Salinity affects wound healing in wild common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

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dc.contributor.authorOrbach, Dara
dc.contributor.authorHurst, Brianna
dc.creator.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3667-7040en_US
dc.date.accessioned2022-10-14T20:34:46Z
dc.date.available2022-10-14T20:34:46Z
dc.date.issued2022-06-13
dc.description.abstractDolphins are often individually identified by unique naturally-acquired markings. Identification becomes difficult when markings heal, or new scars appear. As salt accelerates wound healing in many organisms, the diminishment of scars on common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) residing in varying natural salinities was determined. South Texas contains the only hypersaline lagoon in the USA, located adjacent to hyposaline waters, with genetically distinct populations of dolphins in the two environments. Photographs of dolphin dorsal fins were collected, and scar stability over time was determined and compared by measuring changes in the relative lengths and surfaces of scars. All scars on dolphins in the hypersaline lagoon completely diminished between three to six years, while scars on dolphins in the hyposaline bay ranged in the amount of fading between three to six years. Data from this case study indicate that high salinity may increase the healing speed of wounds on common bottlenose dolphins compared to low salinity, although a larger sample size is needed for robust statistical comparison. Scar diminishment is an important consideration in determining the temporal reliability of photo identification.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipFunding was provided by the McNair Scholars Program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.en_US
dc.identifier.citationAjur. (2022, July 13). Ajur volume 19 issue 1 (June 2022). American Journal of Undergraduate Research. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2022.056en_US
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2022.056
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1969.6/94083
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.subjectbottlenose dolphinen_US
dc.subjectCorpus Christi Bayen_US
dc.subjecthealingen_US
dc.subjecthypersalineen_US
dc.subjectLaguna Madreen_US
dc.subjectphoto-identificationen_US
dc.subjectsalinityen_US
dc.subjectscaren_US
dc.titleSalinity affects wound healing in wild common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)en_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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