Envirovet Summer Institute 2007

Developed Country Session

Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife and Ecosystem Health
Issues and Techniques for the Developed World
with Outreach to Developing Countries

White Oak Conservation Center, Yulee, Florida, USA
17 June - 01 July, 2007

       Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Fort Pierce,Florida, USA
05 July - 17 July, 2007

Below is the itinerary from the 2006 session. Please note that some units and instructors may change. Many of our instructors return year after year to teach at Envirovet, so the 2006 sessions should largely reflect those of 2007.

Session One: Terrestrial Wildlife and Ecosystem Health

The Itinerary From 2006 Sunday, June 18 - Sunday, July 2, 2006

White Oak Conservation Center Yulee, Florida

Sunday, June 18, 2006: ARRIVAL DAY

Students arrive throughout day

Imagery Provided by NASA http://veimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/2430/land_ocean_ice_2048.jpg

6:30 PM: Introduction to Envirovet Summer Institute Session I

Presenter: Kirsten Gilardi, UC Davis Wildlife Health Center
Gilardi will walk students through the schedule for our two weeks at White Oak, what to expect and prepare for, and orient students to White Oak Conservation Center.

7:00 PM: Welcome Reception

7:45 PM: Dinner

Monday- June 19, 2006: CONNECTING DOTS: MEDICINE, CONSERVATION AND COMMUNITIES

8:30 - 10:30 AM: Biodiversity Conservation
Presenter: Tom Lovejoy, President, John C. Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment
Lovejoy will define biodiversity and present a compelling case for its preservation. He will also discuss his experiences as a scientist dedicated to achieving conservation of biodiversity globally.

10:45 AM - 12:15 PM:: "The Intersection of Wildlife Disease, Environmental Sustainability and Human Health"
Presenter: Kirsten Gilardi
Gilardi will present examples of how ecosystem degradation and a breakdown in our capacity to coexist with wildlife has lead disease outbreaks in animal and human populations.

12:30 PM: Lunch

1:30 - 3:00 PM: "Flagship Species Conservation"
Presenter: John Lukas, Director, White Oak Conservation Center and White Oak Plantation
Lukas will introduce flagship species conservation as a tool to protect remarkable sites of biodiversity as applied by Gilman International Conservation (GIC) and Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN)

3:15- 5:30 PM: "Getting Down to the Basics: Promoting Public Health as a Conservation Strategy"
Presenter: Patricia Erickson, University of Vermont.
Erickson will talk about the mission and activities of two community-based environmental programs she is involved in, Roots and Shoots (founded by Jane Goodall), and Grassroots Soccer. Both programs aim to foster growing awareness and appreciation for the role that health and education have in raising both community as well as environmental health.

6:00 PM: Dinner

Get outdoors, get to know one another.

Evening: Open

Tuesday - June 20, 2006: ECOSYSTEM HEALTH AND CONSERVATION PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE

6:45 AM: Breakfast

8:00 - 9:45 AM: Land Use Planning: How It Works, How It Should Work
Presenter: David Bunn, UC Davis Wildlife Health Center
Bunn will draw upon his experience as former Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs for the California Department of Fish and game, and as lead author on the California Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy Plan, to introduce students to the concepts, practice and goals of land use and habitat conservation planning in the US. He'll provide examples of how it currently works, and challenge students to think creatively about how land use and habitat protection planning could work better.

10:00 AM- 12:30 PM: The Economics of Ecosystem Health
Presenter: Jon Erickson, University of Vermont
How do we place economic value on healthy ecosystems? What does it cost society to implement ecosystem health programs, and what does it cost society if we don't? What are the trade-offs, and how do we work towards solutions that balance ecosystem health and conservation with the economic well-being of individuals, communities, and the business sector?

12:30 PM: Lunch

1:30 - 2:45 PM: Applying Business Strategies to Achieve Conservation Goals
Presenter: Peter English, Tropical Nature, Inc.
English will present his case for why ecotourism as an emerging industry can be an optimal strategy for conserving wildlife and protecting habitats. He will describe the development of Tropical Nature, which partners with native communities to ensure local human benefits have catalyzed expanding positive impacts for ecosystems over time.

3:00 - 4:30 PM: Implementing Community-Based Solutions for Conservation: CAVU's Flight and Film program
Presenter: David Smith, CAVU
Smith will talk about using flights and film to bring individuals, communities, organizations and governments a new perspective on the grandeur, fragility and scarcity of their land and its resources. His focus will be on CAVU's work in Central America.

