Participación del Dr. Martin Haulena, Profesor Adjunto en el Department of Clinical Sciences, en College of Veterinary Medicine de North Carolina State University y también parte del Comité de Asesores Científicos en Seadoc Society en la University of California, en el 1er congreso multidisciplinario de bienestar animal México 2015 Ciudad de México.

1. ENGAGEMENT, EDUCATION and ACTION:
The role of a public display aquarium in
wildlife health

2. Does that connection really work?

3. Marine Science Centre
Areas of research at the Vancouver Aquarium Coastal Ocean
Research Institute (CORI):
•Ocean Pollution – research into microplastics, ocean toxins
and impacts on the environment and marine mammals.
•Howe Sound Research Group - researchers do baseline
documentary work and monitor depleted ground fish stocks,
enabling us to help enhance and protect marine life.
•Marine Mammal Research – Includes research on killer
whales, beluga whales, dolphins and porpoises.

4. Marine Science Centre
Killer Whale Hexacopter Research
Rockfish Abundance Survey Microplastics & Ocean Pollution

5. Oil spill response

6. Animal Health Department

7. Team work

8. From the very small

9. To the very big

10. And even bigger

11. Health Management Program

12. Fish health
work-up

13. One-eyed Jimmy

14. Research – Graduate Students
• Kristen Walker
– Assessment of the behavioral and
physiological effects of long-term
tracking methods in Steller sea
lions
• Beth Young
– The ability of heart rate to predict
metabolism in Steller sea lions
• Amelia Macrae
– Improving nutrition and husbandry
of neonatal harbour seals
undergoing rehabilitation
• Katie Haman
– The transmission and prevalence
of protozoal disease in wildlife
species

15. Students
• Vet externs 2015
– 14 students from Canada,
USA, Japan, Korea
• Zoological medicine
residents
– North Carolina
– Wisconsin
– Florida
– Saskatchewan
• Veterinary Intern

16. Last night

17. Cetaceans in Our Care
The Vancouver Aquarium made a commitment in 1996 to no longer
capture cetaceans from the wild. All cetaceans at the Aquarium
today are rescued animals, born in aquariums or ones that were at the
Aquarium prior to 1996.
Hana is a rescued Pacific
white-sided dolphins that
resides at the Aquarium.
She was rescued from
fixed fishing nets and
spent months in
rehabilitation. Today she
contributes to
echolocation and
respirometry research.

18. Cetaceans in Our Care
• Our animals are an invaluable resource for researchers
• Current studies on cetaceans include:
• Respirometry to develop a method of evaluating lung function
• Muscle movement to facilitate respiration
• Avoidance of fishing gear by white-sided dolphins
• Hearing function and the effects of ocean noise
• Esophageal anatomy
• Reproduction in harbour porpoise
• Development of vocal repertoire in beluga and false killer whale
• Optimization of instruments to enumerate porpoise populations

19. Veterinary Department Publications
1. Haulena M. 2014. Otariid seals. In: Zoo Animal and Wildlife Immobilization and Anesthesia, Second Edition. G. West, D. Heard and N. Caulkett
(eds.), Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Ames. Pp. 661-672.
2. Fahlman, A, S.H Loring, S.P. Johnson, M. Haulena, A.W. Trites, V.A. Fravel and W.G. Van Bonn. 2014. Inflation and deflation pressure-volume
loops in anesthetized pinnipeds confirms compliant chest and lungs. Frontiers in Physiology 5:433 DOI 10.3389/fphys.2014.00433.
3. Frouin, H., M. Haulena, L. M. F. Akhurst, S. A. Raverty, P. S. Ross 2013. Immune status and function in harbor seal pups during the course of
rehabilitation. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology DOI:10.1016/j.vetimm.2013.06.011 [Link]
4. Melin, S.R., M. Haulena, W. Van Bonn, M.J. Tennis, R.F. Brown, J.D. Harris. 2013. Reversible immobilization of free-ranging adult male
California sea lions (Zalophus californianus). Marine Mammal Science (impact factor: 2.13). 01/2013; 29:E529-E536. [Link]
5. Brodie, P., M. Haulena, K. Ramirez. 2013. Growth and maturity of belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) in Cumberland Sound, Canada, and in
captivity: evidence for two growth layer groups (GLGs) per year in teeth. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 01/2013; 13:1-18. [Link
]
6. Frouin H., L. L. Loseto, G. A. Stern, M. Haulena, P. S. Ross. 2012. Mercury toxicity in beluga whale lymphocytes: limited effects of selenium
protection. Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands) (impact factor: 3.12). 03/2012; 109:185-93. DOI:10.1016/j.aquatox.2011.09.021 [Link]
7. MacRae, A.M., M. Haulena, D. Fraser. 2012. The provision of supplementary heat for hand-raised harbor seal pups (Phoca vitulina). Journal of
Wildlife Rehabilitation 01/2012; 32:7-11. [Link]
8. Bowen L., A. K. Miles, M. Murray, M. Haulena, J. Tuttle, W. Van Bonn, L. Adams, J. L. Bodkin, B. Ballachey, J. Estes, M. T. Tinker, R. Keister,
J. L. Stott. 2011. Gene transcription in sea otters (Enhydra lutris); development of a diagnostic tool for sea otter and ecosystem health. Molecular
Ecology Resources 08/2011; 12(1):67-74. · 7.43 Impact Factor [Link]
9. Green, J. A., M. Haulena, I. L. Boyd, D. Calkins, F. Gulland, A. J. Woakes, P. J. Butler. 2010. Trial Implantation of Heart Rate Data Loggers in
Pinnipeds. Journal of Wildlife Management 12/2010; 73(1):115 - 121. · 1.52 Impact Factor [Link]
10. Himworth, C. G., M. Haulena, D. M. Lambourn, J. K. Gaydos, J. Huggins, J. Calambokidis, J. K. B. Ford, K. Zaremba, S. Raverty. 2010.
Pathology and epidemiology of phocid herpesvirus-1 in wild and rehabilitating harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) in the northeastern Pacific.
Journal of wildlife diseases 07/2010; 46(3):1046-51. · 1.08 Impact Factor [Link]
11. Forrest, K. W., J. D. Cave, C. G. J. Michielsens, M. Haulena, D. V. Smith. 2009 Evaluation of an Electric Gradient to Deter Seal Predation on
Salmon Caught in Gill-Net Test Fisheries. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 08/2009; 29(4):885-894. · 0.94 Impact Factor [Link]
12. Horning, M., M. Haulena, P. A. Tuomi, J. E. Mellish.2009. Intraperitoneal implantation of life-long telemetry transmitters in otariids. BMC
Veterinary Research 01/2009; 4:51. · 2.00 Impact Factor [Link]
13. Dennison, S., M. Haulena, D. C. Williams, J. Dawson, B. S. Yandell, F. M. D. Gulland. 2008. Determination of a sedative protocol for use in
California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) with neurologic abnormalities undergoing electroencephalographic examination. Journal of Zoo and
Wildlife Medicine 12/2008; 39(4):542-7. · 0.38 Impact Factor [Link]
14. Dennison, S., F. Gulland, M. Haulena, H. De Morais, K. Colegrove. 2007. Urate nephrolithiasis in a northern elephant seal (Mirounga
angustirostris) and a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 04/2007; 38(1):114-20. · 0.38 Impact

20. 2015 IAAAM conference
1. Intra-abdominal implantation of life history transmitters in
harbor seals
2. Index case of Cryptococcus gattii Type VGIIa infection in a
harbor seal in British Columbia
3. Pulmonary function testing in cetaceans: What can we do with
it?
4. Enrofloxacin pharmacokinetics in the purple sea star, Pisaster
ochraceus, following a single intracoelomic injection and
extended bath administration
5. Update on the multidiscplinary investigation of the Pacific coast
sea star wasting disease mortality event
6. Mesomycetozoa in cardinal tetras (Paracheirodon axelrodi) and
green neon tetras (Paracheirodon simulans)

