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Marine veterinarians monitoring dolphins, manatees and other sea mammals usually have to
draw blood to get a picture of an animal’s wellness. But new research indicates that when it comes to manatees’ health, the eyes may have it.
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University of Florida experts say compounds in manatees’ tear film, like similar markers in the blood, may help veterinarians evaluate the animals’ health by monitoring immune responses. The technique could help them determine whether the endangered sea cows were recently exposed to health threats such as red tide. This discovery is part of a wider mission to gauge manatees’ ability to fight stress from cold water temperatures. Many older coal-burning power plants will be phased out over the next ten to twenty years, eliminating the warm-water discharge many manatees depend on. Researchers speculate that tears, which can be collected without removing manatees from the water using a small cotton swab, could be used to monitor the animals’ health.
Dr. Kendal Harr / UF Veterinarian:
“What we’re trying to assess is whether antibody levels in tear film might be similar to
antibody levels found in the bloodstream, so that we might use a really noninvasive technique---
just sampling a little tear film mucus around the eye--- to assess the immune function of the
animal.”
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Researchers say their findings might someday help lessen another problem facing the manatee
population… malnourishment of calves orphaned when their mothers are struck and killed by
boats. Vets hope to screen adults’ tear film for immune proteins that are important to the species’
survival and use that information to create healthier milk substitutes for orphaned sea cows.
Dr. Kendal Harr / UF Veterinarian:
“Potentially the same assays we use to analyze tears could be used to analyze manatee
milk and help us create formulas which would bolster the immune system of the orphan calf and
give them a better chance to survive.”
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At the University of Florida Health Science Center, I’m Mike Garrison
