Aquadocs

Hi everyone! I'm excited to launch season three of Aquadocs this week. From rehabbing pinnipeds, to saving over 1,000 cold stunned sea turtles, to solving the mystery of the electric eel, we've got lots of great stuff in store for you. Be sure to tune in every other Tuesday to stay up to date on the latest Aquadocs episodes! And as always feel free to reach out on social media (@aquadocspodcast) if you have any questions or you'd like to be featured on an episode. Thank you again for all of your continued support! Hope you love season 3!

FishTracker is a student-oriented citizen science project based at Cornell University that records and maps the presence of several species of fish, both endangered and invasive, in New York State. What is awesome about this program is that K-12 students and teachers from New York collect environmental DNA (eDNA) from water samples and send these samples to Cornell for analysis. FishTracker team members then use quantitative PCR to analyze these samples and incorporate their findings into a fish species database and send their results back to the classrooms. This is an incredible program so tune in to learn more and be amazed at ways you can involve young children into important scientific endeavors. Want to get involved, check out their website: https://fishtracker.vet.cornell.edu/. Thank you to the Cornell University Serve in Place Fund for supporting this episode.

There are fewer than 400 critically endangered North Atlantic right whales left in the world. Human impacts, specifically entanglements in fishing gear and vessels strikes, serve as the biggest threats to the survival of this species. On This week's episode of Aquadocs Podcast, host Michelle Greenfield interviews Dr. Michael Moore, senior scientist in the biology department of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution about his long-term work with this species. Dr. Moore recently published a book titled We Are All Whalers: The Plight of Whales and Our Responsibility that documents his work with these animals and what he believes we need to do to protect this species. Tune in for a conversation about the stories behind this book as well as a discussion on our social responsibility to step in and help save these whales.

On this week's episode of Aquadocs, host Michelle Greenfield interviews Dr. David Scarfe PhD, DVM, MRSSAf, CertAqV, a veterinarian and an extraordinary professor at the university of Pretoria in South Africa and Ludwig Maximilians University in Germany. Dr. Scarfe shares his experience working for the AVMA and documents his perspective of the evolution of aquatic veterinary medicine.

What's the best way to age a dolphin? Previously, veterinarians would pull a tooth and count the rings within it, just like you might try to age a tree by its rings. But a recent study by Dr. Ashley Barratclough provides an even better, simpler, and less invasive option: blood and skin! On this weeks episode of Aquadocs, host Michelle Greenfield interviews Dr. Ashley Barratclough, conservation medicine veterinarian at the National Marine Mammal Foundation about her research in Epigenetics and estimating the age of bottlenose dolphins from blood or remotely sampled skin. This new method opens the door for a variety of future research projects and might even be a way to better understand less studied populations of free ranging marine mammals. Research Article: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353739030_Accurate_Epigenetic_Aging_in_Bottlenose_Dolphins_Tursiops_truncatus_an_Essential_Step_in_the_Conservation_of_at-Risk_Dolphins

What are the appropriate painkiller drugs you can use in fish? On this week's episode of Aquadocs, Dr. Claire Grosset, assistant professor in zoological medicine at the Université de Montréal, explains a study she recently published about using Robenacoxib, an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) in rainbow trout. We discuss the ins and outs of this study, and whether this is a safe and practical drug to use in fish (fun fact, it's commonly used in other species like cats!). And wish Michelle a huge congrats on making it to her clinical rotations! To read Dr. Grosset's article, follow this link: https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-zoo-and-wildlife-medicine/volume-52/issue-2/2020-0130/PHARMACOKINETIC-PHARMACODYNAMIC-AND-TOXICOLOGY-STUDY-OF-ROBENACOXIB-IN-RAINBOW-TROUT/10.1638/2020-0130.short

Coral are such an important species that most people probably don't even recognize need veterinary attention. On this weeks episode of Aquadocs, host Michelle Greenfield interviews Dr. Ilze Berzins, an aquatic animal veterinarian who has worked with a number of coral health issues. In particular, we focus on Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), of which over 40 species of Atlantic coral are currently facing an unprecedented infectious epidemic. We'll discuss why this disease is different from other crises facing coral and what possibilities exist for protecting and saving these coral.