21. Collaborators

22. Our Marine Mammal Rescue Centre
A look back at the 2014 rescue season:
•163 seal pups made their way to the Rescue
Centre
•15,000 hours of staff care
•252 volunteers donated 12,500 hours of
time
•14,000 kg of fish consumed
•1 blind sea otter rescued & rehabilitated
•1 false killer whale rescued & rehabilitated

23. Daisy
August 26, 2008 – my mom’s birthday

24. Hard work, attention to details, and patience

25. From 13 kg to 33 kg

26. And how’s Daisy doing today?

27. The Rescue of a False Killer Whale
A false killer whale calf is found
stranded on Chesterman Beach, Tofino,
July 10, 2014. He is underweight and in
bad shape.
The Marine Mammal Rescue team
work around the clock to provide care,
nourishment and monitor his vitals.
Today, “Chester” is thriving. He is
swimming on his own and moved on
to a diet of solid fish. He is currently
behind the scenes in our research pool.

28. Chester

29. The Rescue & Release of Levi
Levi was found stranded on the shoreline
of Saanich Inlet on March 26, 2013. Too
weak to swim on his own, Levi was placed
in a specially-designed flotation sling.
Levi was the first cetacean to be
successfully rehabilitated and released
back to the wild for the Rescue Centre.
Over the following months, the vet
team treated Levi’s lung infection, and
worked intensely with him to regain his
strength through physiotherapy.

30. Levi

31. Steller Sea Lion Disentanglement
• Over 400 sea lions are entangled in marine
debris off the coast of B.C.
• Requires highly specialized tranquilizer and a
team of trained staff – currently only the
Vancouver Aquarium vet team is trained in
these rescues
• Each rescue attempt costs $2000, not including
staff or boat time arranged through DFO

32. Endangered monk seal project

33. Hawaiian monk seal

35. Steller sea lion program

36. SEVERE PROGRESSIVE MENINGO-ENCEPHALITIS
DUE TO Cryptococcus sp. IN A LIVE-STRANDED
HARBOR PORPOISE (Phocoena phocoena)
UNDERGOING REHABILITATION
Martin Haulena, Chelsea Himsworth, Chelsea
Anderson, Lindsaye Akhurst, Marina Ivančić, Dean A.
Malpas, John S. Pollock, and Stephen Raverty
Vancouver Aquarium
British Columbia Provincial
Animal Health Center
AquaVetRad
Canada Diagnostic Centre

37. Cryptococcus gattii
• Since 2000, there has been a recognized outbreak of
cryptococcosis in human and companion animals on
Vancouver Island, BC
– From early 1999 to mid 2000, microbiologist on
Vancouver Island identified 19 cases of cryptococcosis in
humans.
• Most individuals had no evidence of immunosuppression
– Central Laboratory for Veterinarians, Langley, BC reported
12 cases of cryptococcosis in companion animals on
Vancouver Island for 2000
• Isolates typed as var gatti type B

38. Case Summary Information
• Porpoises presenting with
cryptococcosis
• Species
– 10 Dall’s porpoises (Phocoenoides
dalli)
– 14 harbor porpoises (Phocoena
phocoena)
– 1 Pacific white sided dolphin
(Lagenorhynchus obliquidens)
• Gender
– 10 females
– 11 males
• 4 animals unknown
• Age
– 20 adults
– 4 juveniles
– 1 fetus
• Important implications for humans
and companion animal health
• Venereal or hematogenous
mechanisms
Photo: Dr S Norman
Photo: Dr A Hall

39. Pneumonia

40. Lymphadenopathy

41. Porpoises at VAMMR 2008 to present
• 6 live-stranded
• 6 weeks to adult
– Bimodal stranding pattern
with peaks in early spring
and late summer
• 12.1 to 49.5 kg at admit
• Each animal received 24-
hour care by veterinary
staff and rescue volunteers.

