A exposição das baleias-jubarte (Megaptera novaeangliae) aos impactos antropogênicos está aumentando devido à crescente recuperação da população posterior à proibição da caça comercial, associado ao incremento das atividades humanas nas áreas de reprodução e migração da espécie. No entanto, pouco se sabe sobre saúde e processos patológicos em baleias-jubarte no Brasil. O presente estudo investigou o estado de saúde da população de baleias-jubarte que migra sazonalmente para a costa sudeste e nordeste do Brasil, buscando identificar eventuais enfermidades letais e não letais, por meio de análises histopatológicas e estudo de osteopatias, assim como, quantificar as ocorrências das interações antropogênicas prejudiciais à espécie. A avaliação dos efeitos decorrentes das ações antropogênicas foi realizada a partir de imagens obtidas de baleias foto-identificadas em vida livre ao longo de 5 anos (2008-2012), por meio das quais foram caracterizadas as lesões cutâneas e quantificadas as marcas decorrentes de interações antropogênicas, predatórias ou intraespecíficas. Dessa forma, obteve-se uma estimativa dos indivíduos que sobreviveram a emalhes em apetrechos de pesca, colisões com embarcações e/ou interações com predadores. A prevalência das lesões cutâneas foi estimada utilizando-se uma abordagem conservadora, porém sistemática, e poderá ser utilizada como base para o uma avaliação contínua do estado de saúde desta população de baleias-jubarte. A investigação de processos patológicos em animais encalhados foi realizada valendo-se da análise histopatológica dos tecidos de 19 animais encontrados em bom estado de conservação, enquanto as osteopatias foram estudadas por meio da análise macroscópica do tecido esquelético de 49 animais necropsiados. Análise imuno-histoquímica foi utilizada em casos selecionados para pesquisa de Morbillivirus. Os achados histopatológicos demonstraram que grande parte dos filhotes que encalham apresenta sinais de distúrbios neonatais ou perinatais, além de serem suscetíveis a processos infecciosos. O estudo de lesões esqueléticas em animais encalhados demostrou que as baleias-jubarte são suscetíveis a processos degenerativos, infecciosos, traumáticos e malformações do desenvolvimento. Este estudo apresenta uma primeira visão sobre condições sanitárias e processos patológicos em baleias-jubarte no Brasil e pode direcionar os estudos futuros nesta área. Através do monitoramento da ocorrência de lesões não-letais bem como através da investigação dos processos patológicos e causas de morte das baleias-jubarte, este estudo apresenta indicadores das condições do ambiente onde estes animais vivem, podendo contribuir para as ações de manejo e conservação da espécie. / The exposure of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to anthropogenic impacts is increasing due to population recovery following the legal ban on commercial whaling, together with the increment of human activities at the species breeding grounds and migration routes. However, little is known about the health and pathologic processes in humpback whales in Brazil. The present study investigated the health status of the population of humpback whales that seasonally migrate to the southeastern and northeastern Brazilian coast, aiming to identify possible lethal and nonlethal diseases, through histopathological analysis and study of osteopathies, as well as to quantify the occurrence of anthropogenic interactions, detrimental to the species. The evaluation was carried out through image analysis from photo-identified whales in the wild, during 5 years (2008-2012), through which skin lesions and scars were characterized, and anthropogenic, predatory or inter-specific marks were quantified. An estimate on individuals who survived to entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with vessels and/or interactions with predators was obtained. The investigation of pathologic processes in stranded animals performed by means of histopathological analysis of tissues from 19 animals found in good condition, while osteopathies were studied through macroscopic analysis on skeletal tissue of 49 necropsied animals. Immunohistochemical analysis was carried out in selected cases to search for Morbillivirus. The prevalence of skin lesions was estimated using a conservative, but systematic, approach and may be used as the basis for a long term assessment of the health status of this humpback whale population. Histopathological findings showed that most stranded calves had signs of perinatal or neonatal disorders, and are susceptible to infections. The study of skeletal lesions in stranded animals has shown that humpback whales are susceptible to degenerative, infectious and traumatic processes, and malformations. Finally, data obtained in this study present a first overview on health conditions and pathological processes in humpback whales in Brazil and may guide future studies in this area. By monitoring the occurrence of nonlethal lesions, as well as investigating pathological processes and causes of death of humpback whales, this study provides the environmental conditions in which these animals live and can contribute for the management and conservation actions for the species.

