Project description:The St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) population in Canada is endangered, and endocrine disrupting contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and other halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) have been identified as a threat to the recovery of this population. While targeted approaches such as quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) have been widely used to assess the impacts of contaminants on marine mammals, including SLE beluga, few studies have employed transcriptomics. Here, we (1) evaluate the skin transcriptome profiles of adult male SLE beluga and adult males from a Arctic population less exposed to contaminants (Eastern Beaufort Sea; EBS) used as a reference to identify gene transcripts and biological pathways associated with blubber concentrations of organic contaminants (i.e., PCBs, PBDEs and other HFRs), and (2) assess correlations between several gene transcripts previously identified as biomarkers of organic contaminants in marine mammals and organohalogen concentrations in both populations and estimate threshold values in beluga skin for potential biological effects. Results will provide new and valuable knowledge that identify biological pathways associated with organic contaminant exposure in beluga, which may serve as predictors for higher-level health effects in at-risk populations such as SLE beluga.
2025-02-19 | GSE275522 | GEO
Project description:St. Lawrence Estuary Beluga Skin and Water Microbiome
Project description:An Infinium microarray platform (GPL28271, HorvathMammalMethylChip40) was used to generate DNA methylation data from skin samples of beluga whales, Maui's dolphin, and humpback whale. Tissue: Skin
Project description:The St. Lawrence hydrographic system includes freshwater, brackish, and marine habitats, and is the largest waterway in North America by volume. The food-webs in these habitats are ultimately dependent on phytoplankton. Viral lysis is believed to be responsible for a major part of phytoplankton mortality. To better understand their role, we characterized the diversity and distribution of two viral taxa infecting phytoplankton: the picornaviruses and phycodnaviruses. Our study focused on the estuary transition zone, which is an important nursery for invertebrates and fishes. Both viral taxa were investigated by PCR amplification of conserved molecular markers and next-generation sequencing at six sites, ranging from freshwater to marine. Our results revealed few shared viral phylotypes between saltwater and freshwater sites. Salinity appeared to be the primary determinant of viral community composition. Moreover, our analysis indicated that the viruses identified in this region of the St. Lawrence diverge from classified viruses and homologous published environmental virotypes. These results suggest that DNA and RNA viruses infecting phytoplankton are likely active in the estuary transition zone, and that this region harbors its own unique viral assemblages.
Project description:This series includes 3 microarrays used to detect SWCoV1, a novel group III coronavirus in Delphinapterus leucas (Beluga whale) liver. Keywords: viral detection
Project description:Sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa have highly variable whole body mass and length, and are usually sold to Asian markets as dried gutted body wall. Understanding the relation between size and yield of dry product is essential for resource conservation and for economic purposes. In this study, stock-specific mass and length recovery rates were estimated for C. frondosa captured by dredging or diving at various depths and seasons on the South shore of the St. Lawrence Estuary, along Gaspé Peninsula, and processed in a commercial plant. The processing yield in dry product mass per sea cucumber was more than 1.5 times larger for sea cucumbers collected at 26-47 m depth compared to those collected at 9-16 m depth. Within each strata, there was little variation in the processed body mass, seasonally or spatially. Recovery rates based on gutted mass for this stock (13.4─14.5%) varied little among depths and seasons, despite observed seasonal and bathymetric variation in reproductive status. In contrast, recovery rates based on whole body mass and length were highly variable both seasonally and spatially. Stress related to dredging or post-capture handling induced important variable body contraction and water content, leading to variation in body length, mass and shape of sea cucumbers having the same processed body mass. Gutted mass was the best metric to predict processed body mass and to estimate size whereas whole body length was the least reliable. New stock-specific information on variability of body mass, length, and recovery rates induced by capture, and on seasonal and bathymetric variation in reproductive status and processing yields will be used for the design of future stock assessment surveys, and for stock conservation.
Project description:This series includes 3 microarrays used to detect SWCoV1, a novel group III coronavirus in Delphinapterus leucas (Beluga whale) liver. The series includes 2 control whale livers and 1 whale liver containing SWCoV1.