Leatherback Turtles, Dermochelys coriacea, are an endangered species in Atlantic Canadian waters. They can be 2 m. in length and  weigh over 900kg making the them the heaviest reptiles on Earth. Some of their skeletal features make them an interesting animal to articulate and mount their skeleton. Their  top shell (carapace) can be over 1.5 m. long and over 1m wide. Other species of marine turtles have hard shells of large, boney plates.  Leatherback  turtle carapaces are composed of hundreds of small interconnected bones which resemble a jigsaw puzzle in size and design. The dorsal side of the spine is interconnected to the carapace with a high proportion of cartilage. The carapace is covered by a thick leather-like skin. There are also 5 longitudinal ridges for more hydrodynamic strength. These features make the shell and body flexible and the adults can dive to 1,280m for up to 85 minutes. This is deeper than other marine turtles and equivalent to depths reached by some marine mammals.

by Grant Curtis

Source: National Geographic for information and BoneRoom for the photo of the skeleton.

On June 16, following a day and night of very strong wind and heavy surf, a dead minke whale was found on the north shore of Prince Edward Island.  A complete necropsy was done, and the whole skeleton was saved for potential assembly later on (see photo at the bottom of the page).

a

a

The whale was a female, 6.3 m long; its inactive ovaries and relatively small size suggested that it was an older immature animal or a young adult.  The carcass was fresh and appeared in good nutritional condition, and the gastric compartments were filled with digested food.

a

a

a

A deep cut surrounded the base of the tail (see photo to the left), suggesting that this whale may have been caught in fishing gears and subsequently drowned.

A closer view at the cut is found in the photo to the right.

a

a

a

a

a

a

Since 1988, our Wildlife group has done the necropsy of seven other minke whales: six adult females and one immature male.  Three of these seven animals had become entangled in fishing gears from lobster traps, and observations on two others also suggested that they had been caught in fishing gears.

By: P-Y Daoust

Hooded seals, a species that is rarely seen in the vicinity of the province because it is much less abundant than harp seals, were also sighted on several occasions on its shores. Two adults, a male and a female, were found dead in April. The cause of their death could not be determined despite a thorough necropsy. The male (shown in photo to the right) may have been only in moderate nutritional condition (blubber thickness, 21 mm) but was not emaciated. The female was considered in good nutritional condition (blubber thickness, 40 mm). No significant gross or microscopic lesions were seen in any of their internal organs. Both had several large rocks in their stomach (see photo bottom left), the significance of which was undetermined.

a

a

In previous winters, we have made similar observations of harp and hooded seals, albeit yearling animals, that were considered at least in moderate nutritional condition, with no significant gross or microscopic lesions, but with their stomach packed with abnormal material, such as rocks, sand, or kelp stipes. We suspect some electrolyte imbalance, possibly coupled with some degree of dehydration, in these animals. In order to prove of disprove this, one would need to obtain a blood sample from such animals shortly before they die, which is rarely possible. Seals of both species are known to supplement their intake of water from their prey by eating snow or ice.

By: P-Y Daoust

Dave is currently Section Head of Aquatic Diagnostic Services as well as Adjunct Professor and Graduate Faculty in Aquatic Health at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC), University of Prince Edward Island, in P.E.I., Canada.   In this role,  Dave is employed full-time as a diagnostic fish pathologist at AVC examining diagnostic cases submitted from clients in Atlantic Canada, British Columbia, Chile, regions of the US and Europe.  Recently he has been active in promoting Quality Assurance Programs for fish diagnostic labs, and has coordinated continuing education sessions on this important topic at both European Association of Fish Pathologists and International Symposium of Aquatic Animal Health meetings.

Photo: Atlantic Salmon from the River Don, Aberdeen, Scotland,suffering from acute, severe, hemolytic anemia, click here or here for more information

Dave completed his undergraduate training in biology at Lafayette College (1975), he attended the US Fish & Wildlife Service – Leetown Fish Disease Long Course in 1978 and then finished his MSc. degree in pathobiology from the University of Connecticut (1980) and PhD in aquaculture & fish health from the University of Idaho (1983).  Following his tenure in Idaho he travelled to Iceland to work at the Institute for Experimental Pathology on a US Fulbright Fellowship. Dave subsequently accepted a position as a researcher in Scotland (1984-1988) where he worked on pollution induced anaemia of wild Atlantic salmon at the FRS Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen.   In 1988 Dave was hired by the Atlantic Veterinary College and has since participated in fish health teaching, research and diagnostic services there.  While in Scotland and later in Canada he has supervised or been on the graduate committees of 14 students, assisted in the pathology training of several residents/interns and coordinated research projects involving 2 post-doctoral scientists.

Dave has served on the “Technical Procedures and Blue Book Committees” of the American Fisheries Society Fish Health Section (1982-1985), coordinated the Eastern Fish Health Workshop in 1990 and recently the 2008 the Fish Health Section Annual meeting in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. During 1990-1993 he was responsible for diagnostic fish pathology and extension services to fish farmers in the province of Newfoundland.  He holds Canadian Government fish health Official and US Title-50 inspector status.