4:45 - 6:00 PM: Communicating Conservation Messages to the Public Presenter: Ms. Joan Embery, Joan Embery Enterprises, Inc.
Having served as the San Diego Zoological Society's Goodwill Ambassador for 32 years, during which time she made hundreds of television appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Good Morning America, and Entertainment Tonight, Ms. Embery will share her personal experiences and insight into successfully communicating conservation messages to the public.

7:30 PM: Dinner

Wednesday - June 21, 2006: POLICYMAKING: PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES

6:30 AM: Breakfast

7:30 AM- 12:30 PM: Tour of White Oak Conservation Center
Guides: White Oak Conservation Center staff
Join White Oak Conservation Center staff for a guided open-bus tour of the White Oak Conservation Center's threatened and endangered species collection. Bring your cameras!

12:30 PM: Lunch

1:30 - 3:30 PM: Policymaking Locally and Nationally
Presenters: Dean Goeldner (US Department of Agriculture) and Gwen Griffith (Cumberland River Compact and Alliance of Veterinarians for the Environment)
Goeldner and Griffith will make the case for getting involved at the local and federal levels in effecting policies that advance ecosystem health practices and long-term sustainability of wildlife. They will provide students with a comprehensive overview of the various roles for veterinarians at local levels and on Capitol Hill. They will use examples from their careers as DVMs to elaborate.

3:45 - 5:15 PM: International Wildlife Conservation Policy
Presenter: James Gilardi (World Parrot Trust)
Gilardi will provide an overview of the treaties and laws that effect wildlife conservation globally, and will use a case study in parrot conservation to illustrate how policymaking works on an international scale.

6:30 PM: Dinner

Evening: Open

Thursday - June 22, 2006 : WILDLIFE HEALTH AS AN INDICATOR OF ECOSYSTEM HEALTH

7:30 AM: Breakfast

8:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Diseases of North American Wildlife
Presenter: John Fischer, Director, Southeast Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study
Fischer will present an overview of important diseases of North American terrestrial wildlife, with an emphasis on diseases that occur as a result of human perturbation of natural ecosystems. Also, an introduction to the purpose, principles and practice of wildlife disease surveillance.

12:00 - 12:30 PM: Wildlife Diagnostic Pathology
Presenter: Kevin Keel, Southeast Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study
Keel will introduce students to afternoon laboratory session.

12:30-1:30 PM: Lunch

2:00 - 5:00 PM: Laboratory - Wildlife Necropsy Techniques
Lead: Kevin Keel, Southeast Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study
As part of routine white-tailed deer herd health surveillance at White Oak Plantation, students will break into groups of 4-5 each and necropsy a white-tailed deer, collecting and recording extensive pertinent data.

6:00 PM: Dinner

7:00 - 8:00 PM: Wildlife Health Monitoring Case Study: St. Catherine's Island, Georgia
Presenter: Terry Norton (St. Catherine's Island)
Norton will describe several of the free-ranging wildlife health monitoring programs for which he provides veterinary input and guidance, and will also give an introduction to the St. Catherine's Island unit.

8:00 - 9:00 PM: Wildlife Disease Case Study: Sea Turtle Conservation, Health and Rehabilitation
Presenter: Al Segars (South Carolina Department of Natural Resources) and Norton.
Segars and Norton will provide an overview of conservation issues facing sea turtles globally, with an emphasis on sea turtles utilizing the southeastern United States Atlantic coast. They will summarize health issues and rehabilitation practices, and present a real-world, real-time case study of debilitated sea turtle syndrome, a disease affecting sea turtles along the Atlantic coast.

Friday - June 23, 2006 : MANAGING ENDANGERED POPULATIONS

7:00 AM: Breakfast

8:00 - 10:30 AM: "Endangered Species Reproduction"
Presenters: Linda Penfold (White Oak Conservation Center) and Bill Swanson (Cincinnati Zoo)
Penfold and Swanson will present principles, techniques and strategies used to enhance the reproductive health of threatened and endangered species in captivity, as well as ways in which this research assists conservation of these species in the wild.

10:45 -12:15 PM: "Conservation Genetics"
Presenter: Warren Johnson, National Institutes of Health
Johnson will introduce students to the principles of conservation genetics, and to the issues surrounding genetic management of small populations in a conservation setting. Students will be introduced to the research and investigative tools used to study the genetics of small populations.

