT scans were performed on the heads of two animals, with inconclusive results. Three SBWs had hard parts in the gastrointestinal tract that mainly consisted of otoliths from several fish species. An eDNA-analysis confirmed and supplemented the diet analysis, revealing 17 fish species in total, including species not previously described as prey for SBW, such as Pleuronectidae spp. The apparent increase in observational records since 2010 may indicate a shift in SBW distribution or changing threats to these animals. Our results support and expand theories on SBW movements and provide data on the biology and health of this poorly known species, which are valuable for conservation and legislation efforts.
|
|
| 15. |
- Ulfsson, Vigge, et al.
(författare)
-
Investigation of Spatiotemporal Patterns of Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) Strandings in Swedish Waters for Improved Monitoring and Management
- 2024
-
Ingår i: OCEANS-SWITZERLAND. - : MDPI. - 2673-1924. ; 5:2, s. 166-180
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) are the only cetacean residents found year-round in Swedish waters and they are exposed to numerous natural and anthropogenic threats. Since the in situ monitoring of cetaceans can be difficult, invasive and often expensive, investigation of stranding patterns and examination of stranded animals can be used as a cost-effective source of data to study these elusive animals. The aim of this study was to investigate the spatiotemporal patterns of harbour porpoise stranding reports and the possible underlying causes in Swedish waters over a ten-year period (2014-2023). Additionally, the Swedish stranding network plays a key role in the collection of stranded carcasses for health and disease surveillance, and geographic coverage of the network also was analysed. When making spatial comparisons, the ten-year period was divided into two five-year blocks. Data on 854 stranded harbour porpoises were analysed from the coasts of the Skagerrak, Kattegat, and Baltic Seas. Both significant spatial and temporal patterns could be identified. Strandings peaked in July through September and hotspots occurred along most of the Swedish west coast, with the most frequent hotspots located around & Ouml;resund and especially the area around the Kullen peninsula. The spatial patterns of strandings found in this study are consistent with data on porpoise abundance, prey abundance, and gillnet fisheries' efforts. The latter is known to be one of the primary causes of porpoise mortality. Furthermore, the coverage of the Swedish stranding network increased between the two periods, likely reflecting an increased awareness of the carcass-based surveillance program, and gaps requiring network expansion efforts were identified. These results also provide baseline data to enable the continued monitoring of stranding trends, as changes may indicate changes in population distribution, size or mortality rates.
|
|
| 16. |
- Zohari, Siamak, et al.
(författare)
-
Avian influenza A(H10N7) virus involvement in mass mortality of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in Sweden, March through October 2014
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Eurosurveillance. - 1025-496X .- 1560-7917. ; 19:46, s. 1-6
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We provide the first scientific report of influenza A virus involvement in a mass mortality event among harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) off the west coast of Sweden. Avian influenza A (H10N7) virus was detected in the lungs of two affected animals. This subtype has not been reported in seals to date, nor has influenza A-associated mortality been reported in seals in Europe. Circulation of avian influenza viruses in mammals may have implications for public health.
|
|