On this weeks episode of Aquadocs, Michelle interviews Dr. Ashley Emanuele, owner of Oak City Aquatics Mobile Veterinary Service, a mobile fish practice that serves hobbyists and fish enthusiasts in North Carolina. During our conversation, we explore the value, potential and need in the hobbyist community for veterinary support. And also we discuss a case (aka showdown) she recently worked on involving a koi fish and a bobcat. Spoiler alert, the bobcat wins this one :-(.

On this weeks episode of Aquadocs, host Michelle Greenfield interviews Dr. Ryan Takeshita, Deputy Director of Conservation Medicine and Research Scientist with the National Marine Mammal Foundation about his recent paper on lower salinity levels in the gulf coast off the Mississippi River delta. Dolphins experiencing low salinity can often get skin lesions that can lead to necrotic (rotting) flesh. Tune in to this week's episode to learn more about the surprising findings from this research. The paper for this episode can be found at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34591903/

This week on AQUADOCS, Michelle speaks with her good friends Dr. Danielle Godard, Dr. Nicole Nietlisbach, and Willow Smith from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Fish Health Team. Fun fact, nearly all of the lakes and rivers in Wisconsin in need the be stocked with fish species including Trout, Muskellunge, Walleye, and Sturgeon. In order to reduce the spread of disease between habitats, the Wisconsin DNR monitors and supports fish farms across the state.

On this week's episode of AQUADOCS, Michelle interviews Dr. Cindy Driscoll, Maryland State Fish & Wildlife Veterinarian and instructor at the University of Maryland in College Park. Starting The MD Fish & Wildlife Health Program included terrestrial and aquatic wildlife with investigations of morbidity and mortality events of all wild animals in the state. That also involved the development of a marine mammal and sea turtle stranding network - something they don't teach you in veterinary school. It involves continual communications and coordination between multiple government and non-government organizations for the wide variety of species addressed: dolphins, seals, threatened and endangered whales, manatees and sea turtles. In this episode we talked to Dr. Driscoll about her experience starting the Maryland Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Network and some of the interesting cases encountered along the way.

Welcome to our 2022 season to Aquadocs! We are so excited to kick things off with Dr. Sarah Churgin, veterinarian at Ocean Park in Hong Kong. In this episode, Dr. Churgin discusses the perks and challenges of practicing in a new country such as learning how to do root canals on dolphins and dealing with language barriers. We also discuss Melioidosis, a disease that can cause high fevers and potentially septicemia in dolphins in Asian countries. And stick around until the end for externship and internship opportunities for high school through vet students! If you want to get in touch with Dr. Churgin, feel free to email her at sarah.churgin@oceanpark.com.hk.

Tune in on February 1, 2022 for the launch of Aquadocs Season 2! In the meantime a huge thank you to all our listeners, check our newly launched store to get your very own Aquadocs merch, and life update - I'm engaged!!

On this final Aquadocs episode of 2021, Michelle interviews Dr. Shelly Marquardt, veterinarian at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, as a special tribute to Winter the Dolphin. Winter, one of the bottlenose dolphins at Clearwater was found in the coastal waters of Florida in 2005. She was caught in a crab trap that resulted in the loss of her tail. Over the years, her team has worked tirelessly to provide unique enrichment for her unique morphology, including a silicone tail to help with her unnatural swimming patterns (tail moving side to side instead of up and down). Sadly, Winter recently passed away on November 11, 2021. Despite incredible life-saving efforts by Dr. Marquardt and experts from around the country who flew in to help her, Winter passed away from intestinal torsion. This episode was recorded a few weeks prior to her passing and tells her incredible rescue story from a veterinary perspective. We are releasing this episode as a tribute to her and her animal care staff.

On this week's episode of Aquadocs, Michelle speaks with Dr. Jenessa Gjeltema, Assistant Professor of zoological Medicine at the UC Davis School of veterinary medicine and Head veterinarian at the Sacramento Zoo, about one of her special patients Coconut. And stick around to the end to learn about the UC Davis zoological medicine residency program.

On this week's episode of Aquadocs, Michelle interviews Dr. Paola Barato, Scientific Director and CEO of CORPAVET and FAO Consultant and professor. Dr. Barato works with groups across the developing world and especially in South America to develop sustainable aquaculture practices with the goal of ending world hunger.