12:30 PM: Lunch

1:30 - 5:30 PM: Laboratories
Leads: Linda Penfold, Bill Swanson, Cyd Teare (White Oak Conservation Center)

Students will divide into two groups and each group will rotate through concurrent laboratories on:
1. Assisted reproduction techniques
2. Biological sample-handling

6:30 PM: Dinner

Saturday- June 24, 2006 : ST. CATHERINE'S ISLAND

6:00 AM: Leave White Oak Plantation

7:30 AM: Arrive at dock: boat to St. Catherine's Island

8:30 AM: Marine Animal Disentanglement Exercise
Leads: Clay George (GA Dept. of Natural Resources), Al Segars, Terry Norton and Samantha Gibbs.

Students will learn about the problem of entanglement of marine wildlife in marine debris, and observe techniques for removing debris from turtles and other marine wildlife.

9:00 - 11:45 AM: Bird Capture Techniques
Leads: Clay George, Al Segars, Terry Norton and Jen Hillburn (St. Catherine's Island)
Students will gain hands-on experience with mist nets and cannon nets for capture of wild passerines and shorebirds and learn about the use of these techniques for conducting avian disease surveillance and shorebird conservation projects. (Clay George, Terry Norton)

12:00 PM: Lunch

12:30 PM: Introduction to map-reading and orienteering
Lead: Tim Keith Lucas (University of the South)

Students will learn about the principles of map-reading, compass-reading, and use of handheld Global Positioning Systems, using a map of St. Catherine's Island.

1:30 - 4:00: PM: Orienteering Exercise and Radio Tracking Exercise
Lead: Norton, Beasley, Gilardi
Students will form groups of 4-5 and practice their orienteering skills by using maps, compasses and GPS units to locate way points on the island and reach a "mystery" destination point.

4:00 - 5:00 PM: Introduction to Reptile and Amphibian Capture Techniques
Leads: John Jensen (A DNR), Dirk Stevenson (Ft. Stewart, GA), Matt O'Connor (UIUC), Norton and Segars.
Students will learn about different capture techniques for reptiles and amphibians, including drift fences, bucket traps, etc.

5:00 PM: Set Up Camp

6:00 AM: Dinner

7:30 PM: Cultural History of St. Catherine's Island
Lead: Royce Hayes
An in-field presentation on the cultural history and archaeology of St. Catherine's Island.

9:00 - 11:00 PM: Nightlife on the St. Catherine's Island
Leads: Norton, Stevenson, Jensen, Segars, O'Connor
Amphibian calling, alligator spotlighting, nighttime on the beach.

Sunday - June 25, 2006 : DAY 2 ON ST. CATHERINE'S ISLAND

7:00 AM: Check traps for reptile and amphibian captures

8:00 AM: Sea Turtle Conservation on St. Catherine's Island
Leads: Norton, Jensen, Stevenson, O'Connor and SCI animal care staff
Students will conduct health assessments on free-ranging gopher tortoises captured overnight: physical examinations, individual identification, restraint and blood collection.

Monday - June 26, 2006 : REST DAY

12:30 PM: Lunch

6:30 PM: Dinner

Tuesday - June 27, 2006 : WILDLIFE EPIDEMIOLOGY AND RISK MANAGEMENT

8:00 AM: Breakfast

9:00 - 10:30 AM: Wildlife Epidemiology and Risk Assessment
Presenter: Jonna Mazet will introduce principles of wildlife epidemiology and risk assessment as they pertain to real-world problems and projects in wildlife conservation and ecosystem health.

10:45 - 12:30 PM: Population and Disease Modeling
Presenter: Phil Miller, Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG).
Miller will describe how his organization develops, tests and applies computer based models for risk assessment and decision making for wildlife conservation. These models, which focus on small population biology, conservation biology, human demography and social learning, have been developed through CBSG's workshops to produce realistic management recommendations to prevent extinction of endangered species.

12:30PM: Lunch

1:30 - 2:45 PM: Wildlife Translocation
Presenter: Scott Citino: White Oak Conservation Center
Citino will discuss the implications of wildlife translocation programs for the health and sustainability of free-ranging populations and stress the importance of considering these potential impacts when planning and implementing a translocation program.

3:00 -5:30 PM: Epidemiology / Risk Assessment and Management Exercise
Leads: Mazet and Miller
Students will engage in a hands-on exercise that serves to illustrate outbreak investigations, epidemiology, risk assessment and modeling.