42. Theo

43. The Shanie Factor

48. Cryptococcus testing
• Latex agglutination for cryptococcal
antigen
• Ante mortem at Idexx
– NEGATIVE
• Post mortem hindsight at human hospital
lab
– 1:8
– POSITIVE

49. Conclusions
• First clinical presentations of a primarily neurologic form
of cryptococcosis in a cetacean
•
• First antemortem detection of imaging findings consistent
with central nervous system cryptococcosis
• These findings highlight the need for more rapid
diagnosis to provide better case management for stranded
cetaceans.

50. INTRA-ABDOMINAL
IMPLANTATION OF LIFE
HISTORY TRANSMITTERS IN
HARBOR SEALS (Phoca vitulina)
Martin Haulena
Justin Rosenberg
Chad Nordstrom
Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre
Markus Horning
Oregon State University

51. Post-release monitoring of
rehabilitated marine mammals
• Long-term monitoring is essential
in establishing “success”
– Release vs survival to reproduction
• Conditions of special interest
include
– Potentially habituated animals
– Animals treated with novel methods
– Animals diagnosed with novel
conditions

52. Ecological studies
• Movement and distribution
• Use of resources
• Energetics
• Life history
• Causes of mortality

53. Limitations of instruments
• Attachment to pelage
– Short duration of attachment due to molt or
breakage of hair shafts
• VHF tags
– Limited range
– Tracking is labor-intensive
• Satellite-linked tags
– Currently cannot uplink if under the skin
– Short battery life for given size
– Large relative mass exacerbates detachment
– Expense

54. Surgically implanted instruments
• Remain attached and collect
data for longer period
• Limited by:
– Necessity of anesthesia (risk)
– Possible surgical complications
– Potential rejection of implant
• Importance of establishing
techniques under controlled
conditions
– Rehabilitation centers and captive
animal display facilities

55. Life History Transmitter
• Previously evaluated in
– California (Zalophus californianus)
– Steller (Eumetopias jubatus)
• 122 x 42 mm
• Coated in USP Class 6 resin
• 110 grams and floats in water
• Longevity is > than 8 years
• Monitors body temperature
• Stores last 14 days of data recorded
• Summary data over life of animal is collected
(weekly dive effort)

56. Life History Transmitter
• If a temperature outside of the
physiological range is detected
– Assumed that the animal has died
– Time and date of this event are stored
– Sampling stops
• After death the implant will
eventually become exposed
• Once exposed, stored data is
transmitted to satellite

57. But have we learned anything?
• 4 California and 45 Steller sea lion implants
• 17 Stellers have died
– 15 were predation events
– killer whales and sleeper sharks
• And a few publications
– *Horning M, Hill R. 2005. Designing an archival satellite transmitter for life-long deployments on oceanic vertebrates: The Life History Transmitter.
IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, Vol. 30: 807-817.
– *Horning M, Haulena M, Tuomi P, Mellish J. Intraperitoneal implantation of life-long telemetry transmitters in otariids. BMC Veterinary Research 2008,
4:51. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1746-6148/4/51 OPEN ACCESS
– *Horning M, Mellish JE. 2009. Spatially explicit detection of predation on individual pinnipeds from implanted post-mortem satellite data transmitters.
Endangered Species Research. http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2008/theme/Tracking/TMVpp15.pdf OPEN ACCESS
– *Horning M, Mellish JE. 2012. Predation on an Upper Trophic Marine Predator, the Steller Sea Lion: Evaluating High Post-weaning Mortality in a
Density Dependent Conceptual Framework. PLoS ONE 7(1):e30173 http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0030173
OPEN ACCESS
– *Horning M, Mellish JE. 2014. In cold blood: evidence of Pacific sleeper shark (Somniosus pacificus) predation on Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus)
in the eastern Gulf of Alaska. Fishery Bulletin 112:297-310.
– *Mellish JE, Calkins DG, Christen DR, Horning M, Rea LD, Atkinson SK. 2006. Temporary Captivity as a Research Tool: Comprehensive Study of Wild
Pinnipeds Under Controlled Conditions. Aquatic Mammals 32 (1): 58-65
– *Mellish JE, Thomton J, Horning M. 2007. Physiological and behavioral response to intra-abdominal transmitter implantation in Steller sea lions. Journal
of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 351: 283-293
– *Petrauskas L, Atkinson S, Gulland F, Mellish J, Horning M. 2008. Monitoring glucocorticoid response to rehabilitation and research procedures in
California and Steller sea lions. Journal of Experimental Zoology 309A: 73-82
– *Thomton J, Mellish J, Hennen D, Horning M. 2008. Juvenile Steller sea lion dive behavior following temporary captivity. Endangered Species Research
4: 195-203 OPEN ACCESS
– *Walker K, Horning M, Mellish J, Weary D. 2011. The effects of two analgesic regimes on behaviour after abdominal surgery in Steller sea lions. The
Veterinary Journal 190: 160-164
– *Walker K, Horning M, Mellish J, Weary D. 2009. Behavioral responses of juvenile Steller sea lions to abdominal surgery: an assessment of post-
operative pain. Applied Animal Behavior Science 120: 201-207

