Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Animal and Bird Health Care Center, Cherry Hill, NJ, 08003, USA.
Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 26;11(1):2182. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-81634-5.
Understanding marine animal stranding patterns can aid rehabilitation efforts and evaluations of ecosystem health. The goal of this retrospective study was to identify factors associated with outcome of marine animals presented to a rehabilitation facility in Brigantine, New Jersey, USA. Records of 4819 phocids, cetaceans, and sea turtles were reviewed. Taxa, age, sex, season, and outcome (natural death, euthanasia, transfer to another facility, and successful release) were recorded for each case. Binary logistic regression was employed to identify predictors associated with release, and a multivariate logistic regression model was developed to evaluate whether the association between taxa and chance of release persisted after adjustment for the other variables. Phocids were most likely to strand during winter. Phocids and sea turtles that stranded alive were more likely to be released than to die under care or be euthanized. Taxa, age, and season were all significantly associated with the probability of release. These results provide a reference for phocid, cetacean, and sea turtle stranding and rehabilitation in part of the mid-Atlantic region. Critical evaluation of wildlife rehabilitation is indicated to audit the success of efforts and to assess threats to free-ranging populations.
了解海洋动物搁浅模式有助于康复工作和生态系统健康评估。本回顾性研究的目的是确定与美国新泽西州布里根廷（Brigantine）一家康复机构收治的海洋动物结局相关的因素。对 4819 只海豹、鲸目动物和海龟的记录进行了审查。为每个案例记录了分类群、年龄、性别、季节和结局（自然死亡、安乐死、转移到另一个设施和成功释放）。采用二项逻辑回归来确定与释放相关的预测因子，并建立多变量逻辑回归模型，以评估在调整其他变量后，分类群与释放机会之间的关联是否仍然存在。海豹最有可能在冬季搁浅。在接受治疗或安乐死之前，活着搁浅的海豹和海龟更有可能被释放而不是死亡。分类群、年龄和季节均与释放概率显著相关。这些结果为大西洋中部地区的海豹、鲸目动物和海龟的搁浅和康复提供了参考。需要对野生动物康复进行严格评估，以审核努力的成功，并评估对自由放养种群的威胁。