6:30 PM: Dinner

7:30 - 9:00 PM: Case Studies: Bongo Translocation Into Kenya; Gerenuk Semen Importation Out of Kenya
Presenter: Linda Penfold and Fran Lyon (White Oak Conservation Center)
Penfold and Lyon will illustrate real-life problems solving in the areas of assisted reproduction, animal translocation and biological sample handling.

&

Wednesday - June 28, 2006 : WILDLIFE IMMOBILIZATION

8:00 AM- 12:00 PM: Immobilization of Wildlife - Lecture
Presenters: Scott Citino, Darryl Heard (U. Florida) and Jeff Zuba (San Diego Zoological Society)
Citino, Heard and Zuba will give a comprehensive presentation and comparative anesthesiology, immobilization methods and equipment, physical vs. chemical restraint and safety practices for use with captive and free-ranging wildlife.

12:30 PM Lunch

1:30 - 6:00 PM: Immobilization of Wildlife - Lab
Leads: Citino, Klein, Zuba and Greg Fleming (Disney Animal Kingdom)
A hands on laboratory introducing students to anesthetic monitoring equipment for the field, dart projectors and darting. Video examples of physical and chemical immobilization will be presented.

7:00 PM: Dinner

Thursday - June 29, 2006 : WILDLIFE IMMOBILIZATION (CONT): NON-CLINICAL COMPETENCIES

12:30 PM: Lunch

2:00 PM - 3:45 PM : Developing Non-Clinical Competencies for Non-Traditional Careers
Presenter: Dr. Ted Mashima, U. Virginia-Maryland Center for Corporate and Government Veterinary Medicine. Successful interdisciplinary careers for scientists and health professionals require well developed non-technical competencies in communication (interpersonal, oral, written), networking, management, leadership, adaptability, negotiation and facilitating mentor relationships. Mashima will offer insight and guidance on how to gain these skills throughout your career.

4:00 - 5:30 PM: "Career Options in Wildlife Health and Conservation"
Presenter: Kirsten Gilardi
Gilardi will give an overview of the field of wildlife veterinary medicine and ecosystem health practice, and will share tips and stories on preparing for a career in this area.

7:00 PM: Dinner

Friday - June 30, 2006 : STUDENT PRESENTATIONS(FULL DAY)

8:00 AM: Breakfast

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM : Student presentations

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: Lunch

1:30 PM - 5:00 PM: Student presentations

Saturday - July 1, 2006 : CONNECTING THE DOTS: WILDLIFE AND ECOSYSTEM HEALTH

7:00 AM: Breakfast

8:00 - 10:00 AM: "Florida and Panthers"

10:15 - 12:15 PM: "Issues in Cheetah Conservation and Medicine"
Presenter: Linda Munson, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

Munson will discuss her research on the health of both captive and wild cheetah populations, as well as her collaborations with the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia, which strives to reduce conflict between wild cheetahs and local communities.

12:30: Lunch

2:00 - 3:15 PM: "What is a Wildlife Veterinarian?"
Presenter: Dave Hunter, Turner Enterprises, Inc. and Turner Endangered Species Fund

Hunter will talk about his role as head veterinarian for the domestic and wild animal populations on the Turner Ranches in North and South America, as well as his role with the Turner Endangered Species Fund species recovery efforts.

3:30 - 5:15 PM: "The Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project"
Presenter: Mike Cranfield, Maryland Zoo

Cranfield will discuss the complex human health and welfare issues surrounding the conservation of mountain gorillas, including the vital role that ecotourism plays in the protection of the species, as well as the critical role that veterinarians have in ensuring the sustainability of the species.

6:30 PM: Party at the Pavilion

Sunday - July 2, 2006 : DEPART WHITE OAK IN A.M. FOR HOLIDAY BREAK

Wednesday, July 5, 2006

Arrival at lodging and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution (HBOI)

Up to 4:00 PM: Students and faculty arrive at Dockside Inn on the Fort Pierce Inlet of South Hutchinson Island, Florida and check into rooms.
Faculty will have lodging at HBOI. Check in at the Security Guard Post at the front gate, get security badges and move into housing.

5:00 PM : Students depart in vans from the hotel lobby for HBOI. Check in at the Security Guard Post at the front gate, get security badges and go to the Education Center.

5:30 PM: Meet in the Education Center (near the bronze walking woman), in the lobby where you see all the glass.

