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Complete blood counts (n=566) and serum biochemistry (n=426) were assessed in seven coastal seabirds species that underwent rehabilitation along the southeastern and southern coast of Brazil from Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro State (22°56'16.44″S, 42°18'24.16″W) to Laguna, Santa Catarina State (28°29'43″S, 48°45'39.2″W), from August 2016 to August 2020. Blood samples were collected from four species of Charadriiformes, including Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus, n=136), South American Tern (Sterna hirundinacea, n=25), Cabot's Tern (Thalasseus acuflavidus, n=17), and Common Tern (Sterna hirundo, n=14) as well as three species of Suliformes, the Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster, n=212), Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens, n=104), and Neotropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum, n=58). The individuals were sampled as part of the protocol required before their release into the wild when considered healthy. This work aimed to establish the normal hematologic and biochemical reference values of those seabird species and, when possible, to analyze variations among age class and sex and to compare those with the available data in the literature. In addition, we provide the first baseline data for the South American Tern, Cabot's Tern, and Neotropic Cormorant. Baseline hematologic data are crucial for assessing health status of individuals and to support management and conservation actions, including release of seabirds into the wild., (© Wildlife Disease Association 2024.)

Plasma biochemistry profiles aid health assessment of marine turtles, but knowledge of the influence of regional biological factors (e.g., habitat, diet) on marine turtle blood plasma values is limited. To investigate the influence of diet on plasma biochemistry values in juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas), we used carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes to provide a quantitative estimate of forage items in green turtles feeding at two distinct areas (Bonefish Hole and South Flats) in Bimini, Bahamas. Plasma samples were obtained from 13 turtles in Bonefish Hole (a mangrove tidal estuary) and 15 turtles in South Flats (an open water seagrass bed) in 2018. All turtles appeared outwardly healthy. Sessile filter feeders contributed the largest proportion of diet in Bonefish Hole, and seagrass contributed the highest proportion of diet in South Flats. Turtles at Bonefish Hole presented significantly lower cholesterol, total protein, phosphorus, triglycerides, and aspartate transaminase compared to South Flats. Across all turtles, those feeding primarily on red algae presented the highest uric acid and alkaline phosphatase, and turtles with a seagrass-dominated diet had the highest cholesterol. Understanding dietary influence on plasma biochemistry may help explain variances seen in local health and nutritional evaluations, and the trends reported can aid the interpretation of plasma analyte values in marine turtles., (© Wildlife Disease Association 2020.)

During July-August 2010, 28 Christmas Island flying foxes (Pteropus melanotus natalis) were captured and anesthetized for examination, sample collection, and release to determine the potential role of disease in recent population declines. Measurements and samples were taken for morphologic, hematologic, biochemical, and parasitologic analysis. These are the first blood reference ranges reported for this species. These data are being used to inform investigations into conservation status and population management strategies for the Christmas Island flying fox.