Comparative plasma biochemistry analyte data in nesting leatherback (), foraging green () and foraging and nesting hawksbill () sea turtles in Grenada, West Indies.

Blood biochemistry represents a minimally invasive tool for monitoring sea turtle health, assessing injured sea turtles and supporting conservation strategies. In Grenada, West Indies, plasma biochemical variables were examined in 33 nesting leatherback (), 49 foraging green (), 49 foraging hawksbill () and 12 nesting hawksbill sea turtles sampled between 2017 and 2022. Plasma biochemistry reference intervals are described herein except for nesting hawksbills, which are represented by descriptive statistics due to the low sample size.

Plasma proteomic profiling of bacterial cold water disease-resistant and -susceptible rainbow trout lines and biomarker discovery.

Genetic variation for disease resistance is present in salmonid fish; however, the molecular basis is poorly understood, and biomarkers of disease susceptibility/resistance are unavailable. Previously, we selected a line of rainbow trout for high survival following standardized challenge with (), the causative agent of bacterial cold water disease. The resistant line (ARS-Fp-R) exhibits over 60 percentage points higher survival compared to a reference susceptible line (ARS-Fp-S).

A scuticociliate causes mass mortality of in the Caribbean Sea.

Echinoderm mass mortality events shape marine ecosystems by altering the dynamics among major benthic groups. The sea urchin , virtually extirpated in the Caribbean in the early 1980s by an unknown cause, recently experienced another mass mortality beginning in January 2022. We investigated the cause of this mass mortality event through combined molecular biological and veterinary pathologic approaches comparing grossly normal and abnormal animals collected from 23 sites, representing locations that were either affected or unaffected at the time of sampling.

Environmental and Nesting Variables Associated with Atlantic Leatherback Sea Turtle () Embryonic and Hatching Success Rates in Grenada, West Indies.

Annual monitoring of leatherback sea turtle () nesting grounds in Grenada, West Indies has identified relatively low hatch rates compared to worldwide trends. This study investigated the impact of selected environmental variables on leatherback sea turtle embryonic development and hatching success rates on Levera Beach in Grenada between 2015-2019. The mean number of nests per year and eggs per nest were 667.

B-glucan immunostilulation against columnaris in a white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) model.

represent one of the most important bacterial pathogens of cultured sturgeon. However, at present there are no commercially available vaccines to prevent infection and treatment options are limited. β-glucans have been shown to be potent immunostimulants that can provide fish protection against infectious disease.

Kudoa hypoepicardialis and associated cardiac lesions in invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans in Grenada, West Indies.

Invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) represent an ongoing ecological threat within temperate and tropical waters. Relatively little is known regarding the overall health of P. volitans and their potential for spreading pathogens in non-native regions.

Chelonid Alphaherpesvirus 5 Prevalence and First Confirmed Case of Sea Turtle Fibropapillomatosis in Grenada, West Indies.

Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) is strongly associated with fibropapillomatosis, a neoplastic disease of sea turtles that can result in debilitation and mortality. The objectives of this study were to examine green (), hawksbill (), and leatherback () sea turtles in Grenada, West Indies, for fibropapillomatosis and to utilize ChHV5-specific PCR, degenerate herpesvirus PCR, and serology to non-invasively evaluate the prevalence of ChHV5 infection and exposure. One-hundred and sixty-seven turtles examined from 2017 to 2019 demonstrated no external fibropapilloma-like lesions and no amplification of ChHV5 DNA from whole blood or skin biopsies.

Plasma proteomics of green turtles () reveals pathway shifts and potential biomarker candidates associated with health and disease.

Evaluating sea turtle health can be challenging due to an incomplete understanding of pathophysiologic responses in these species. Proteome characterization of clinical plasma samples can provide insights into disease progression and prospective biomarker targets. A TMT-10-plex-LC-MS/MS platform was used to characterize the plasma proteome of five, juvenile, green turtles () and compare qualitative and quantitative protein changes during moribund and recovered states.

GENETIC AND MORPHOLOGIC CHARACTERIZATION OF DIASCHISTORCHIS PANDUS (DIGENEA: PRONOCEPHALIDAE) TREMATODES EXTRACTED FROM HAWKSBILL TURTLES, ERETMOCHELYS IMBRICATA (TESTUDINES: CHELONIIDAE), IN GRENADA, WEST INDIES.

The hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata is a critically endangered species with a worldwide distribution. Limited information is available about the naturally occurring intestinal parasites of this species and what impact these parasites may have on the health of the hawksbill turtle. Diaschistorchis pandus was identified postmortem in 5 hawksbill turtles from Grenada, West Indies, using morphologic characterization.

Intracoelomic- and Intramuscular-Injection Challenge Model of Piscine Streptococcosis in White Sturgeon Fingerlings.