5:40 - 6:00 PM: Welcome to HBOI, History of the Institution, Key Personnel, Some of What to Expect.
Dr. Dennis Hanisak, Director and Ms. Brandy Ninesling, Research Assistant and Laboratory Leader of the HBOI Marine Education Unit, and Dr. Val Beasley, Envirovet Program in Wildlife and Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL.

6:00 - 6:20 PM: Bottlenose Dolphin Health Assessment Project. Dr. Gregory Bossart, Division of Marine Mammal Research and Conservation, HBOI.

6:20 - 7:30 PM: Tour of the HBOI Campus and Submarine Facility. Mr. James Nelson, HBOI Marine Operations and Brandy Ninesling and HBOI Marine Education Staff.

7:30 - 8:30 PM: Dinner

Evening: Free

Thursday - July 6, 2006

Assessing and Restoring Freshwater, Estuarine and Marine Ecosystem Health

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Principles of Ecosystem Management and Everglades Ecological Restoration as a Case Study. Dr. Lorraine Heisler, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Vero Beach, Florida.

10:00 AM - Noon: Assessing Marine and Estuarine Ecosystem Health. What is aquatic ecosystem health? Estuarine and marine ecosystem health monitoring. Setting goals and objective assessment in monitoring marine ecosystem health. Systems concept: Hierarchy of scale. Keystones, redundancy, phase shifts, stressors, pattern and connectivity of habitat patches and cascading effects. Societal marine valuation and management: toward sustainability. The role of culture and tradition in ecosystem health management. The role of water education in ecosystem health. The concept of adaptive restoration. Flawed federal international policies in terrestrial and aquatic management. Threats from marine-based activities: aquaculture, fishing, ecotourism, ocean disposal and offshore drilling. Dr. Scott Haskell, Maine Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory, Orono, Maine.

Noon - 1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00 - 4:00 PM: Aquatic Animal Welfare: IACUC and Beyond. Indicators of Ecological Integrity in the Management of Aquatic Ecosystems. Stressors indicators, response indicators, exposure indicators, and ranking indicators in the management significance of the stressors, the urgency/vulnerability to irreversible change, the ecological significance of ecosystem change, and criteria reflecting the quality of the indicator. Dr. Haskell.

4:00 - 5:00 PM: Mangrove Biology and Ecology. Red mangrove as a bioassay for mutagens. Mangrove distributions, rates of growth and recovery. Hurricane impacts. Species interactions. Mangrove restorations. Oil spills and mangrove. Dr. Ed Proffitt, Florida Atlantic University, at HBOI.

6:00 - 7:00 PM: Dinner

7:00 - 9:00 PM: Ecological Footprints as Indicators of Ecosystem Health. markers for ecological processes, ecosystem functioning. Relationships among environmental stressors. Assessing Biodiversity. Is this a useful tool? Exotic/Introduced Species: Management and Control. Is eradication possible? Dr. Haskell.

Friday - July 7, 2006

8:00 - noon: Pontoon Boats B Lagoon Sampling and Ecological Assessments. Comparisons of water quality parameters, plankton, nekton, macrophytes and macroinvertebrates in the water column and benthic zones of clean and contaminated areas. Students will be split into groups and will rotate through each area. Environmental sampling for toxicology and water quality. Students participate in all phases of environmental sampling. Ms. Ninesling, Drs. Haskell and Proffitt.

Noon - 12:30 PM: Lunch in the field.

12:30 - 2:00 PM: Continue field assessments.

2:00 - 3:00 PM: Travel back to HBOI.

3:00 - 5:00 PM: Echelon Screening as an Alternative to Threshold Monitoring. Environmental Metabonomics: Applying Aquatic Invertebrate Biomarker Analysis in Anthropologenically-contaminated Sites. The Use of Keystone Aquatic Invertebrate Populations as Indicators of Ecosystem Health.
Dr. Haskell.

6:00 - 7:00 PM: Dinner

7:00 - 9:00 PM: The Dynamics of Nutrient Enrichment and Primary Production. Physical variables, carbon cycling and primary producer couplings. Marine Microbial Ecology. Is this a useful diagnostic tool? Emerging Microbial Pathogens: Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Hasekll.

Saturday - July 8, 2006

10:00 AM - Noon: Snorkel Worm Reef. Field discussions and collect specimens
Dr. Fouke and Haskell, and Ms. Ninesling.

Noon - 1:00 PM: Lunch in the field.

1:00 - 3:00 PM: Continue Examining Worm Reef, Urchins, Corals and Fish. Field discussions and sample collections.
Drs. Fouke and Haskell and Ms. Ninesling.

