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Comparative genomics of cetartiodactyla: energy metabolism underpins the transition to an aquatic lifestyle Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-16 Davina Derous; Jagajjit Sahu; Alex Douglas; David Lusseau; Marius Wenzel
Foraging disruption caused by human activities is emerging as a key issue in cetacean conservation because it can affect nutrient levels and the amount of energy available to individuals to invest into reproduction. Our ability to predict how anthropogenic stressors affect these ecological processes and ultimately population trajectory depends crucially on our understanding of the complex physiological
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Bisphenols alter thermal responses and performance in zebrafish (Danio rerio) Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-16 Nicholas C Wu; Frank Seebacher
Plastic pollutants are novel environmental stressors that are now persistent components of natural ecosystems. Endocrine disrupting chemicals such as bisphenols that leach out of plastics can modify physiological responses of animals by interfering with hormone signalling. Here, we tested whether three commonly produced bisphenols, bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol F (BPF) and bisphenol S (BPS), impair
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Context-dependent variability in the predicted daily energetic costs of disturbance for blue whales Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-16 Enrico Pirotta; Cormac G Booth; David E Cade; John Calambokidis; Daniel P Costa; James A Fahlbusch; Ari S Friedlaender; Jeremy A Goldbogen; John Harwood; Elliott L Hazen; Leslie New; Brandon L Southall
Assessing the long-term consequences of sub-lethal anthropogenic disturbance on wildlife populations requires integrating data on fine-scale individual behavior and physiology into spatially and temporally broader, population-level inference. A typical behavioral response to disturbance is the cessation of foraging, which can be translated into a common metric of energetic cost. However, this necessitates
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Blood biochemical status of deep-sea sharks following longline capture in the Gulf of Mexico Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-15 Bianca K Prohaska; Brendan S Talwar; R Dean Grubbs
Prior to the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, little research effort was focused on studying deep-sea sharks in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). While the biology of these fishes remains virtually unknown, they are routinely captured in commercial fisheries as bycatch. In the absence of basic biological data, and with the probability of post-release survival unknown for most species, effective management
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Whiskers as a novel tissue for tracking reproductive and stress-related hormones in North Pacific otariid pinnipeds Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-12 Mandy J Keogh; Patrick Charapata; Brian S Fadely; Tonya Zeppelin; Lorrie Rea; Jason N Waite; Vladimir Burkanov; Chris Marshall; Aubree Jones; Caitlin Sprowls; Matthew J Wooller
Keratinized tissues, including whiskers, are ideal for acquiring a record of physiological parameters. Most tissues provide a snapshot of physiological status; however, whiskers may support longitudinal sampling for reproductive and stress-related hormones, if hormones are incorporated as whiskers grow and concentrations change with physiological state. Whiskers from female Steller sea lions (Eumetopias
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Stress and reproductive events detected in North Atlantic right whale blubber using a simplified hormone extraction protocol Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-12 Katherine M Graham; Elizabeth A Burgess; Rosalind M Rolland
As studies quantifying steroid hormones in marine mammal blubber progress, methodological refinements may improve the utility and consistency of blubber hormone measurements. This study advances blubber extraction methodologies by testing a simplified extraction protocol that reduces time and complexity compared to a protocol widely used in cetacean blubber studies. Using blubber samples archived from
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Age-growth relationships, temperature sensitivity and palaeoclimate-archive potential of the threatened Altiplano cactus Echinopsis atacamensis Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-12 English N, Dettman D, Hua Q, et al.
AbstractThe tall (>4 m), charismatic and threatened columnar cacti, pasacana [Echinopsis atacamensis (Vaupel) Friedrich & G.D. Rowley)], grows on the Bolivian Altiplano and provides environmental and economic value to these extremely cold, arid and high-elevation (~4000 m) ecosystems. Yet very little is known about their growth rates, ages, demography and climate sensitivity. Using radiocarbon in spine
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Conservation physiology and the COVID-19 pandemic Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-12 Cooke S, Cramp R, Madliger C, et al.
AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures have had unanticipated effects on ecosystems and biodiversity. Conservation physiology and its mechanistic underpinnings are well positioned to generate robust data to inform the extent to which the Anthropause has benefited biodiversity through alterations in disturbance-, pollution- and climate change-related emissions. The conservation
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Behaviour influences thermoregulation of boreal moose during the warm season Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-08 Daniel P Thompson; John A Crouse; Perry S Barboza; Miles O Spathelf; Andrew M Herberg; Stephanie D Parker; Max A Morris
Management of large herbivores depends on providing habitats for forage supply and refuge from risks of temperature, predation and disease. Moose (Alces alces) accumulate body energy and nutrient stores during summer, while reducing the impact of warm temperatures through physiological and behavioural thermoregulation. Building on the animal indicator concept, we used rumen temperature sensors and
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Effects of food limitation on growth, body condition and metabolic rates of non-native blue catfish Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-08 Vaskar Nepal; Mary C Fabrizio; Richard W Brill
Establishment and range expansion of non-native species in novel habitats depend on their energetic requirements and food availability. Knowledge of growth and metabolic rates of non-native fishes at various food levels is particularly critical to inform models that assess their invasion potential. We compared growth rates, body condition and metabolic rates of juvenile blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)
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Assessing the post-release effects of capture, handling and placement of satellite telemetry devices on narwhal (Monodon monoceros) movement behaviour Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-07 Courtney R Shuert; Marianne Marcoux; Nigel E Hussey; Cortney A Watt; Marie Auger-Méthé
Animal-borne telemetry devices have become a popular and valuable means for studying the cryptic lives of cetaceans. Evaluating the effect of capture, handling and tagging procedures remains largely unassessed across species. Here, we examine the effect of capture, handling and tagging activities on an iconic Arctic cetacean, the narwhal (Monodon monoceros), which has previously been shown to exhibit
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Automated flow control of a multi-lane swimming chamber for small fishes indicates species-specific sensitivity to experimental protocols Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-07 Illing B, Severati A, Hochen J, et al.
AbstractIn fishes, swimming performance is considered an important metric to measure fitness, dispersal and migratory abilities. The swimming performance of individual larval fishes is often integrated into models to make inferences on how environmental parameters affect population-level dynamics (e.g. connectivity). However, little information exists regarding how experimental protocols affect the
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Misbalance of thyroid hormones after two weeks of exposure to artificial light at night in Eurasian perch Perca fluviatilis Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-07 Franziska Kupprat; Werner Kloas; Angela Krüger; Claudia Schmalsch; Franz Hölker
Artificial light at night (ALAN) can affect the physiology and behavior of animals because it alters the natural rhythm of light and darkness. Thyroid hormones (TH) are partially regulated by the light information of photoperiod and are involved in metabolic adjustments to daily and seasonal changes in the environment, such as larval and juvenile development, somatic growth and reproduction. ALAN can
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Molting strategies of Arctic seals drive annual patterns in metabolism Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-05 Nicole M Thometz; Holly Hermann-Sorensen; Brandon Russell; David A S Rosen; Colleen Reichmuth
Arctic seals, including spotted (Phoca largha), ringed (Pusa hispida) and bearded (Erignathus barbatus) seals, are directly affected by sea ice loss. These species use sea ice as a haul-out substrate for various critical functions, including their annual molt. Continued environmental warming will inevitably alter the routine behavior and overall energy budgets of Arctic seals, but it is difficult to
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Influence of handler relationships and experience on health parameters, glucocorticoid responses and behaviour of semi-captive Asian elephants Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-06 Crawley J, Lierhmann O, Franco dos Santos D, et al.
