Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to share with you the following open-access publication, demonstrating evidence of changes in dolphin behavior indicative of respiratory irritation during harmful algal blooms known to produce aerosolized toxins:
Fire, S. E., Miller, G. A., & Wells, R. S. (2020). Explosive exhalations by common bottlenose dolphins during Karenia brevis red tides. Heliyon, 6(3), e03525. ABSTRACT Harmful algal blooms (HABs) such as those produced by Karenia brevis have acute negative impacts on common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Florida coastal waters, frequently causing illness and death. However, much less is known about chronic, sub-acute effects on these important sentinel species. This study investigates whether bottlenose dolphin behavior in Sarasota Bay, Florida is influenced by the presence of severe red tide events, focusing on respiratory and other behaviors likely affected by abundant toxin aerosols produced during these blooms. Through focal animal behavioral follows, we observed free-ranging dolphin respiratory behavior, activity budgets, and movement patterns relative to K. brevis abundance in the study area. We compared behavior from dolphins observed during a 2005 K. brevis bloom to those observed during inter-bloom conditions where K. brevis was present at background concentrations. We found that the rate of "chuffing", an explosive type of exhalation, was significantly greater in dolphins observed during the bloom. No apparent effect on respiratory rate, heading change rate or activity budgets was observed. We propose that this chuffing behavior is analogous to symptoms of respiratory irritation observed in humans exposed to such red tide events, and suggest that this may be a type of disturbance response. With an observed increase in both the frequency and severity of HABs, such disturbance responses may have large-scale chronic impacts to the health and fitness of bottlenose dolphins in regions where such HABs are common. The article can be found at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03525 or please contact me directly. Warm regards (from an appropriate distance), --------------- Spencer Fire, Ph.D. Asst. Professor of Biological Sciences Florida Institute of Technology 150 W. University Blvd. Melbourne, FL 32901 321.674.7138 sf...@fit.edu<mailto:sf...@fit.edu> firelabfit.weebly.com<https://firelabfit.weebly.com/> www.<https://www.instagram.com/thefirelab/>instagram.com/thefirelab<https://www.instagram.com/thefirelab/>
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