3:00 - 4:00 PM: HBOI Coral Culture Facility and Discussions on Reef Restoration.
Dr. Fouke and Haskell and Mr. Ken Riley, Aquaculture Facility, HBOI.

4:00 - 5:30 PM: Wet Lab. Examine anemones and other organisms collected in the field.
Drs. Fouke and Haskell, and Ms. Ninesling.

6:00 - 7:00 PM: Dinner

7:00 - 8:30 PM: Summary Lecture: Dr. Fouke.

Sunday - July 9, 2006

8:00 - 10:30 AM: Aquatic Ecosystem Health. The diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates as an indicator of water quality and ecosystem health. Marine ecosystem health: implications for public health. Marine epidemiology: a tool for health management and disease evaluation in marine ecosystems. Impact/risk assessment of environmental stressors to community health. Sediment quality assessment: tools, criteria and work strategies. Assessing risk and impacts of contaminants in sediments. Marine community types: rocky intertidal, soft sediment communities, salt marsh, seagrass, rocky subtidal, deep-sea, mangrove, coral reef. Dynamics of disturbance in marine benthic communities. Ecology of marine consumer-prey interactions. Consequences of recruitment of intertidal organisms: supply ecology. Ecosystem-based fishery management. Water quality monitoring: inclusion into invertebrate community health profiles. Marine detritus/fomites as a carrier of disease agents. Aquatic ecosystem rehabilitation: targets, actions, responses. Characterization and classification of benthic invertebrate species: the basics. Marine invertebrate field sampling techniques. Plankton assessments, invertebrate health issues, and use of invertebrate health as an indicator of ecological stress and contamination.
Dr. Haskell.

10:30 - noon: Form and Function of Bivalves. Dr. Jeffrey Davidson, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Noon - 1:00 PM: Lunch.

1:00 - 2:30 PM: Form and Function Crustaceans. Dr. Davidson.

2:30 - 3:00 PM: Sea Urchins as an Ecosystem Indicator Species. Dr. Haskell.

3:00 - 5:00 PM: Open and Semi-Open Aquaculture Systems Used to Produce Invertebrates for Food and Profit. Infectious and toxicologic diseases in Canada. Differences among species. Invasive species.
Dr. Davidson.

6:00 - 7:00 PM: Dinner

7:00 - 9:00 PM: Bleeding of Aquatic Invertebrates, Hematology, Euthanasia, Necropsy Methods, Morphology and Health Assessments.
Drs. Davidson and Haskell.

Monday - July 10, 2006

Comparative Morphology of Aquatic Invertebrates.

8:00 - noon: Comparative Morphology of Aquatic Vertebrates: Fishes, Amphibians, Reptiles and Birds (waterfowl, aquatic-feeding raptors, penguins and other sea birds.) Reproduction and development in the water. Integumentary, digestive, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, urinary and reproductive adaptations and how these set the state for infectious and toxicologic diseases.
Dr. Mark Mitchell, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.

Noon - 1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Diseases of Aquatic Reptiles - Sea Turtles, Sea Snakes, Crocodilians.
Dr. Mitchell.

3:00 - 5:00 PM: Dissection labs. Frogs, Salamanders and Caecilians.
Dr. Mitchell.

6:00 - 7:00 PM: Dinner

7:00 - 9:00 PM: Dissection Lab: Alligators, Aquatic Chelonians and Aquatic Snakes.
Dr. Mitchell

Tuesday - July 11, 2006

Physiology and Management of Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles in Enclosed Aquatic Systems and the Wild. Microbial, Parasitic and Toxic Stressors. The Aquaculture Program of HBOI. Island -Based Fish Health Monitoring: Anesthesia and Diagnostic Sampling.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Comparative Physiology, Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics/Toxicokinetics in Fishes. Cardiorespiratory physiology and renal physiology. The gill as a respiratory, metabolic and excretory organ. Phase I and Phase II metabolism by fishes. Kinetics of xenobiotics in fishes. Influence of body size, temperature and other environmental variable on xenobiotic kinetics in fishes.
Dr. Kleinow.

10:00 AM - Noon: Generalized Stress Responses and Infectious Diseases in Fishes. Noninfectious and microbial stressors in aquatic systems: temperature, overcrowding, biological oxygen demand, ammonia cycle, diagnostic bacteriology and virology in fishes. Case histories.
Dr. Kat Hadfield, National Aquarium, Baltimore, Maryland.