AbstractDeclining wild populations combined with accumulating captive populations of e.g. livestock, pets, draught and zoo animals have resulted in some threatened species with substantial proportions of their populations in captivity. The interactions animals have with humans in captivity depend on handler familiarity and relationship quality and can affect animal health, growth and reproduction with
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Using claws to compare reproduction, stress and diet of female bearded and ringed seals in the Bering and Chukchi seas, Alaska, between 1953–1968 and 1998–2014 Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2021-01-06 Crain D, Karpovich S, Quakenbush L, et al.
AbstractRapid climate warming is decreasing sea ice thickness, extent and duration. Marine mammals such as bearded (Erignathus barbatus) and ringed (Pusa hispida) seals, which use sea ice for pupping, molting and resting, may be negatively affected. Claws from bearded and ringed seals store up to 14 and 12 years of sequential analyte data, respectively. These data can be used to compare reproduction
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Timescale and colony-dependent relationships between environmental conditions and plasma oxidative markers in a long-lived bat species Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-09-14 Michaël Beaulieu; Frédéric Touzalin; Serena E Dool; Emma C Teeling; Sébastien J Puechmaille
To increase the applicability and success of physiological approaches in conservation plans, conservation physiology should be based on ecologically relevant relationships between physiological markers and environmental variation that can only be obtained from wild populations. Given their integrative and multifaceted aspects, markers of oxidative status have recently been considered in conservation
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A manipulative thermal challenge protocol for adult salmonids in remote field settings. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-09-14 Daniel S Donnelly,Vanessa R von Biela,Stephen D McCormick,Sarah M Laske,Michael P Carey,Shannon Waters,Lizabeth Bowen,Randy J Brown,Sean Larson,Christian E Zimmerman
Manipulative experiments provide stronger evidence for identifying cause-and-effect relationships than correlative studies, but protocols for implementing temperature manipulations are lacking for large species in remote settings. We developed an experimental protocol for holding adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and exposing them to elevated temperature treatments. The goal of the experimental
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Sub-lethal effects of permethrin exposure on a passerine: implications for managing ectoparasites in wild bird nests. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-09-08 Mariana Bulgarella,Sarah A Knutie,Margaret A Voss,Francesca Cunninghame,Brittany J Florence-Bennett,Gemma Robson,Robert A Keyzers,Lauren M Taylor,Philip J Lester,George E Heimpel,Charlotte E Causton
Permethrin is increasingly used for parasite control in bird nests, including nests of threatened passerines. We present the first formal evaluation of the effects of continued permethrin exposure on the reproductive success and liver function of a passerine, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), for two generations. We experimentally treated all nest material with a 1% permethrin solution or a water
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A blubber gene expression index for evaluating stress in marine mammals. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-08-28 Laura Pujade Busqueta,Daniel E Crocker,Cory D Champagne,Molly C McCormley,Jared S Deyarmin,Dorian S Houser,Jane I Khudyakov
Evaluating the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on free-ranging marine mammal populations, many of which are in decline, requires robust diagnostic markers of physiological stress and health. However, circulating levels of canonical 'stress hormones' such as glucocorticoids, which are commonly used to evaluate animal health, do not capture the complexity of species-specific responses and cannot
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Seasonal variation in thermal tolerance of redside dace Clinostomus elongatus. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-08-28 Alexandra T A Leclair,D Andrew R Drake,Thomas C Pratt,Nicholas E Mandrak
Organisms living in environments with oscillating temperatures may rely on plastic traits to sustain thermal tolerance during high temperature periods. Phenotypic plasticity in critical thermal maximum (CTmax) is a powerful thermoregulative strategy that enables organisms to adjust CTmax when ambient temperatures do not match thermal preference. Given that global temperatures are increasing at an unprecedented
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Short-term exposure to unmanned aerial vehicles does not alter stress responses in breeding tree swallows. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-08-25 Bradley D Scholten,Abigail R Beard,Hyeryeong Choi,Dena M Baker,Margaret E Caulfield,Darren S Proppe
Recent studies suggest that visual and acoustic anthropogenic disturbances can cause physiological stress in animals. Human-induced stress may be particularly problematic for birds as new technologies, such as drones, increasingly invade their low-altitude air space. Although professional and recreational drone usage is increasing rapidly, there is little information on how drones affect avian behavior
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Specific regulations of gill membrane fatty acids in response to environmental variability reveal fitness differences between two suspension-feeding bivalves (Nodipecten subnodosus and Spondylus crassisquama). Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-08-25 Margaux Mathieu-Resuge,Fabienne Le Grand,Gauthier Schaal,Salvador E Lluch-Cota,Ilie S Racotta,Edouard Kraffe
Bivalves' physiological functions (i.e. growth, reproduction) are influenced by environmental variability that can be concomitant with trophic resource variations in terms of quality and quantity. Among the essential molecules that bivalves need to acquire from their diet to maintain physiological functions, fatty acids (FAs) such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (e.g. 20:4n-6 (arachidonic acid), 20:5n-3
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Urethral catheterization as an alternative method for collecting sperm in the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes). Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-08-25 Paula Mackie,Biankha Chan,Maria Franke,Gabriela F Mastromonaco
The endangered black-footed ferret (BFF; Mustela nigripes) is an important example of the benefits of assisted reproduction in species conservation with both semen evaluation and artificial insemination using fresh and frozen sperm being successfully incorporated into the breeding program. Currently, electroejaculation (EE) is routinely utilized for semen collection in BFFs, a technique that requires
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Validation of a novel method to create temporal records of hormone concentrations from the claws of ringed and bearded seals. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-08-25 Shawna A Karpovich,Larissa A Horstmann,Lori K Polasek
Ringed (Pusa hispida) and bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) inhabit vast and often remote areas in the Arctic, making it difficult to obtain long-term physiological information concerning health and reproduction. These seals are experiencing climate-driven changes in their habitat that could result in physiological stress. Chronic physiological stress can lead to immunosuppression, decreased reproduction
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Worried about hair loss? So are these seals. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-08-25 Lian W Guo
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Habitat complexity influences selection of thermal environment in a common coral reef fish. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-08-24 Tiffany J Nay,Jacob L Johansen,Jodie L Rummer,John F Steffensen,Morgan S Pratchett,Andrew S Hoey
Coral reef species, like most tropical species, are sensitive to increasing environmental temperatures, with many species already living close to their thermal maxima. Ocean warming and the increasing frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves are challenging the persistence of reef-associated species through both direct physiological effects of elevated water temperatures and the degradation and
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Temperature alters the physiological response of spiny lobsters under predation risk. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-08-20 Felipe A Briceño,Quinn P Fitzgibbon,Elias T Polymeropoulos,Iván A Hinojosa,Gretta T Pecl
Predation risk can strongly shape prey ecological traits, with specific anti-predator responses displayed to reduce encounters with predators. Key environmental drivers, such as temperature, can profoundly modulate prey energetic costs in ectotherms, although we currently lack knowledge of how both temperature and predation risk can challenge prey physiology and ecology. Such uncertainties in predator-prey
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Bidirectional cyclical flows increase energetic costs of station holding for a labriform swimming fish, Cymatogaster aggregata. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-08-19 Sarah M Luongo,Andreas Ruth,Connor R Gervais,Keith E Korsmeyer,Jacob L Johansen,Paolo Domenici,John F Steffensen
Wave-induced surge conditions are found in shallow marine ecosystems worldwide; yet, few studies have quantified how cyclical surges may affect free swimming animals. Here, we used a recently adapted respirometry technique to compare the energetic costs of a temperate fish species (Cymatogaster aggregata) swimming against a steady flow versus cyclical unidirectional and bidirectional surges in which
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Stress-related and reproductive hormones in hair from three north Pacific otariid species: Steller sea lions, California sea lions and northern fur seals. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-08-18 Mandy J Keogh,Angela Gastaldi,Patrick Charapata,Sharon Melin,Brian S Fadely
