Dear MARMAMers:
My co-authors and I are pleased to announce our recent publication:
'Blubber gene expression and cortisol concentrations reveal changing
physiological stress in a Southern ocean sentinel species' published in Marine
Environmental Research.
Our article is available open access at:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106596
Abstract
The health of migratory eastern Australian humpback whales (Megaptera
novaeangliae) can reflect the condition of their remote polar foraging
environments. This study used gene expression (LEP, LEPR, ADIQ, AhR, TNF-α,
HSP-70), blubber hormone concentrations (cortisol, testosterone), and
photogrammetric body condition to assess this sentinel species during a period
of unprecedented changes to anthropogenic activity and natural processes. The
results revealed higher cortisol concentrations in 2020 compared to 2021,
suggesting a decline in physiological stress between years. Additionally,
metabolic transcripts LEPR, and AhR, which is also linked to xenobiotic
metabolism, were upregulated during the 2020 southbound migration. These
differences suggest that one or more environmental stressors were reduced
between 2020 and 2021, with upregulated AhR possibly indicating a Southern
Ocean pollutant declined between the years. This research confirms a Southern
Ocean-wide decrease in whale stress during the study period and informs efforts
to identify key stressors on Antarctic marine ecosystems.
kind regards,
Jacob M.J. Linsky, PhD (he/him)
School of the Environment | Moreton Bay Research Station
The University of Queensland
+61 482 795 388
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