Despite the marked deceleration in the amount of ozone lost at the poles each year, high levels of solar ultraviolet radiation (UV) continue to reach our biosphere, potentially threatening living organisms, which owing to their life-histories and physiological constraints, are unable to avoid exposure to UV.
EFFECTS OF SOLAR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION ON WHALES
Our research team aimed to demonstrate that whales are affected by UV and that they have adaptive mechanisms against UV exposure. Using histological analyses of skin biopsies and high-quality photographs, we characterized and quantified UV-induced lesions in 184 blue, fin and sperm whales sampled in the Gulf of California, Mexico, and estimated indices of skin pigmentation for each individual. Considering that UV-induced DNA mutations can contribute to the development of skin cancer, it was relevant to record UV-induced DNA damage in whales. Based on previous studies in human skin, we have developed a quantitative real-time PCR methodology to detect and quantify mtDNA lesions in whales’ skin. Finally, to examine the molecular pathways by which whales counteract UV-induced damage, levels of expression of genes involved in genotoxic stress pathways (heat shock protein 70: HSP70, tumour protein 53: P53, and KIN protein genes: KIN) and melanogenesis (tyrosinase gene: TYR) were quantified.
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New project (2012 to date):
Phenotypic plasticity of behavioural and molecular responses to solar ultraviolet radiation in blue whales PhD project of Blanca Morales-Guerrero, for whom I am a committee member. Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Querétaro, Querétaro, México http://www.kacevedowhitehouselab.org/#!lab/c252z |
Related refereed articles
Martinez-Levasseur L.M., Gendron D., Knell R.J., O’Toole E.A., Singh M., Bowman A., Birch-Machin M. and Acevedo-Whitehouse K. (2014) Responses to acute sun exposure in large whales. In AccessScience. McGraw-Hill Education. http://dx.doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB140801
Magazine article
“Acute sun damage and photoprotective responses in whales”, In Science for Conservation, Annual Report of the Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, 2010-11. Available: https://www.zsl.org/sites/default/files/document/2014-01/ioz-annual-report-2010-11.pdf
These
Martinez L.M.M. (2011) Effects of solar radiation on cetaceans. Ph.D thesis, Queen Mary University of London, England.
Media Coverage (selection of news articles)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9173000/9173271.stm
http://news.sciencemag.org/2010/11/whales-get-sunburns-too
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23882667
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/08/130830-whales-sunburn-ultraviolet-radiation-ocean-animals-science/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/light-colour-whales-tan-for-sun-protection-study-finds-1.1362858
- Martinez-Levasseur L.M., Birch-Machin M.A., Bowman A., Gendron D., Weatherhead E., Knell R.J. and Acevedo-Whitehouse K. (2013) Whales Use Distinct Strategies to Counteract Solar Ultraviolet Radiation. Scientific Reports. 3:2386.
- Martinez-Levasseur L.M., Gendron D., Knell R.J. and Acevedo-Whitehouse K. (2013) Control and target gene selection for studies on UV-induced genotoxicity in whales. BMC Research Notes. 6:264.
- Bowman A., L. Martinez-Levasseur, K. Acevedo-Whitehouse, D. Gendron and M. Birch-Machin. (2013) The simultaneous detection of mitochondrial DNA damage from sun-exposed skin of three whale species and its association with UV-induced microscopic lesions and apoptosis. Mitochondrion. 13(4):342-9.
- Bowman A., Martinez-Levasseur L., Acevedo-Whitehouse K., Gendron D. and Birch-Machin M. (2012) Mitochondrial DNA, a reliable biomarker for measuring the effect of cumulative ultraviolet irradiation exposure in whales (cetaceans). In: Annual Meeting of the British Society for Investigative Dermatology. Exeter, UK: British Journal of Dermatology: Wiley-Blackwell.
- Martinez-Levasseur L.M., Gendron D., Knell R.J., O’Toole E.A., Singh M. and Acevedo-Whitehouse K. (2011) Acute sun damage and photoprotective responses in whales. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences. 278:1581-1586.
Martinez-Levasseur L.M., Gendron D., Knell R.J., O’Toole E.A., Singh M., Bowman A., Birch-Machin M. and Acevedo-Whitehouse K. (2014) Responses to acute sun exposure in large whales. In AccessScience. McGraw-Hill Education. http://dx.doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB140801
Magazine article
“Acute sun damage and photoprotective responses in whales”, In Science for Conservation, Annual Report of the Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, 2010-11. Available: https://www.zsl.org/sites/default/files/document/2014-01/ioz-annual-report-2010-11.pdf
These
Martinez L.M.M. (2011) Effects of solar radiation on cetaceans. Ph.D thesis, Queen Mary University of London, England.
Media Coverage (selection of news articles)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9173000/9173271.stm
http://news.sciencemag.org/2010/11/whales-get-sunburns-too
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23882667
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/08/130830-whales-sunburn-ultraviolet-radiation-ocean-animals-science/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/light-colour-whales-tan-for-sun-protection-study-finds-1.1362858
EFFECTS OF SOLAR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION ON WALRUSES
After demonstrating that whales can develop sunburn lesions, it became evident that other marine mammal species with little fur or who spend long hours hauled-out exposed to the sun, such as walruses, might be similarly affected. Part of my current postdoctoral project aims to examine the effect of UV on Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) breeding in the Canadian Arctic (Nunavik, Northern Quebec) by combining Inuit knowledge with scientific methods.
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Related refereed & conference articles
- Martinez-Levasseur L.M., Furgal C., Hammill M., and Burness G. (2016) Towards a better understanding of the effects of UV on Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus): a study combining histological data with local ecological knowledge. PloS One. 11(4):e0152122
- Martinez-Levasseur L.M., Furgal C., Hammill M. and Burness G. Challenges & strategies when mapping Local Ecological Knowledge. Polar Biology. In revision.
- Martinez-Levasseur L.M., Furgal C., Hammill M. and Burness G. Dealing with limitations and biases when documenting Inuit Knowledge of Arctic marine species: the example of walrus in Nunavik (Quebec, Canada). Arctic Change 2014. Ottawa, Canada, 8-11 December 2014 (poster presentation)
- Martinez-Levasseur L.M., Furgal C., Simard M., Doidge B., Hammill M. and Burness G. Effect of increased solar exposure on Arctic species’ health, drawing upon both scientific methods and traditional ecological knowledge. ArcticNet. Halifax, Canada, 9-12 December 2013 (poster presentation)
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Magazine articles
“Walruses Risk Sunburn”, In Showcase, Marketing & Communications Office at Trent University, Fall 2012. Available: https://www.trentu.ca/showcase/documents/ShowcaseFall2012.pdf
“Walruses Risk Sunburn”, In Showcase, Marketing & Communications Office at Trent University, Fall 2012. Available: https://www.trentu.ca/showcase/documents/ShowcaseFall2012.pdf