Human Interaction Flashcards
With what species can human interaction occur?
- Sea turtles
- Cetaceans
- Pinnipeds
What are the 7 types of human interaction?
- Entanglement (ex: ghost gear)
- Ingestion (ex: microplastics)
- Vessel iteraction
- Gunshot
- Harassment (ex: selfies, take)
- Illegal handling
- Disturbances (ex: oil spills)
What are the biggest instances of human interaction in NY?
- Entanglement in monofilament line
- Harassment of pups
Describe entanglement
- Majority of entanglement interactions occur head first (why?)
- Can occur with fishing gear (ex: monofilament, rope, plastic)
- Can occur with debris (any non-fishery related item)
Describe the process of disentangling marine mammals
Although the urge to rescue entangled animals is strong, it must be weighed against practical issues such as:
- Feasibility
- Likelihood of success
- Safety of team
- Ropes, nets etc. must be removed in a manner that minimizes further injury to the animal
- All items must be collected and documented
- Depending on the condition of the animal, immediate release, rehabilitation, and euthanasia are possible solutions
Describe cetacean disentanglements in water
- Rescues are difficult and dangerous for both the whale and the people
- In the U.S attempting to disentangle a free-swimming whale without a permit is illegal
- Permits are issued by National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS)
- An approved plan must be submitted which includes safety measures, animal assessment, and post-rescue care
- All gear obtained is sent to NMFS
Describe pinned disentanglement
- Animal must be restrained (physically or chemically) before any attempted disentanglement
- Blunt-tipped hooks on the end of short poles = used to pull debris away from the animal
- If animal is restrained needle-nose pliers / hemostats can be used
- Always pull material away from the animal slowly
- Always save removed material
Describe ingestion
- More common in sea turtles and cetaceans
- Often animals mistake plastic for other prey
- May not be fatal but can cause a block or perforate the GI tract leading to slow starvation / sudden death
Describe vessel interaction
- Leading cause of serious injury and stranding of baleen whales
- 30% of humpback strandings on the Atlantic Coast = due to vessel strike
- Calves and juveniles are most vulnerable
- Leading cause of death in North Atlantic Right Whales
Define trauma
An injury or wound to living tissue caused by an extrinsic agent
Define blunt force
An injury produced by a blunt object striking the body or impact of the body against a blunt object or surface
Can be seen under the skin as bruising
Define sharp force
An injury caused by a sharp or pointed object with enough force to create penetrating wounds
Typically causes immediate death
Describe gunshot
- Despite legal protection, some animals are shot because they are considered a nuisance (ex: sea lions, harbor seals)
- In Canada, aquaculture operators are licensed to shot nuisance seals
- Pinnipeds are taken in native hunts
- 250,000 seals are killed in Canadian commercial harp seal hunt
Describe harassment
- ANY human activity intended or not that causes an animal to change its behavior
- Many pinniped cases involve human interaction (why?)
- Examples include…
- Seal selfies
- Pouring water on animals
- Pulling an animal back into the water
What activity will some pinnipeds engage in when stressed?
Describe illegal take
Removal of an animal from a haul out spot
Describe disturbances
- Oil spills
- Contaminants
- Can cause reproductive abnormalities, bone lesions, damage to lungs etc.
The good thing about disturbances is that they do not occur every day
Describe the “condition code”
- Code 1 = live animals
- Code 2 = carcasses in good (fresh) conditions
- Code 3 = fair (decomposed but organs are intact)
- Code 4 = poor (advanced decomposition)
- Code 5 = mummified or skeleton remains
How can human interaction be identified in deceased animals?
External examination (ex: propeller scars, hull pain, entanglement, missing flippers or fins, puncture wounds etc.)
Antemortem
Injury or lesion was present preceding death
(ex: prolonged entanglement)
Premortem
Injury or lesion is one that occurs immediately before death
Postmortem
Injury or lesion that occurred after death (ex: postmortem vessel strike)
Impression
- A form of gear leaves an indentation but does not lacerate or abrade the skin/pelt (impacts skin not blubber)
Laceration
- A tearing of the skin or pelt (goes between skin/blubber)
- Caused by blunt trauma
- Blunt object (ex: net, line) has been pushed into the tissue until the surface has been broken or torn
Incision
A penetrating wound that has clean edges that show no rounding or tearing
