Cardiac assessments of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) using auscultation, echocardiography, electrocardiography, and blood-based biomarkers

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Barataria Bay, Louisiana (BB), were heavily impacted by exposure to oil following the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Previous studies have documented detriments to their pulmonary, reproductive, and endocrine health, however, the cardiac effects of oil on dolphins have not previously been examined. Techniques for comprehensive cardiac evaluation were refined with dolphins at the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program, including cardiac auscultation and echocardiography. The techniques were then utilized during capture-release health assessments in Sarasota Bay, Florida (SB), a non-oiled reference population, and in Barataria Bay, Louisiana in 2018. This dataset was compiled using prospective data from these three dolphin populations. Data was collected regarding murmur prevalence and characterization, echocardiographic findings, and electrocardiographic (ECG) findings. In addition, novel blood-based biomarkers assessed isoenzymes to identify the utility of blood-based cardiac biomarkers for cardiac evaluation in dolphins.

Linnehan, Barbara K., Adonia Hsu, Forrest M. Gomez, Sharon M. Huston, Ryan Takeshita, Kathleen M. Colegrove, Teri K. Rowles, Ashley Barratchlough, Whitney B. Musser, Craig A. Harms, Veronica Cendejas, Eric S. Zolman, Brian C. Balmer, Forrest I. Townsend, Randall S. Wells, Eric D. Jensen, Lori H. Schwacke, and Cynthia R. Smith. 2020. Standardization of Dolphin Cardiac Auscultation and Characterization of Heart Murmurs in Managed and Free-Ranging Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7:844 doi:10.3389/fvets.2020.570055.