On this week's episode of Aquadocs, Michelle joins fellow podcasters Shaun O'Loughlin, Justin Grant, and Maddie Cassidy of Aquademia Podcast hosted by Global Seafood Alliance for a discussion about seafood regulation and sustainability. And check out their episode of Aquademia featuring Michelle, which aired in July 2021.

In a world where we are constantly worried about viruses and bacteria, Dr. Whitney Greene, clinical veterinary fellow at Walt Disney World, describes a treatment that can actually use these bugs to our advantage— bacteriophage therapy (when viruses invade bacterial cells). On this week's episode of Aquadocs, Dr. Greene tells us a story about a wonderful sea turtle and the incredible measures they took to treat and save it.

Podcasts about aquatic medicine for homework? #BestHomeworkEver! Tune in this week on Aquadocs as Dr. Heather Harris, faculty at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, explains how Aquadocs has been a critical resource for her and her students during the times of Zoom University. And stick around for amazing stories about research with Leatherback sea turtles! Dr. Harris is a wildlife veterinarian for Upwell and the NOAA Marine Turtle Program as well as an associate vet at the Marine Mammal Center. On this episode, we'll highlight some of the important work she does with these programs.

This week on Aquadocs, Dr. Hugh Mitchell, Owner of AquaTactics Fish Health discusses the development of fish vaccines and how important they are to the industry. He also shares his experience as a foodfish veterinarian for private, state, federal and tribal aquaculture facilities throughout the United States.

Can you believe it's already season 2 of Aquadocs! Thanks to all of our amazing supporters for getting us this far. To start us off on another incredible season, Dr. Marina Ivančić founder of ZooRadOne discusses aquatic animal diagnostic imaging. Ever wondered how to take a dolphin to a human hospital for a CT scan? Or what to look for on an ultrasound to see if a dolphin is pregnant? Well, tune in as Dr. Ivančić answers these questions and more! This is an episode you definitely don't want to miss. And stick around to the end to hear about our new partnerships with AAFV and WAVMA. If you are interested in having Dr. Ivančić look at a case for you or have any questions for her, check out her website at https://www.zooradone.com/

Have you missed Aquadocs? Well, get excited! Season 2 launches next Tuesday, October 5th. We've got lots in store for you this season. Here's a little sneak peak.

Squirting blood into a ruptured lung might sound crazy, but it is actually a very successful method for saving the lives of injured sea turtles. On our season 1 finale of Aquadocs, Dr. Shane Boylan from the South Carolina Aquarium shares how he often has to think outside the box when treating many of his aquatics patients. If you want to hear some fascinating cases and how to use fish skin for injured turtles and burn victims, this is an episode you definitely don't want to miss!

Is it possible to monitor the health of dolphins and other cetaceans just through sound? On this week's episode of Aquadocs, Dr. Laura May-Collado, senior lecturer at the University of Vermont and research associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, discusses her research on marine mammal acoustic communication in Panama. And stick around to the end to listen to some special Aquadocs surprises!

Ever considered how salmon grow from an egg to fry to mature adult and then make it onto your plate? On this week's episode of Aquadocs, host Michelle Greenfield interviews Dr. Nora Hickey and Dr. Katharine Onofryton, program Veterinarians at the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission about salmon aquaculture, production, and conservation. Tune in to learn about this very important food system and the role veterinarians play in ensuring both animal and human health and safety. And stick around to the end for some updates from AQUAVET.

In honor of world ocean's day, this week's episode of Aquadocs discusses important conservation messages and how everyone has a role in making a difference in one's community. Dr. Claire Simeone, a marine mammal veterinarian and founder of Sea Change Health, provides key insight into how to create a call to action and how to be part of the solution. And stick around to the end for some updates from this summer's AQUAVET program.  Episode Notes:   New York Times story about Cronutt's surgery: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/08/science/sea-lion-epilepsy-surgery-cronutt.html  Dr. Scott Baraban's lab from UCSF: @barabanlab  Dr. Andreas Fahlman from Global Diving Research: @GDivingResearch  AMHMAR (Asociación Mexicana De Hábitats Para La Interacción y Protección de Mamíferos Marinos): http://www.amhmar.org.mx  Karli Chudeau from UC Davis: @KarliRChudeau  Sacha Stevenson: @inspireachange  How to Save a Planet Podcast episode “Is Your Carbon Footprint BS?”: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/howtosaveaplanet/xjh53gn/is-your-carbon-footprint-bs https://clairesimeone.com/sea-change-health