Assessing the physiological impact of stressors in pinnipeds is logistically challenging, and many hormones are altered by capture and handling, limiting the utility of metabolically active tissues. Hair is increasingly being used to investigate stress-related and reproductive hormones in wildlife populations due to less-invasive collection methods, being metabolically inert once grown and containing
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Impairment indicators for predicting delayed mortality in black sea bass (Centropristis striata) discards within the commercial trap fishery. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-08-17 Cara C Schweitzer,Andrij Z Horodysky,André L Price,Bradley G Stevens
Harvest restrictions (e.g. size, sex or species limitations) that are implemented to maintain sustainable fisheries often result in by-catch, e.g. unwanted non-target catch. By-catch is frequently discarded back into the ocean and assumed to survive. However, discarded fishes can succumb to delayed mortality resulting from accumulated stress from fishing activity, and such mortality can impede sustainability
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Sex steroids and glucocorticoid ratios in Iberian lynx hair. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-08-17 Alexandre Azevedo,Jella Wauters,Clemens Kirschbaum,Rodrigo Serra,António Rivas,Katarina Jewgenow
Knowledge on species' reproductive biology is a fundamental pre-requisite of every conservation effort, but is often lacking. Sex steroids can provide valuable information for the assessment of reproductive success, whereas glucocorticoids are used to assess adrenocortical activity and stress-related bodily adaption. However, due to their perilous condition, access to animals is often difficult, which
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The cost of recreation: how hiking could be making birds sick. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-08-04 Bridie J M Allan
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Water, water everywhere! Any to drink? Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-07-31 Gail Schwieterman
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Physiological resilience of pink salmon to naturally occurring ocean acidification. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-07-31 Andrea Y Frommel,Justin Carless,Brian P V Hunt,Colin J Brauner
Pacific salmon stocks are in decline with climate change named as a contributing factor. The North Pacific coast of British Columbia is characterized by strong temporal and spatial heterogeneity in ocean conditions with upwelling events elevating CO2 levels up to 10-fold those of pre-industrial global averages. Early life stages of pink salmon have been shown to be affected by these CO2 levels, and
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Measurement of free glucocorticoids: quantifying corticosteroid binding capacity and its variation within and among mammal and bird species. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-07-28 Brendan Delehanty,Gregory D Bossart,Cory Champagne,Daniel E Crocker,Kyle H Elliott,Patricia A Fair,Dorian Houser,Amy E M Newman,Rudy Boonstra
Plasma glucocorticoid (CORT) levels are one measure of stress in wildlife and give us insight into natural processes relevant to conservation issues. Many studies use total CORT concentrations to draw conclusions about animals' stress state and response to their environment. However, the blood of tetrapods contains corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), which strongly binds most circulating CORT. Only
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Thermal tolerance depends on season, age and body condition in imperilled redside dace Clinostomus elongatus. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-07-24 Andy J Turko,Colby B Nolan,Sigal Balshine,Graham R Scott,Trevor E Pitcher
Urbanization tends to increase water temperatures in streams and rivers and is hypothesized to be contributing to declines of many freshwater fishes. However, factors that influence individual variation in thermal tolerance, and how these may change seasonally, are not well understood. To address this knowledge gap, we studied redside dace Clinostomus elongatus, an imperilled stream fish native to
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Can the carbon and nitrogen isotope values of offspring be used as a proxy for their mother's diet? Using foetal physiology to interpret bulk tissue and amino acid δ15N values. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-07-24 Nico Lübcker,John P Whiteman,Seth D Newsome,Robert P Millar,P J Nico de Bruyn
The measurement of bulk tissue nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon isotope values (δ13C) chronologically along biologically inert tissues sampled from offspring can provide a longitudinal record of their mothers' foraging habits. This study tested the important assumption that mother-offspring stable isotope values are positively and linearly correlated. In addition, any change in the mother-offspring bulk
