provided funds to the contractor to examine tissues and lesions 

 from a subset of stranded dolphins, using electron microscopy, 

 immunofluorescence, and cell culture techniques, to detect 

 viruses. A papovavirus was detected by cytopatnic effects in 

 primary monkey kidney cell cultures inoculated with tissue 

 extracts from four of 12 dolphins stranded in Virginia, 

 Herpes-like virus particles as well as papovaviruses were 

 detected in cell cultures inoculated with extracts of mouth 

 lesions from one dolphin. The lack of a consistent pattern 

 of viral infections suggests that those viruses which have 

 been detected probably have not been the cause of the observed 

 dolphin deaths. 



Analysis of Certain Bottlenose Dolphin Prey Species for the 



Presence of Biotoxins 



(D.G. Baden, Ph.D., University of Miami, Miami, Florida) 



The presence of a red tide bloom off North Carolina between 

 late October 1987 and early March 1988 raised concern about 

 the possible involvement of brevetoxin, produced by the 

 dinoflagellate Ptychodiscus brevis , in the unusual mortality 

 of bottlenose dolphins which occurred off the east coast 

 during the same period. To determine whether fish species 

 contained types and quantities of red tide biotoxins that could 

 kill or seriously debilitate bottlenose dolphins, other marine 

 mammals, or humans who might eat the fish, the Commission 

 provided funds to analyze samples of three fish species preyed 

 on by bottlenose dolphins. The report indicates that, of the 

 species tested (Spanish mackerel, silver trout, and menhaden), 

 biotoxins were found only in menhaden and only in the viscera, 

 not the flesh. These results indicate that there is little 

 potential for intoxicating humans but some potential for 

 intoxicating dolphins, which eat the whole fish, including 

 the viscera. 



Additional Commission-sponsored Research and Study Projects 



During 1988, the Commission also provided support for 

 other marine mammal-related research and study projects, 

 discussed below. 



Survey of Federally-Funded Marine Mammal Research 

 (G.H. Waring, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University) 



As noted earlier, each year the Commission identifies 

 and publishes a report on the marine mammal research conducted 

 or supported by Federal agencies in the preceding Fiscal Year 

 and that which is expected to be conducted or supported by 

 those agencies in the current Fiscal Year. At the end of 



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