How do you introduce an entire nation to aquatic medicine? On this week's episode of Aquadocs, Dr. Carla Phillips Savage, an aquatic one health practitioner and Trinidad and Tobago's only aquatic veterinarian, describes her journey to developing an aquatic animal health program and building one of the foremost marine mammal stranding networks in the Southern Caribbean.

On this week's episode of Aquadocs, Dr. Christine Parker-Graham, Wildlife Veterinarian and Veterinary medical officer at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, discusses the principles of salmon medicine and how to run diagnostic samples during the crazy times of COVID-19.

Do you know what a penguin chick sounds like? And how do you properly treat an oiled seabird? On this week's episode of Aquadocs, Dr. David Roberts from SANCCOB (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) describes the rescue, rehabilitation, and release cycle of African penguins and some of the major diseases he treats these animals for. And stick around to the end for a special Aquadocs surprise.

Vaccines seem to be all the rage today. But did you know that the Hawaiian monk seals are also receiving vaccines to keep their population alive? On this week's episode of Aquadocs, Dr. Michelle Barbieri from the Hawaiian Monk Seal Program (NOAA) discusses the history of the program and the process of vaccinating wild seals.

How do you artificially inseminate a shark? On this week's episode of Aquadocs, shark whisperer Dr. Rob Jones of the Aquarium Vet discusses his long-term passion for shark medicine and his novel techniques for artificial insemination. 

Do you know that Darwin wasn't the last scientist to study animals in the Galapagos? On this week's episode of Aquadocs, Dr. Greg Lewbart, professor of aquatic animal medicine at North Carolina State, discusses his long-time research on marine iguanas and other species in the Galapagos. Rest assured, Darwin still makes an appearance! 

Toxicologists are constantly solving mysteries. Tune in this week as Dr. Robert Poppenga, a professor in the California Animal Health and Food Safety Lab at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, highlights some of his recent cases involving common toxins affecting aquatic animals in the wild and in managed care settings. 

On this week's episode of Aquadocs, Dr. Claire Madden, a veterinarian at Sea World Australia, describes a recent case in which one of the dolphins in her care received three separate blood transfusions. Spoiler alert: the dolphin is alive and doing well, but completing these transfusions truly pushed the boundary on what's possible in the field of aquatic medicine.

Completing routine examinations and even difficult procedures relies on a strong relationship between the animal, veterinarian, and the owner/trainer/keeper. On this week's episode of Aquadocs, Ken Ramirez of Karen Pryor Clicker Training, discusses the key ideas of training for domestic and aquatic animals, and its importance in the care of these animals. 

On this week's episode of Aquadocs, tune in as Dr. Frédéric Chatigny from the Université de Sherbrooke describes his research on the great debate in fish medicine: do fish feel pain?

This week on Aquadocs, Dr. Hendrik Nollens from the Pacific Marine Mammal Center discusses his recent study in Veterinary Quarterly that defines baseline health parameters for dolphins. This study is particularly important because it can help improve the diagnosis of health, disease and potential stressors of wild dolphin populations. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01652176.2020.1845415

Laboratories and aquaculture farms don't always do their own diagnostic testing. Often they mail samples to large reference laboratories like IDEXX. Tune in this week as we speak to Dr. Marcus Crim, Senior Research and Design Manager of Molecular Diagnostics at Microbiology at IDEXX, and peel back the curtain on this fascinating and lesser known area of aquatic veterinary medicine.

Ever wondered how scientists assess the health of wild dolphins? On this week's episode of Aquadocs, Dr. Randall Wells describes his role as director of the Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP) and some of the key research SDRP does including population monitoring and health assessments of wild bottlenose dolphins.