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Adaptive capacity in the foundation tree species Populus fremontii: implications for resilience to climate change and non-native species invasion in the American Southwest. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-07-13 Kevin R Hultine,Gerard J Allan,Davis Blasini,Helen M Bothwell,Abraham Cadmus,Hillary F Cooper,Chris E Doughty,Catherine A Gehring,Alicyn R Gitlin,Kevin C Grady,Julia B Hull,Arthur R Keith,Dan F Koepke,Lisa Markovchick,Jackie M Corbin Parker,Temuulen T Sankey,Thomas G Whitham
Populus fremontii (Fremont cottonwood) is recognized as one of the most important foundation tree species in the southwestern USA and northern Mexico because of its ability to structure communities across multiple trophic levels, drive ecosystem processes and influence biodiversity via genetic-based functional trait variation. However, the areal extent of P. fremontii cover has declined dramatically
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Differences in adrenocortical responses between urban and rural burrowing owls: poorly-known underlying mechanisms and their implications for conservation. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-07-06 Antonio Palma,Julio Blas,José L Tella,Sonia Cabezas,Tracy A Marchant,Martina Carrete
The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal/interrenal (HPA) axis of vertebrates integrates external information and orchestrates responses to cope with energy-demanding and stressful events through changes in circulating glucocorticoid levels. Urbanization exposes animals to a wide variety of ever-changing stimuli caused by human activities that may affect local wildlife populations. Here, we empirically tested
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He was a skater boy, but will the Maugean skate(r) conform or rebel? Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-07-03 Phillipa K Beale
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From physiology to salt marsh management challenges with sea level rise: the case of native Spartina foliosa, invasive S. densiflora and their hybrid. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-07-01 Blanca Gallego-Tévar,Procopio Peinado-Torrubia,Rosario Álvarez,Brenda J Grewell,Jesús M Castillo
Sea level rise (SLR) imposes increasing salinity and inundation stresses in salt marshes which simultaneously face invasions by exotic plant species. We aimed to improve and apply knowledge on the ecophysiological responses of halophytes to SLR to conservation management of salt marshes. In a mesocosm experiment, we measured and compared phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) activity and related functional
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Development and validation of protein biomarkers of health in grizzly bears. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-06-24 Abbey E Wilson,Sarah A Michaud,Angela M Jackson,Gordon Stenhouse,Nicholas C Coops,David M Janz
Large carnivores play critical roles in the maintenance and function of natural ecosystems; however, the populations of many of these species are in decline across the globe. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel techniques that can be used as sensitive conservation tools to detect new threats to the health of individual animals well in advance of population-level effects. Our study aimed
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Hormone comparison between right and left baleen whale earplugs. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-06-24 Danielle D Crain,Amanda Thomas,Farzaneh Mansouri,Charles W Potter,Sascha Usenko,Stephen J Trumble
Marine animals experience additional stressors as humans continue to industrialize the oceans and as the climate continues to rapidly change. To examine how the environment or humans impact animal stress, many researchers analyse hormones from biological matrices. Scientists have begun to examine hormones in continuously growing biological matrices, such as baleen whale earwax plugs, baleen and pinniped
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A model protocol for the cryopreservation and recovery of motile lizard sperm using the phosphodiesterase inhibitor caffeine. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-06-22 Lachlan Campbell,Shenae L Cafe,Rose Upton,J Sean Doody,Brett Nixon,John Clulow,Simon Clulow
Reproductive technologies such as genome storage and assisted reproduction have a significant role to play in ending or reversing species extinctions. However, such technologies for non-model organisms (i.e. non-mammalian species) are poorly developed. This is particularly true for the reptiles, in which there is a dearth of successful protocols for cryopreserving reptile spermatozoa, despite limited
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Warmer temperature and provision of natural substrate enable earlier metamorphosis in the critically endangered Baw Baw frog. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-06-17 Deon J Gilbert,Michael J L Magrath,Phillip G Byrne
