Research

Funding: Niedersächsischer Landesbetrieb für Wasserwirtschaft, Küsten- und Naturschutz, 10.000 EUR

Project Details:
Many of the pollutants present in water have the potential to accumulate in aquatic organisms (bioaccumulation). So-called biota investigations have therefore become an integral part of the European Water Framework Directive (EC-WFD) and have established themselves as an important instrument in water monitoring. Against this background, the NLWKN has been carrying out extensive investigations in biota for more than 10 years, among other things within the framework of a special measuring program unique in Germany, in order to detect potential water pollution by bioaccumulating substances at an early stage. Currently, more than 1000 individual substances, including, among others, pesticides, PFAS, plasticizers, flame retardants, PAHs, organotins, dioxins and elements.
It is also known that many pollutants (e.g. PFAS) accumulate in organisms primarily through the ingestion of contaminated food (biomagnification) and that the highest measured values can accordingly be expected at the end of the food chain or at the top of the food pyramid. This is also reflected, for example, by the existing biota environmental quality standards for mercury, dicofol, hexachlorobutadiene and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), as these were derived for the protected good "secondary poisoning of top predators (wildlife)".
The aim of the project applied for here is the one-time extension of the biota monitoring to organisms with an aquatic connection and as high a trophic level as possible (ideally piscivores, such as otter, comoran, osprey, pike/pike-perch, seal, harbor porpoise).
Due to the migration behavior of some of the mentioned species, it will be possible to obtain an overview of the general pressure situation across all water bodies.
situation. For comparison, a herbivore species (probably nutria) will be investigated. The previous or identical, far beyond the legal requirements of the WFD, data will be used.
The analysis methods for fish, which go far beyond the legal requirements of the WFD, will be used in order to enable a direct comparison of the load levels. The selection of target organisms and tissue types (e.g. muscle, liver or blood) will depend on sample availability.

Cooperation Partners:

GALAB Laboratories GmbH

Otter-Zentrum Hankensbüttel

Funding: Universität Aarhus, 6.119 EUR

Project Details:
On behalf of the University of Aarhus (Denmark), data from observer-based aerial survey flights to determine the abundance and distribution of small cetaceans in the southern Danish North Sea will be analyzed. The main target species is the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). The aerial surveys are conducted following line-transect survey methodology and data will be collected according to the so-called SCANS protocol. The data are expected to come from at least three surveys in May, June and October 2023. ITAW has been commissioned to perform quality assurance and analysis of the collected data. Densities and abundances of harbour porpoises will be estimated for each survey and the inaccuracies (95% confidence intervals and coefficient of variation (CV)) associated with the estimation will be determined. The processed data and results will be submitted to the client.

Results:

engl.: For the surveys of the study area in the southern North Sea, densities and abundances of harbour porpoises were estimated and the inaccuracies (95% confidence intervals and coefficient of variation (CV)) associated with the estimation were determined. The processed data and results were submitted to the client.

Funding: Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde, 69.271 EUR

Project Details:
In this project, the population of harbor seals and grey seals will be surveyed over a period of 12 months (2023-2024) to assess their abundance and distribution in the Tidal Elbe area. The aerial surveys of the seal population in the Elbe estuary will take place from August 2023 to July 2024. During the flight along all known and potential haul-out sites, images will be taken with a high-resolution digital SLR camera and subsequently analysed. This conversion to the photo-based method was successfully carried out in previous projects and innovatively further developed in order to be able to provide the client with reliable figures and the highest possible transparency as well as reproducibility of the results.