Noon - 1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00 - 2:00 PM: Fish Parasitology - Major parasite groups of fishes, focusing on metazoan parasites. Impact of environmental changes.
Dr . Hadfield.

2:00 - 3:00 PM: Fish Parasitology, Continued - Protozoans in Fish. Microsporidia and Myxosporea. Major diseases caused by these organisms, pathogenesis and their grouping within the protozoans.
Dr. Jan Lovy, Atlantic Veterinary College, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

3:00 - 4:00 PM : Physical Examination Methods for Fishes. Drs. Hadfield and
Mitchell and Mr. Lovy.

4:00 - 6:00 PM: Aquaculture and Fish Health. Part 1. Pathobiological pathways leading to non-infectious and infectious diseases implications for productivity. Part 2. Diverging viewpoints on impacts of intensive aquaculture on the environment.
Mr. Lovy.

6:00 - 7:00 PM: Dinner

7:00 - 9:00 PM: Fish Anesthesiology, Hematology, Parasitology and Diagnostic Pathology Lab.
Dr. Kevin Kleinow, College of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA (Lead on anesthesiology component), Dr. Hadfield (Lead on hematology), Mr. Lovy (Lead on Diagnostic pathology) and Dr. Mitchell (Lead on parasitology).

Wednesday - July 12, 2006

8:00 - noon: Seining, Fish Blood Collection, Toxicology, Parasitology, and Field Necropsy. Fish collection using bag seines and boats off the spoil islands in the Indian River Lagoon. Field & laboratory examinations.
Dr. Hadfield, Mr. Lovy, Ms. Ninesling, and Mr. Jerry Corsaut of the HBOI Aquatic Field Research Group.

Noon - 1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Tour of HBOI Aquaculture Facility. Introduction to organisms and culture systems (for organisms other than coral) by facility personnel.
Mr. Ken Riley, HBOI Staff, Dr. Hadfield and Mr. Lovy.

3:00 - 4:00 PM: Amphibian Infectious Diseases and Anesthesia for Amphibians.
Dr. Hadfield.

4:00 - 5:30 PM: Amphibians, Amphibian Declines and Amphibian Eco-toxicology. Endocrine disruption and the likely direct and indirect impacts of toxic agents.
Dr. Beasley.

6:00 PM: Dinner

7:00 - 8:30 PM: Background Introduction to Ecotoxicology. Dr. Beasley.

Thursday - July 13, 2006

Depart for the USDA Horticultural Laboratory, in Fort Pierce

8:00 - 10:00 AM: Introduction to the Isolation, Identification, and Quantification of Elemental, Inorganic and Organic Toxicants to Support Toxicological Investigations. Methods for preparing and analyzing various matrices for environmental contaminants and other chemicals with a focus on gas chromatography including mass spectrometry, high performance liquid chromatography, atomic absorption and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Aspects of quality assurance, and the strengths, limitations, costs and reliability of methods will be presented.
Dr. Marvin Piwoni, Illinois Waste Management Research Center, Urbana, Illinois

10:00 AM - Noon: Tour Toxicology Laboratories. Examinations of analytical instrumentation. Explanations of how the instruments isolate and identify both elements and organic compounds by scientists who operate them daily. Data sets that illustrate strengths and limitations. Research that reduces adverse impacts of pesticides on wildlife and ecosystems.
Drs. Rocco Alessandro and Joseph Albano, USDA Horticultural Laboratory, Fort Pierce, FL; and Dr. Chris Wilson, University of Florida, Indian River Research and Education Center, Fort Pierce, FL.

Noon - 1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00 - 5:00 PM: Field Study: Urban and agricultural water supply and effluent issues. Ecological rehabilitation of the upper St. John's River watershed, sewage treatment plants and polishing marsh. Water and sediment sampling for ecotoxicologic assessments.
Dr. David Cox, David Cox Consulting, Vero Beach, FL. and Dr. Piwoni.

6:30 - 7:30 PM: Dinner

Evening: Free

Friday - July 14, 2006

8:00 - 10:00 AM: Diagnostic Toxicology and Toxicologic Pathology: Sampling and prioritizing assays based on histories, clinical findings, lesions, numbers of specimens, probability of positive results, turn around times, urgency and costs. Maximizing information in interpretations. Example cases.
Dr. Robert Poppenga, Diagnostic Veterinary Toxicology Laboratory, University of California-Davis

10:00 AM - Noon: Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment from the Industry, Consultant and the Federal Government Points of View. Relevant laws, policies and practices. The job market and making a difference for animal human health.
Dr. Anne Fairbrother, US EPA Corvallis, OR.