1) training and experience to prepare the candidate for a career in wildlife and/or domestic animal pathology,

2) eligibility for the certification examination in anatomic pathology of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP), and

3) a small research project, leading to a non-thesis Master of Veterinary Science (MVSc) degree.s

s

  The program is based on supervised necropsy and histopathology service of the CCWHC (the caseload consists of 700 cases/year, including marine mammals, terrestrial wildlife and a wide variety of bird species), graduate courses and seminars in pathology and related disciplines, and a supervised research project in diagnostic or experimental pathology.  The successful candidate will train with up to three graduate students/residents in pathology.  Faculty members involved in pathology training include five ACVP diplomates in Anatomic Pathology and two diplomates in Clinical Pathology.

s

   The successful candidate must have a DVM or equivalent degree and a strong interest in a career in veterinary pathology, with a specific emphasis on wildlife/zoo animal pathology.  Starting stipend is $29,000 CDN (tax free).   Applications should be received by March 31, 2010 to receive fullest consideration.  Anticipated start date is early August 2010.  The position is contingent on available funding.

s

s

   The AVC is located in Charlottetown, the capital city of Prince Edward Island, the smallest Canadian province.  The city has 32,000 inhabitants and provides a variety of restaurants, movie theaters, sports facilities and festivals, and is 25 minutes away from the sandy beaches of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

s

  Interested applicants should submit a resume, letter of intent, and names and contact details for 3 references via electronic or regular mail to:

Dr Pierre-Yves Daoust
Dept. of Pathology and Microbiology
Atlantic Veterinary College, 550 University Avenue
Charlottetown, PE, C1A 4P3
Canada

a
Ranavirus is a member of the Iridoviridae, a family of viruses that infects fish and amphibians, sometimes with severe consequences.  Ranavirus is particularly damaging to larval amphibians, or tadpoles, which are very susceptible to infection.  The infection can  kill 98% of the  tadpoles in a pond.   It is thought that the virus remains in the few tadpoles that survive infection and are able to undergo metamorphosis; as adults, they will then carry the infection without obvious signs of disease and may transfer it to the next generation of tadpoles the following year.  (Picture of adult wood frog, right).

a

Although this is the first reported outbreak of ranavirus in New Brunswick, similar outbreaks were documented yearly in Acadia, Maine, from 2000 to 2005, and may have occurred but gone unconfirmed in later years.  Further research into the New Brunswick outbreaks is planned for the summer of 2010.

a
Ranavirus is highly contagious and easily transferred from one pond to the next by the movement of amphibians or other animals and by using contaminated equipment, such as rubber boots or fishing gear. A thorough clean up and disinfection of such equipment will help prevent, or at least delay, further dissemination of the disease.  Field disinfection protocols are available from various online sources and more thorough protocols.

By: María Forzán (Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre, Charlottetown, PEI), Megan Gahl (University of New Brunswick Saint John, Saint John, NB) and Bruce Pauli (Environment Canada, Ottawa, ON).  Photos provided by M.Gahl (ponds) and M. Forzán (wood frog).

a
  The ICSP consists of 4 pillars: Economical, Social, Cultural and Environmental.  In the two environmental stakeholder meetings there were good discussions on a variety of topics such as alternative energy, water safety, public transportation, sustainable housing, increase in green spaces, house retrofits, sustainable building incentives, wildlife corridors, and environmental education.  In these meetings the group prioritized four environmental goals:
1.    Protect and restore our water and watersheds
2.    Reduce our ecological footprint
3.    Become a carbon neutral City
4.    Increase food security (grow and buy local)
aaThere was abundant discussion on how to narrow down these general goals and a number of attainable objectives were produced.  Now it’s up to the consulting team to once again summarize the outcome of the discussions and present it to City Counsel.  After approval, the implementation of this plan will be monitored by Infrastructure Canada.a

By Fiep deBie, Nov 2009

A Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle was found alive in Morden, NS (at the shore of the Bay of Fundy) on September 30, 2009. The turtle received veterinary care, but unfortunately died October 2nd and was submitted to the CCWHC and examined by Dr. Pierre-Yves Daoust.