58. Summary of results to date
1. Post-mortem data recovery is viable from archival satellite-linked transmitters
intraperitoneally implanted into juvenile sea lions
2. Data recovery probability from individual animals is >0.98 for dual tag deployments, a
very high rate for telemetry projects
3. Implant surgeries are well tolerated during post-surgical monitoring of 2-8 weeks, and do
not alter post-release foraging behavior (monitored for 2-6 months)
4. Within the limits of a small initial sample size, there is no evidence that post-release
survival of implanted animals up to 5 years is negatively affected by tags or procedures
5. Tags provide spatially explicit data on individual animal mortality with a temporal
resolution of 1 day and a spatial resolution for predation events of approximately 10km
6. Ante- to post-mortem temperature data and time to onset of transmissions likely allow the
classification of detected mortalities into acute events due to predation, versus non-acute
events due to any of a number of causes (i.e. disease, starvation)
7. LHX tags provide end-of-life locations suitable to determine large-scale emigration
patterns
8. Post-mortem cooling rate data can be used to estimate end of life body mass for non-
acute events
9. These results have provided the first direct, quantitative measure of predation by
apex predators on an upper trophic level marine mesopredator, the Steller sea lion

59. But what about smaller animals?
Fur seals or harbour seal pups?
• Original LHX
– 122 x 42 mm
– 110 grams
– > 8 years
– Temperature, light, type of
medium
• Second generation LHX2
– 95 x 33 mm
– 57 grams
– > 10 years
– Temperature, light, motion
(triaxial accelerometer)

60. Surgery
• 3 female recently weaned harbour
seal pups
• 14.3 to 17.3 kg
• Surgery under general anesthesia
– Midazolam/butorphanol IV
– Masked and maintained with
isoflurane
• Routine surgical preparation of a
15 cm x 20 cm area on the ventral
mid-abdomen
• 7 - 8 cm midline skin incision

61. Surgery
• Implants inserted into the
caudoventral abdominal
cavity
• Closed with a 3 or 4-layer
closure using an absorbable
polydioxanone monofilament
suture (PDS II)
– Linea alba and skin with an
interrupted cruciate pattern
– Blubber and the subcutis with
a continuous pattern

62. Healing – monitored for 80 days
Skin sutures No skin suturesDays
0
6
80

63. Monitoring inflammation

64. ImagingPost-operative Pre-release

65. CT

66. Post-release
monitoring

67. Post-release tracking
• Survival
– > 260 days for
all seals
• Distance travelled
– 2900 to 3700 km

68. Summary
• First successful intraperitoneal implant in a
phocid
• Skin sutures may result in undesired tissue
reaction
• No associated post-release mortality

69. Acknowledgements
• Wildlife Computers
• National Science Foundation
• OSU Marine Mammal Institute
• The volunteers and veterinary staff
of the Vancouver Aquarium’s
Marine Mammal Rescue Centre
– Shanie Fradette
– Emily Johnson
– Lindsaye Akhurst

70. A Mexican Problem needs a
Mexican Solution