Funding: Nationalparkverwaltung "Nieders. Wattenmeer", 19.182 EUR

Project Details:
The Institute of Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation has been conducting research in the field of marine mammals for various federal and state authorities for many years. In addition to basic and applied research, a core focus of our work is the assessment of marine mammal populations in German waters and beyond. This includes, for instance, the visual monitoring of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) since 2002 as well as image-based counts of grey seals in the Wadden Sea of Lower Saxony since 2012.Furthermore, ITAW regularly conducts model-based analyses of temporal-spatial habitat selection and habitat use of marine mammals.
In this project, the Wadden Sea National Park Authority of Lower Saxony provides data and ITAW conducts a temporal-spatial analysis of the population development and habitat use of grey and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in the Wadden Sea of Lower Saxony, with a special focus on the following research questions:
o What factors influence the habitat selection (i.e. choice of resting places) of harbour and grey seals in the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park during the pupping season and during the moulting season?
o Has the fine-scale, spatial distribution of seal haul-out sites in general and pupping areas in particular in the Wadden Sea of Lower Saxony changed over time, e.g. over the last 10 years and in comparison to the greater Wadden Sea area? What role does the management zonation into resting, intermediate and recovery zones play and can possible changes in the distribution pattern be attributed to anthropogenic disturbances?
o What is the demography and population structure, in particular the temporal development of the proportion of pups over the last 10 years?
The results from this projects will directly be transferred to the management authority and may lead to proposals for improved species protection for harbour and grey seals in the Wadden Sea National Park.

Funding: HZI, 40.035 EUR

Project Details:
SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice part 3

Funding: HZI, 26.642 EUR

Project Details:
SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice-Part 2

Funding: HZI, 36.669 EUR

Project Details:
Co-infection of viral or bacterial pathogens with SARS-CoV-2 infection in a mouse model Part 2

Project Details:
As part of the SeroFaSt - Mhyo project, a serological on-farm rapid test for the detection of
Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infections in pigs. This test is intended to
differentiate between vaccinated and infected animals directly on the farm,
without the need for time-consuming and cost-intensive laboratory tests. The rapid identification of
infected animals should enable immediate, targeted treatment and thus lead to greater animal welfare and
and better consumer protection.

Project Details:
Introduction: Taking full thickness small intestinal biopsies may be indicated during colic surgery. However, descriptions of the available techniques are minimal. Therefore, the objective of the study was to compare different biopsy techniques in the equine small intestine. Methods: In this randomized ex vivo study, four different biopsy techniques were evaluated in the aboral jejunum and the ileum of nine horses within one hour after euthanasia. One segment was used as control segment (A), and the applied techniques included an 8 mm biopsy-punch (B), a transverse wedge resection (C), a longitudinal wedge resection with transverse closure (D) and a longitudinal sample using a uterus biopsy forceps (E). All defects were closed using a single-layer continuous Lembert pattern. Duration of the procedure, outer intestinal diameter, degree of contamination and bursting pressure were determined. A semiquantitative score was used to evaluate the quality of the obtained sample for histopathological assessment.

Results:

Verhaar, N., Hammer, E., Hewicker-Trautwein, M., Geburek, F. Ex vivo comparison of full-thickness biopsy techniques in the equine small intestine. Vet Surg. Erstmals online publiziert am 15. Okt. 2024. DOI: 10.1111/vsu.14178

 

Hammer, E., Geburek, F., Reineking, W., Hewicker-Trautwein, M., Verhaar, N. Ex vivo comparison of four different full thickness biopsy techniques in the equine small intestine. In: Proceedings of the 14th International Equine Colic Research Symposium, 10-12 July 2024, Surgeons Quarter, Edinburgh, UK, Equine. Vet. Educ., Supplement 13, July 2024, p. 75

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/vsu.14178

Project Details:
The pathogenesis of osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) is considered to be multifactorial in horses. A primary traumatic and ischemic-necrotic etiology have been discussed until now. The aim of the current study is to describe the nature of pathological bone structures in comparison to normal control tissue by a multiscale examination of osteochondral fragments. With the help of a hierarchical examination, further pathomechanisms are to be identified and potential etiologic factors further decribed.

Results:

Leuffert, S., Cardinaux, E., von Brackel, F., Amling, M., Geburek, F. Osteochondrale Fragmente in der Fesselgelenksregion - eine kontrollierte histomorphologische Studie. In: Tagungsband des DVG-Vet-Congress 2024 - 7. Internationaler Kongress zur Pferdemedizin / Tagung der DVG-Fachgruppe Pferdekrankheiten, 1.- 2. November 2024, Berlin, Verlag der DVG Service GmbH, Gießen, ISBN 978-3-86345-736-5, S. 49-52

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Dr. M. Amling, Dr. F. von Brackel, Universitätsklinik Hamburg - Eppendorf, Institut für Osteologie und Biomechanik (IOBM)