Although the necropsy results are not finalized; the preliminary cause of death is cold-shock.a

a

a

“The Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) is the smallest and rarest species of sea turtle, with only 2,000-3,000 adult females remaining.” (Innis et al. JWD 45:594-610,2009, citing Marquez-M et al. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 4:761-766, 2005). Kemp’s Ridley’s reach maturity at 2 feet long and an average of 45 kg (100 lb). Their carapace (top shell) can measure 60-70 cm (24-28 inches) in length. The almost circular carapace is greyish green while the plastron (bottom shell) is pale yellow to cream.
a

This sea turtle generally prefers warm waters but is known to inhabit the waters as far north as New Jersey.  It is found in the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida and Louisiana. Its range includes the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
a

The nesting season is between April to August, though some nest as late as July or August. Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles nest mostly in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, but they sometimes nest on Padre Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The adult sea turtles mate offshore and then the females land in groups on the beaches in what is commonly called an arribada or mass nesting.
a

In the past their numbers were severely depleted through hunting, but today major threats include loss of habitat, pollution, and entanglement in fishing (shrimping) nets. And though their nesting grounds are protected and many commercial fishing fleets now use turtle excluder devices in their nets, its survival truly hangs in the balance.

 By: Fiep de Bie, October 9, 2009

What is the AHRN?

The Amphibian Health Research Network is a collaborative effort between CCWHC and biologists at UPEI.  At this point, the people involved are Maria Forzan and Darlene Weeks (CCWHC), Natacha Hogan and Kevin Teather (Faculty of Science, Biology Dept., UPEI).

What is the purpose of the AHRN?

1. To monitoring the health of amphibian populations on PEI (Prince Edward Island) in an active way, through field and lab work.
2. To raise awareness in the government and general public about the importance of amphibians to the natural world.
3. To collaborate with other institutions and organizations in education and conservation efforts.

Who helps us out?

Rosemary Curley (PEI Dept. of Fish and Wildlife) , Wayne Petley (Atlantic Veterinary College, Aquatic Facilities), Raphael Vanderstichel (Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI), PEI Wildlife Conservation Fund, and the many PEI residents who allow us access to their ponds.

What is the objective for 2009?

Our goal for 2009 is to look for the presence of the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (B.d.), in the wild frog populations of the island.

What is B.d. and why is it important to frogs?

Amphibian populations worldwide are threatened by the emergence and spread of the pathogenic, virulent and highly transmissible infection with B.d., which causes the disease known as chytridiomycosis.  Chytridiomycosis is a major threat to captive and wild amphibians and is the cause of decline or extinction of up to 200 species of frogs.  Action plans involving public awareness, surveillance and quarantine measures have been developed in Australia, one of the countries most severely affected. Chytridiomycosis has

been reported in North America, including Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. As of March 2009, there was no information regarding the presence of chytridiomycosis in frogs in Prince Edward Island.

How do we know if B.d. is on PEI?

We capture wild frogs and gently rub a cotton swab on their skin.  The swab is then shipped to a lab in the United States where it can be determined whether B.d. is present or absent through a molecular technique knows as PCR.  The process of sampling is very quick and does not cause the frogs any harm.

What precautions are we taking as we sample?

As it is not possible to tell just by visual examination of a frog whether it is infected with B.d., we are very careful to disinfect our tools in between frogs, as we would not want to be responsible for inadvertently transmitting the fungus from frog to frog or pond to pond.

We know B.d. is here because…

Serendipitously, on our first trip to a pond in the west part of the Island we saw a single dead wood frog floating in the water.  We took the frog back with us and processed it as a diagnostic case.  To our surprise, the frog was severely infected with B.d., which likely caused its death.  We have not seen dead frogs during any of our other sampling trips, to that pond or any other.

What are the results for 2009?

a

We tested 115 frogs from 18 ponds across PEI.  They were 93 green frogs, 20 northern leopard frogs and 2 wood frogs.

Thirty-one frogs were positive the B.d. fungus (25 green, 5 leopard and 1 wood frogs).  The overall prevalence of B.d. infection on the Island was 26.3%.
a

Green frogs carried a heavier load of the fungus than leopard frogs. Young green frogs (froglets) carried a heavier load of fungus than the adults did.
a

Other than 1 wood frog that was found dead from chytridiomycosis, none of the frogs swabbed looked sick.
a
a

How did we share the results?

These results were included in the presentations of the Amphibian Week, organized by the Wildlife and Exotics Club of the AVC, Oct 5-9, 2009.  Speakers included Gillian Gouchie (co-President of the Club), Dr. María Forzán (CCWHC), Dr. Natachan Hogan (UPEI) and Dr. Richard Wasserug (Dalhousie Universtity, Nova Scotia).  Watershed groups, educational institutions, pet shops and the general public were all invited to attend.a

What does it mean and what are the future plans?

What this means in the grand scheme of things is yet to be determined. It is possible for B.d. not to be as damaging to frogs that live in climates such as we have in Atlantic Canada – the fungus likes temperate conditions, not extreme heat or cold, and this may work in favor of frogs here on PEI. The more we look into this, the more likely we are to answer questions regarding the effect an infection with B.d. has on frogs living in cold countries.  We don’t know if infection with the B.d. fungus may worsen other stresses such as habitat loss, pesticides, viral diseases, etc..
We hope to conduct further research in the following year that will help answer these questions.
By: M Forzan, October 7, 2009

For more information on any of these topics, go back to the long write up or contact us if you have specific queries (mforzan@upei.ca).