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Avian Influenza and Our Seal Response Operations

We are pleased to report that the Center is resuming our seal response operations. To prioritize health and safety amidst avian influenza, we are taking a phased approach, initially reopening in Monterey and San Luis Obispo areas.

The Center continues to test all incoming animals for influenza and has had no cases among our patients to date.

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Elephant seals
researchers apply a satellite tag to a Guadalupe fur seal

Inhalant Anesthesia for Minimally Invasive Procedures in Guadalupe Fur Seals

  • Medicine

Abstract

Free-ranging otariids are routinely captured for data and sample collection. To achieve this, anesthesia may be used to facilitate handling, decrease stress, and improve human and animal safety. Injectable anesthetics are widely used for such endeavors; however, certain disadvantages to this approach warrant further exploration of alternative anesthetic techniques. Inhalant anesthesia, commonly utilized for otariids in a clinical setting, is used more sparingly in the field, with few studies assessing safety and efficacy in free-ranging otariids. During 2016–2020, 175 Guadalupe fur seals were net-captured and anesthetized with isoflurane and oxygen on Guadalupe Island, Mexico, for satellite telemetry attachment and biological sampling. To contribute to the body of knowledge surrounding the use of inhalants in the field, physiologic and anesthetic parameters (time to induction, total oxygen use, heart rate, respiratory rate, time to recovery, and anesthetic depth) were assessed for effects of biometric and logistical factors (pursuit and holding time, sex, age class, body weight, year, oxygen flow rate, and total anesthesia time). This anesthetic technique provided rapid induction and recovery times and rare side effects in Guadalupe fur seals, serving as a practical means of field immobilization for minimally invasive procedures in this imperiled species.

Barbosa, L., Borremans, B., Deming, A.C., Gálvez, C., Norris, T., Pattison, S., Whoriskey, S. and Elorriaga‐Verplancken, F.R., Inhalant anesthesia for minimally invasive procedures in free‐ranging Guadalupe fur seals (Arctocephalus philippii townsendi). Marine Mammal Science, p.e13124.

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{"image":"\/People\/Portrait\/sarah-pattison.jpg","alt":"Sarah Pattison","title":"Sarah Pattison","text":"Director, Hospital Operations","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/person\/sarah-pattison","link_text":"Read Bio"}
Sarah Pattison

Sarah Pattison

Director, Hospital Operations

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{"image":"\/People\/Portrait\/cropped-images\/sophie-whoriskey-by-bill-hunnewell-c-the-marine-mammal-center-0-0-2008-1489-1601938777.jpg","alt":"Sophie Whoriskey","title":"Sophie Whoriskey","text":"Associate Director, Hawai\u2019i Conservation Medicine","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/person\/sophie-whoriskey","link_text":"Read Bio"}
Sophie Whoriskey

Sophie Whoriskey

Associate Director, Hawai’i Conservation Medicine

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