Thinking about an aquatic and zoological residency? Wish you could get advice from someone in a residency program? Tune in to this week's episode of Aquadocs featuring Dr. Tatiana Weisbrod, the current Aquatic Animal Medicine Resident at the University of Florida. Dr. Weisbrod discusses her experiences leading up to residency, what the match process is like, and provides some great advice for students about what it takes to get into the program.

On this week's episode of Aquadocs, Christine Archer, president-elect of the Zebrafish Husbandry Association, shares her experiences working with laboratory zebrafish. Studies on these fish are at the forefront of human (and animal) medicine. Join us as we talk about important translational medicine research being done with zebrafish. Episode Links: Zebrafish Husbandry Association zhaonline.org

Every good vet student knows about cows... But what about SEA COWS? Tune in this week as we talk to Dr. Mike Walsh, a Veterinarian at the University of Florida, about Manatee health assessments. Every year, he and his colleagues visit Manatee breeding grounds to monitor these populations and ensure the animals are in good health.

Did you know there are state aquaculture veterinarians? Well actually they're pretty rare... Tune in to this week's episode of Aquadocs as Dr. Myron Kebus, Wisconsin State Aquaculture veterinarian, describes his role working with fish farms and preventing disease transmission. And for those looking for online fish health content, Dr. Kebus discusses the fish health modules he developed to help veterinary students and veterinarians perfect their skills in fish health.

On this week's episode of Aquadocs, we speak with fellow podcaster Dr. Chris Parsons about his dolphin research in Hong Kong and the aquatic stories he's been telling since. Dugongs and Seadragons: https://dugongsandseadragons.weebly.com/

What does it look like when a sea turtle gets cancer? How does a virus cause cancer? Tune in as Dr. Annie Page-Karjian from Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute answers these questions and more on this week's episode of Aquadocs. Toxin Manuscript: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.00630/full?utm_source=fweb&utm_medium=nblog&utm_campaign=ba-sci-fmars-stranded-cetaceans

To kick off our 2021 season, Dr. Vanessa Fravel Hoard discusses her research and clinical experience with sea lions. Tune in as she describes domoic acid poisoning and why this terrible disease has led her and her colleagues to establish protocols to give these animals MRIs.

This week on Aquadocs is Dr. Joe Gaydos from the SeaDoc Society. Listen as Dr. Gaydos discusses the Southern Resident Killer Whales in the Salish Sea, an area of Pacific Northwest Coastline, and his role in increasing knowledge of these animals and informing local, state, and national conservation policy in the Salish Sea. And stick around to the end of the episode to find out what Michelle is hoping for this holiday season! Episode links: https://www.seadocsociety.org

When the Leafy Seadragons at the Florida Aquarium were born with a congenital disorder that prevented them from floating, our guest, Dr. Ari Fustukjian, built custom buoyancy control devices to help them swim again. 

Can you vaccinate a fish? Check out this week's episode of Aquadocs, where Dr. Roy Yanong, professor and aquaculture extension veterinarian based at the University of Florida IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Lab, describes his experience caring for and running diagnostics on a variety of fish species. Episode Links: UF Tropical Aquaculture Lab https://tal.ifas.ufl.edu/, Student Externship https://tal.ifas.ufl.edu/teaching/veterinary-student-externship/, Aquariumania https://www.petliferadio.com/aquariumania.html, Dr. Georgina Mace obituary https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/01/climate/georgina-mace-dead.html

How do you prepare for a baby beluga? Tune in this week as Dr. Chelsea Anderson, Georgia Aquarium Associate Veterinarian, describes her experience working with beluga whale Whisper and calf Shila born in May 2020.

What does a dolphin's heart sound like? And how can you use a stethoscope in the water to hear it? Listen as Dr. Barb Linnehan, Deputy Director of Medicine at the National Marine Mammal Foundation, discusses her recent research article about bottlenose dolphin heart health. Episode Links: Research Paper - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.570055/full?fbclid=IwAR12WIF-jZ47qDdMg2aMZ48Ddk50x0gSixASTKdFreZkii1QdTM9dcwnc4g, CARMMHA Website - https://www.carmmha.org/, Vaquita CPR -https://www.vaquitacpr.org/, NMMF Externship Program - https://www.nmmf.org/education-outreach/marine-mammal-internships/