Noon - 1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00 - 3:00 PM: Endocrine Disruptors and Endocrine Disruption in Fishes. Background on the endocrine system and endocrine disruptors. Case studies of endocrine disruption in fishes. A systems biology approach to endocrine disruption research.
Dr. Edward Orlando, Florida Atlantic University at HBOI, Fort Pierce, FL.

3:00 - 5:00 PM: Endocrine Disruption in Alligators and other Vertebrates.
Dr. Louis Guillette, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

5:00 - 6:00 PM: Dinner

Evening: Free. Check the inlets for manatees?

Saturday - July 15, 2006

8:00 - 10:00 AM: Adaptive Anatomy and Physiology of Marine Mammals.
Dr. Graham Worthy, Physiological Ecology and Bioenergetics Laboratory, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.

10:00 - 11:30 AM: Emerging Diseases of Marine Mammals.
Dr. Bossart.

11:30 AM - Noon: A Veterinary Perspective on Florida manatee habitat. Hundreds of people move into Florida everyday. Does this tremendous human population growth threaten survival of the Florida manatee? Or can manatees and Floridians coexist? Artificial warm-water refuges, reductions in natural springs, and human related deaths.
Dr. Martine de Wit, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Marine mammal Pathobiology Laboratory, St. Petersburg, Florida.

1:00 - 3:00 PM: Toxicology and pathology of Beluga Whales in the St. Lawrence River.
Dr. Daniel Martineau, Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Center (Quebec Region) , Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie Vétérinaire, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St. Hyacinth, Quebec, Canada.

3:00 - 5:00 PM: Manatees and Marine Mammals Conservation Medicine. Toxicology and Pathology of Beluga Whales in the St. Lawrence River.
Dr. Bossart

5:00 - 6:00 PM: Dinner

Evening: Free

Sunday -July 16, 2006

8:00 -11:00 AM: Necropsy Laboratory documenting findings in free-ranging marine mammals collected after spontaneous death losses in the wild. (Marine Mammal Necropsy Facility).
Dr. Bossart, Martineau de Wit and HBOI Staff

11:00 AM: Shower

1:00 - 3:00 PM: Monitoring Arctic Marine Mammal Health. Working with Subsistence Cultures and Federal Agencies. Heavy metals and organohalogen contaminants in marine mammals.
Dr. Todd O'Hara, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK.

3:00 - 5:00 PM: Virology Update. Dr. Martineau.

5:00 - 6:00 PM: Dinner

Evening: Free

Monday - July 17, 2006

Major Infectious, Parasitic, and Toxic Diseases of Waterfowl and Raptors. Balancing Human Demands with Aquatic Ecosystem Rehabilitation

8:00 - 10:00 AM: Avian Pathology and Toxicology: major Microbial, Parasitic and Toxicologic Diseases of Waterfowl and Raptors.
Dr. Kevin Keel, Southwest Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA.

10: 00 AM - noon: Impacts of Disease on Endangered Species Programs. Contaminants and Waterbirds: Research in Florida.
Dr. Marilyn Spalding, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.

Noon - 1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00 - 3:00 PM: Avian Necropsy Laboratory.
Drs. Keel, Spalding and Beasley.

3:00 - 4:30 PM: Freshwater Blue Green Toxicoses and Marine Toxin Poisoning in Homoethermic Vertebrates. Lethal mechanisms and diagnostic criteria for poisoning of mammals and birds by freshwater brackish water cyanotoxins: cyclic peptide hepatoxins (microcystins and nodularin) and the neurotoxins, anatoxin-a, anatoxin-s(s) and saxitoxins. Sources and principal effects in marine mammals and birds of saxitoxin, domoic acid, and brevetoxins.
Dr. Beasley

4:30 - 5:00 PM: Flamingo Die-offs in East Africa.
Dr. Beasley

6:00 - 7:00 PM: Dinner

Evening: Free

Tuesday- July 18, 2006

Rest Day and Depart for South Africa

Noon: Depart for Airport.

5:00 PM: Arrive Miami International Airport

7:25 PM: Depart Miami for London.

Wednesday - July 19, 2006

8:50 AM: Arrive London Heathrow Airport.

6:50 PM: Leave London Heathrow Airport

Thursday - July 20, 2006

6:55 AM: Arrive Johannesburg International Airport.