Streptococcus iniae is a zoonotic pathogen and one of the major aetiologic agents of streptococcosis. In White Sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus, S. iniae infection typically presents as a necrotizing and heterophilic myositis, causing 30-50% mortality in infected fish.

Identification of Chryseobacterium spp. isolated from clinically affected fish in California, USA.

Chryseobacterium spp. (Family Flavobacteriaceae) are emergent fish pathogens in Europe, Asia and North America. In 2016-2017, 7 bacterial isolates were recovered from posterior kidney or spleen of cultured diseased rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (n = 1), green sturgeon Acipenser medirostris (n = 1), white sturgeon A.

Exploring the advantages and limitations of sampling methods commonly used in research facilities for zebrafish health inspections.

Examining zebrafish populations for the presence of disease is an integral component of managing fish health in research facilities. Currently, many different strategies are used for zebrafish fish health inspections, which is a scenario that may result in subjective and biased diagnostic evaluations. The goal of this study was to compare the success of pathogen detection between a sample size of randomly selected fish ( = 60) that provides 95% confidence in pathogen detection based on a presumed pathogen prevalence level ≥5%, and other subpopulations and sample numbers commonly submitted for diagnostic testing within a 1000 tank, 30,000 fish, recirculating research system.

Organic ultraviolet filters in nearshore waters and in the invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) in Grenada, West Indies.

Sunscreens and other personal care products use organic ultraviolet (UV) filters such as oxybenzone, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, Padimate-O, and octyl methoxycinnamate to prevent damage to human skin. While these compounds are effective at preventing sunburn, they have a demonstrated negative effect on cells and tissues across taxonomic levels. These compounds have a relatively short half-life in seawater but are continuously re-introduced via recreational activities and wastewater discharge, making them environmentally persistent.

A BCWD-resistant line of rainbow trout exhibits higher abundance of IgT B cells and heavy chain tau transcripts compared to a susceptible line following challenge with Flavobacterium psychrophilum.

Bacterial Cold Water Disease (BCWD) is a common, chronic disease in rainbow trout, and is caused by the gram-negative bacterium Flavobacterium psychrophilum (Fp). Through selective breeding, the National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture has generated a genetic line that is highly resistant to Fp challenge, designated ARS-Fp-R (or R-line), as well as a susceptible "control" line, ARS-Fp-S (S-line). In previous studies, resistance to Fp had been shown to correlate with naive animal spleen size, and further, naïve R-line trout had been shown to have a lower abundance of IgM and IgM cells compared to S-line fish.

Identification of single nucleotide polymorphism markers associated with bacterial cold water disease resistance and spleen size in rainbow trout.

Bacterial cold water disease (BCWD) is one of the frequent causes of elevated mortality in salmonid aquaculture. Previously, we identified and validated microsatellites on chromosome Omy19 associated with QTL (quantitative trait loci) for BCWD resistance and spleen size in rainbow trout. Recently, SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism) have become the markers of choice for genetic analyses in rainbow trout as they are highly abundant, cost-effective and are amenable for high throughput genotyping.

Reduction of rainbow trout spleen size by splenectomy does not alter resistance against bacterial cold water disease.

In lower vertebrates, the contribution of the spleen to anti-bacterial immunity is poorly understood. We have previously reported a phenotypic and genetic correlation between resistance to Flavobacterium psychrophilum, the causative agent of bacterial cold water disease (BCWD) and spleen somatic index (spleen weight normalized to body weight, SI). Fish families with larger pre-challenge SI values were found to have greater BCWD survival (resistance) following intraperitoneal injection of a lethal dose of F.

Biochemical reference intervals and pathophysiological changes in Flavobacterium psychrophilum-resistant and -susceptible rainbow trout lines.

Host genetic resistance against disease-causing pathogens can be enhanced through family-based selective breeding. At present, there is an incomplete understanding of how artificial selection of fish alters host physiology and response following pathogen exposure. We previously reported the generation of selectively-bred rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss lines with either increased resistance (ARS-Fp-R) or susceptibility (ARS-Fp-S) to bacterial cold water disease (BCWD).

Histopathologic Changes in Disease-Resistant-Line and Disease-Susceptible-Line Juvenile Rainbow Trout Experimentally Infected with Flavobacterium psychrophilum.

Abstract A challenge to selectively breeding fish populations for improved disease resistance in aquaculture is an incomplete understanding of how artificial selection affects innate immunity at the host-pathogen level. The objective of this study was to determine whether Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss bred for differential susceptibility to bacterial cold-water disease exhibited altered tissue damage and cellular inflammatory response following experimental challenge with Flavobacterium psychrophilum. Fish from disease-resistant (ARS-Fp-R) and disease-susceptible (ARS-Fp-S) lines were experimentally challenged as juveniles, and mortalities, as well as survivors, were sampled for histopathology during the acute phase of the disease.