HARBOR BRANCH - OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

RESEARCHERS FIND ALARMING SPREAD OF DISEASE IN INDIAN RIVER LAGOON DOLPHINS

FT. PIERCE, Fla. -- During their third annual health assessment of Indian River Lagoon (IRL) dolphins, Harbor Branch researchers have discovered an alarming number of animals with tumors they believe may be tied to decreasing environmental quality. Also, there are fewer dolphins in the St. Lucie River area than in previous years, which may indicate dolphins are fleeing poor environmental conditions.

"I think the increasing prevalence of tumors and the scarcity of dolphins in the St. Lucie area are very worrisome findings that suggest the health of this part of the river is compromised," says Dr. Gregory Bossart, director of Harbor Branch's Marine Mammal Research and Conservation Division. "I'm concerned about the future health of the dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon, and I also think there may be far reaching implications for human health for all of us that live along the lagoon," he says.

The work was conducted as part of a 5-year health assessment of dolphins in the St. Lucie River area, the Mosquito Lagoon near Titusville, and Charleston, S.C. During the first year, 2003, no tumors were found in IRL dolphins. During last year's survey, the team found four dolphins of a total of 39 studied in IRL afflicted with genital and mouth tumors of a type not previously seen in the lagoon. All four were from the St. Lucie River and two of those dolphins had been examined in 2003 and had no tumors at that time. Only one case of tumors has been found in Charleston, though this year's survey there will not be until August. Subsequent analyses of tumors have revealed that many contained papilloma and herpes viruses, including the first papillomavirus ever identified in North American bottlenose dolphins

This year, two out of seven Mosquito Lagoon dolphins studied the week of June 20th had tumors, and six of the 10 studied in Stuart from June 27-29 were afflicted. In addition to these disturbing results, it was also much harder around the St. Lucie than in previous years for scientists to find dolphins to examine that had not already been studied during past surveys. Harbor Branch teams conducting photo identification surveys in the area over the past year have also been finding fewer dolphins.

Bossart believes this scarcity may indicate that dolphins are being forced out of the area by poor environmental quality, and that the outbreak of the viral conditions is likely also tied to this problem. However, results to date show only a correlation between the number of diseased animals and areas of higher development and pollution. The scientists are working to determine if high concentrations of specific pollutants and toxins are tied to incidence of disease in the dolphins, but no such quantitative ties can be made at this time.

The viruses could pose long-term threats to Indian River Lagoon dolphin populations because they are proven risk factors for cancer development in other species and can also interfere with reproduction and birthing. The conditions have apparently spread quickly already, and will probably continue to do so, because they are likely sexually transmitted and transmitted by mothers to their young.

Bossart believes that the newly discovered viral tumors may be the latest in a series of indicators of a condition he calls "environmental distress syndrome". The theory is that ecological and other changes associated with human activities are encouraging the emergence of new disease-causing agents such as viruses responsible for the current wave of new dolphin and other marine mammal diseases. In parallel, animals such as manatees, whales and dolphins become increasingly susceptible to such emerging diseases as well as existing diseases as a result of poor environmental conditions leading to such problems as degraded immune systems.

The 5-year dolphin health assessment program, a collaboration between Harbor Branch and the NOAA National Ocean Service in Charleston, S.C., was launched in 2003. The main goal of the project is to identify the most serious health threats to dolphins, such as pollutants, so that effective management plans can be designed. The work is funded by Harbor Branch, NOAA, funds from the Florida Ocean Initiative, and proceeds from the Protect Wild Dolphins specialty license plate.

The program involves thorough medical examinations of a sample of dolphins each year from each of the target areas. A wide range of measurements and diagnostic tests are used to intensively assess each animal's health. To date 99 animals have been examined and safely released in the Indian River Lagoon.

The project was prompted by concerns raised during Harbor Branch's ongoing photo-identification study of IRL dolphins, which has now spanned nearly a decade. A large percentage of the dolphins studied via photo analysis had unexplained skin disorders and tumors.

Since 1998, in tandem with the photo research and prior to the 5-year health assessment, researchers had investigated the deaths of numerous IRL dolphins and found evidence of infectious diseases, some of which had never before been seen in dolphins. The current program has been a vital expansion of such work, giving researchers their first opportunity to examine free-living dolphins closely, which provides information essential to formulating sound management and conservation measures.

By conducting parallel studies of dolphins in Charleston and the IRL, scientists are able to compare two distinct populations influenced by very different environmental conditions. Assessing the health of these two populations of dolphins, and measuring changes in them from year to year over the course of the 5-year study, is helping researchers zero in on factors posing the greatest health risks.

NOTE: The NMFS permit for the work does not allow for filming or photographing the research for use by the media, however, stock footage and photos of dolphins are available upon request. Dr. Bossart will be available for interviews Thursday afternoon and Friday. For more information, please contact Mark Schrope at

For more information please contact Mark Schrope at 772-216-0390 or schrope@hboi.edu.

HARBOR BRANCH Oceanographic Institution was founded in Ft. Pierce, Fla., in 1971 to support the exploration and conservation of the world's oceans. The institution has held to this mission and grown into one of the world's leading oceanographic institutions with a 500-acre campus, over 200 personnel, and a fleet of sophisticated research ships and submersibles.