A exposição das baleias-jubarte (Megaptera novaeangliae) aos impactos antropogênicos está aumentando devido à crescente recuperação da população posterior à proibição da caça comercial, associado ao incremento das atividades humanas nas áreas de reprodução e migração da espécie. No entanto, pouco se sabe sobre saúde e processos patológicos em baleias-jubarte no Brasil. O presente estudo investigou o estado de saúde da população de baleias-jubarte que migra sazonalmente para a costa sudeste e nordeste do Brasil, buscando identificar eventuais enfermidades letais e não letais, por meio de análises histopatológicas e estudo de osteopatias, assim como, quantificar as ocorrências das interações antropogênicas prejudiciais à espécie. A avaliação dos efeitos decorrentes das ações antropogênicas foi realizada a partir de imagens obtidas de baleias foto-identificadas em vida livre ao longo de 5 anos (2008-2012), por meio das quais foram caracterizadas as lesões cutâneas e quantificadas as marcas decorrentes de interações antropogênicas, predatórias ou intraespecíficas. Dessa forma, obteve-se uma estimativa dos indivíduos que sobreviveram a emalhes em apetrechos de pesca, colisões com embarcações e/ou interações com predadores. A prevalência das lesões cutâneas foi estimada utilizando-se uma abordagem conservadora, porém sistemática, e poderá ser utilizada como base para o uma avaliação contínua do estado de saúde desta população de baleias-jubarte. A investigação de processos patológicos em animais encalhados foi realizada valendo-se da análise histopatológica dos tecidos de 19 animais encontrados em bom estado de conservação, enquanto as osteopatias foram estudadas por meio da análise macroscópica do tecido esquelético de 49 animais necropsiados. Análise imuno-histoquímica foi utilizada em casos selecionados para pesquisa de Morbillivirus. Os achados histopatológicos demonstraram que grande parte dos filhotes que encalham apresenta sinais de distúrbios neonatais ou perinatais, além de serem suscetíveis a processos infecciosos. O estudo de lesões esqueléticas em animais encalhados demostrou que as baleias-jubarte são suscetíveis a processos degenerativos, infecciosos, traumáticos e malformações do desenvolvimento. Este estudo apresenta uma primeira visão sobre condições sanitárias e processos patológicos em baleias-jubarte no Brasil e pode direcionar os estudos futuros nesta área. Através do monitoramento da ocorrência de lesões não-letais bem como através da investigação dos processos patológicos e causas de morte das baleias-jubarte, este estudo apresenta indicadores das condições do ambiente onde estes animais vivem, podendo contribuir para as ações de manejo e conservação da espécie. / The exposure of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to anthropogenic impacts is increasing due to population recovery following the legal ban on commercial whaling, together with the increment of human activities at the species breeding grounds and migration routes. However, little is known about the health and pathologic processes in humpback whales in Brazil. The present study investigated the health status of the population of humpback whales that seasonally migrate to the southeastern and northeastern Brazilian coast, aiming to identify possible lethal and nonlethal diseases, through histopathological analysis and study of osteopathies, as well as to quantify the occurrence of anthropogenic interactions, detrimental to the species. The evaluation was carried out through image analysis from photo-identified whales in the wild, during 5 years (2008-2012), through which skin lesions and scars were characterized, and anthropogenic, predatory or inter-specific marks were quantified. An estimate on individuals who survived to entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with vessels and/or interactions with predators was obtained. The investigation of pathologic processes in stranded animals performed by means of histopathological analysis of tissues from 19 animals found in good condition, while osteopathies were studied through macroscopic analysis on skeletal tissue of 49 necropsied animals. Immunohistochemical analysis was carried out in selected cases to search for Morbillivirus. The prevalence of skin lesions was estimated using a conservative, but systematic, approach and may be used as the basis for a long term assessment of the health status of this humpback whale population. Histopathological findings showed that most stranded calves had signs of perinatal or neonatal disorders, and are susceptible to infections. The study of skeletal lesions in stranded animals has shown that humpback whales are susceptible to degenerative, infectious and traumatic processes, and malformations. Finally, data obtained in this study present a first overview on health conditions and pathological processes in humpback whales in Brazil and may guide future studies in this area. By monitoring the occurrence of nonlethal lesions, as well as investigating pathological processes and causes of death of humpback whales, this study provides the environmental conditions in which these animals live and can contribute for the management and conservation actions for the species.

Over the last 40 years, the Caribbean has lost half of its live coral cover, mostly in the form of Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata, due to disease, bleaching from rising water temperatures, and other stressors. To help restore these corals to reefs in Florida, the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) created nearshore nurseries and transplanted over 30,000 acroporid colonies across the Florida Keys. The objective of this thesis was to evaluate the growth, survivorship, and condition of nursery-raised A. cervicornis colonies that were part of two transplant projects: 1) photographic analyses of 17 past CRF transplant projects over the last seven years; and 2) a transplant experiment at Little Conch Reef to additionally assess the effects of depth, colony density, and the genetic composition of transplants. The photographic analyses included 2,428 individual colonies, 38 genotypes, and six reefs from 2007 to 2013. Results from the photographs were combined with one in situ monitoring effort that used SCUBA in 2014. In the Little Conch Reef experiment, 1,288 colonies from 14 genotypes were transplanted in October and November, 2013 at two depths (5m and 12m) in either cluster or thicket configurations. At each depth, clusters comprised 14 colonies, each placed within in 1m diameter radius, with ten monogenetic and six multigenetic structures. Thickets were 3.5m by 1.5m in size, with 10 colonies from each genotype forming its own subunit within the larger configuration. In June 2014, 963 additional colonies were added to the shallow site by stacking them on top of six existing clusters and one thicket to evaluate whether larger three-dimensional structures affected growth or survival. The Little Conch Reef experiment was monitored through January 2015. Results from the photographic analyses were: 1) maximum size of A. cervicornis transplants was approximately 40cm in diameter; 2) mortality increased after approximately two years; 3) despite high mortality, some colonies survived the duration of each project; and 4) frequent and long-term monitoring is required to assess factors that affect survival and condition. Results from the Little Conch Reef experiment suggest: 1) maximum skeletal diameter was unaffected by any of the treatments; 2) percent survival and percent live tissue were higher at the shallow site compared to the deep site, and similarly, the clusters outperformed the thickets, and multigenetic clusters outperformed their monogenetic counterparts; 3) location within the shallow site had an impact on survival and condition, with clusters doing better on the south side than on the north; and 4) stacking did not positively impact growth, survival, or condition. In general, the sizes and condition of natural populations of A. cervicornis throughout the Florida Keys are similar to results from both experiments and with other transplant projects conducted in the Caribbean. Remarkably, despite high mortality in nearly all of the projects, small numbers of colonies transplanted for most projects, a few colonies survived to 2014/2015. These colonies have the potential to act as a “seed population” that might produce sexually dispersed larvae better adapted at surviving mortality events and asexual fragments that may be better acclimated to the stressors related to their location. Evidence of persistence in this species and expansion northward in Florida suggest that it is too early to consider coral reefs a lost cause, and that coral restoration holds promise for enhancing recovery of A. cervicornis.