HemoTag, a Minimally Invasive Remote Blood Collection Device for Cetaceans
Abstract
Collecting blood samples from animal populations allows researchers to assess, monitor, and answer questions relating to health status and physiologic responses to anthropogenic and natural stressors. Blood collection is a routine part of veterinary care for managed animals, and has also been an important part of capture-release health assessments for some nearshore small cetaceans. Building on the capture-release health studies, a recent ONR project demonstrated that blood parameters, specifically markers of inflammation and other chronic disease conditions, could be used to predict population survival and reproductive success in nearshore bottlenose dolphin populations. However, collecting blood from most other cetacean species, particularly large whales, is currently infeasible. Our goal is to develop a minimally invasive blood collection device that can be remotely applied to the skin of a broad range of free swimming cetaceans. Our initial prototype is based on existing, patented technology from human medicine that uses suction to draw capillary blood from a persons arm. We will test and adapt this existing device to optimize for collection of capillary blood in a cetacean, using bottlenose dolphins in managed care for prototype testing. This cutting-edge tool will ultimately provide a means to assess physiological responses and measures of health in cetacean species over spatiotemporal distributions that are currently inaccessible.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 05, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112619
Entities
People
- Lori H. Schwacke
Organizations
- National Marine Mammal Foundation
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy