Postmortem stability of S100B in the aqueous humor of northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus)

Abstract

Bycatch (accidental drowning in fishing nets) is a significant problem for some marine mammal species, but can be difficult to diagnose as there are no pathognomonic gross or histological lesions. In human medicine, biomarkers such as S100B are increasingly being used to investigate hypoxic-ischemic syndromes, but, to the authors’ knowledge, studies using this marker have not been reported for marine mammal species. The aims of the current study were to determine baseline postmortem S100B levels in a pinniped species, and to determine whether S100B levels were stable over a postmortem interval of 48 hr. Aqueous humor, which is simple to collect and avoids many of the problems associated with postmortem collection of blood, was used as a surrogate for serum. S100B was detected in the aqueous humor of acute deaths (<15 min) and was stable for up to 48 hr, with a wider variation in values at the 48-hr time interval.

Discrimination between bycatch and other causes of cetacean and pinniped stranding

“…However, this study has also shown the importance of doing prospective systematic standardized necropsies in both stranded and bycaught marine mammals, and the importance of recovery of fresh stranded and bycaught animals. Future studies with larger sample sizes for pinnipeds and cetaceans, as well as different fishing gear, may contribute to a better understanding of speciesand gear-specific markers, in addition to searching for new PUE findings or markers (Roe et al 2013). In turn, this knowledge could be used to recommend changes in gear or techniques to mitigate bycatch.…”