Temperature and food availability are known to independently trigger phenotypic change in ectotherms, but the interactive effects between these factors have rarely been considered. This study investigates the independent and interactive effects of water temperature and food availability on larval growth and development of the critically endangered Baw Baw frog, Philoria frosti. Larvae were reared at
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Puberty and oestral cycle length in captive female jaguars Panthera onca. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-06-16 Priscila Viau,Débora Cattaruzzi Rodini,Gisela Sobral,Gabriela Siqueira Martins,Ronaldo Gonçalves Morato,Claudio Alvarenga de Oliveira
Habitat loss and fragmentation have been leading jaguars to constant conflicts with humans, and as a result, jaguar populations have been declining over the last decades. Captive breeding is often a tool for species conservation, and it is not different for jaguars. However, success is far from optimal due to the lack of basic knowledge about species' reproductive biology. In the present study, we
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Basal tolerance but not plasticity gives invasive springtails the advantage in an assemblage setting. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-06-15 Laura M Phillips,Ian Aitkenhead,Charlene Janion-Scheepers,Catherine K King,Melodie A McGeoch,Uffe N Nielsen,Aleks Terauds,W P Amy Liu,Steven L Chown
As global climates change, alien species are anticipated to have a growing advantage relative to their indigenous counterparts, mediated through consistent trait differences between the groups. These insights have largely been developed based on interspecific comparisons using multiple species examined from different locations. Whether such consistent physiological trait differences are present within
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Changes in physiology and microbial diversity in larval ornate chorus frogs are associated with habitat quality. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-06-15 Cory B Goff,Susan C Walls,David Rodriguez,Caitlin R Gabor
Environmental change associated with anthropogenic disturbance can lower habitat quality, especially for sensitive species such as many amphibians. Variation in environmental quality may affect an organism's physiological health and, ultimately, survival and fitness. Using multiple health measures can aid in identifying populations at increased risk of declines. Our objective was to measure environmental
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Mismatched light and temperature cues disrupt locomotion and energetics via thyroid-dependent mechanisms. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-06-11 Amélie Le Roy,Frank Seebacher
Animals integrate information from different environmental cues to maintain performance across environmental gradients. Increasing average temperature and variability induced by climate change can lead to mismatches between seasonal cues. We used mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) to test the hypotheses that mismatches between seasonal temperature and light regimes (short days and warm temperature and
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Avian mortality risk during heat waves will increase greatly in arid Australia during the 21st century. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-06-04 Shannon R Conradie,Stephan M Woodborne,Blair O Wolf,Anaïs Pessato,Mylene M Mariette,Andrew E McKechnie
Intense heat waves are occurring more frequently, with concomitant increases in the risk of catastrophic avian mortality events via lethal dehydration or hyperthermia. We quantified the risks of lethal hyperthermia and dehydration for 10 Australian arid-zone avifauna species during the 21st century, by synthesizing thermal physiology data on evaporative water losses and heat tolerance limits. We evaluated
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Heat, health and hatchlings: associations of in situ nest temperatures with morphological and physiological characteristics of loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings from Florida. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-06-03 Kelsey A Fleming,Justin R Perrault,Nicole I Stacy,Christina M Coppenrath,Alison M Gainsbury
Incubation temperatures, in addition to an embryo's genetic makeup, are critical in many aspects of adequate sea turtle embryonic development. The effects of high and low incubation temperatures on hatchling quality have been previously examined; however, many of these studies were conducted on relocated or laboratory-reared nests, which do not accurately reflect natural nest temperature fluctuations
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Physiological mechanisms linking cold acclimation and the poleward distribution limit of a range-extending marine fish. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-05-26 Barrett W Wolfe,Quinn P Fitzgibbon,Jayson M Semmens,Sean R Tracey,Gretta T Pecl
Extensions of species’ geographical distributions, or range extensions, are among the primary ecological responses to climate change in the oceans. Considerable variation across the rates at which species’ ranges change with temperature hinders our ability to forecast range extensions based on climate data alone. To better manage the consequences of ongoing and future range extensions for global marine
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The wriggly resilience of eels to angler catch-and-release. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-05-23 Madeleine S Killacky
Catch-and-release angling is a hugely popular sport, but what happens to non-targeted species (i.e. bycatch) after they are released? Interestingly, American eels seem to be quite resilient following an angling interaction. In fact, it turns out that there is little difference in the outcome between cutting the line and removing the hook when releasing them. Like with all good research, however, more
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Handling, infectious agents and physiological condition influence survival and post-release behaviour in migratory adult coho salmon after experimental displacement. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-05-18 J M Chapman,A K Teffer,A L Bass,S G Hinch,D A Patterson,K M Miller,S J Cooke
For Pacific salmon captured and released by fisheries, post-release behaviour and survival may be influenced by their health and condition at time of capture. We sought to characterize the interactions between infectious agent burden, fish immune and stress physiology and fisheries stressors to investigate the potential for capture-mediated pathogen-induced mortality in adult coho salmon Oncorhynchus
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Capture stress and post-release mortality of blacktip sharks in recreational charter fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-05-18 John A Mohan,Elizabeth R Jones,Jill M Hendon,Brett Falterman,Kevin M Boswell,Eric R Hoffmayer,R J David Wells
Understanding the stress responses of sharks to recreational catch and release fishing has important management and conservation implications. The blacktip shark Carcharhinus limbatus is a popular recreational species targeted throughout the western, central and eastern Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) yet it is unclear what levels of physiological stress result from catch-release fishing practices with hook
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A novel bioaugmentation technique effectively increases the skin-associated microbial diversity of captive eastern hellbenders. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-05-14 Erin K Kenison,Obed Hernández-Gómez,Rod N Williams
Captive environments are maintained in hygienic ways that lack free-flowing microbes found in animals' natural environments. As a result, captive animals often have depauperate host-associated microbial communities compared to conspecifics in the wild and may have increased disease susceptibility and reduced immune function. Eastern hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) have suffered
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Measuring and validating concentrations of steroid hormones in the skin of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-05-14 Thea Bechshoft,Andrew J Wright,Bjarne Styrishave,Dorian Houser
A previously published analytical method demonstrated the quantification of the hormone cortisol in cetacean skin. However, little is known about the transfer of hormones between blood and skin. Recognizing that such information is essential to effectively using skin samples within marine mammal stress research, the primary goals of this study were to (i) expand on the number of steroid hormones proved
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First assessment of hoary fox (Lycalopex vetulus) seasonal ovarian cyclicity by non-invasive hormonal monitoring technique. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-05-08 Ísis Zanini das Candeias,Caio Filipe da Motta Lima,Frederico Gemesio Lemos,Katherinne Maria Spercoski,Claudio Alvarenga de Oliveira,Nucharin Songsasen,Marcelo Alcindo de Barros Vaz Guimarães
Reproduction is key to species survival, and reproductive physiology represents a high priority investigative area for conservation biology, as it provides a basic understanding of critical life-history traits, information that is helpful for the establishment of management strategies. Here, we generated knowledge about the reproductive endocrinology of the hoary fox (Lycalopex vetulus), a small canid
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The old and the large may suffer disproportionately during episodes of high temperature: evidence from a keystone zooplankton species. Conserv. Physiol. (IF 2.57) Pub Date : 2020-05-08 Tim Burton,Sigurd Einum
Widespread declines in the body size of aquatic ectotherms have been attributed to the poorer ability of older, larger individuals to tolerate high temperature. Here, using the thermal death time curve framework, we investigate the relationship between temperature tolerance and size/age by measuring the change in heat tolerance of the keystone zooplankton species Daphnia magna across a range of temperature
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