Research

Funding: Nieders. Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur aus Mitteln des Niedersächsischen Vorab der Volkswagenstiftung, 12.900 EUR

Project Details:
The funding was used for the EU project application to prepare a pre-proposal for a joint transnational project which we were able to submit on time on May 18, 2020. Our project, with the acronym ASSESSOR, addresses Theme 1 - Measuring Environmental Behavior (Workpackages 2-4) and Theme 2 - Evaluation and Risk Assessment (Workpackages 5-6) of CECs, pathogens, and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria from aquatic ecosystems, including population-level modeling of impacts on aquatic top predators and humans. To achieve this goal, we propose a work plan consisting of seven work packages, each addressing coordination (work package 1), corresponding analyses (work packages 2-5), risk assessment (work package 6), and communication (work package 7).

Results:

A corresponding project application was submitted on time, but unfortunately could not be funded.

Funding: Bundesamt für Naturschutz, 46.404 EUR

Project Details:
The aim of the project was to check whether there are indications that harbor porpoises were harmed and affected by the blasting of ground mines from the 2nd World War, which took place in the area of the nature reserve "Fehmarnbelt". For this purpose, harbor porpoises and their body parts, which were collected in Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Denmark and were still available, were examined for health damage in relation to effects of blasting. The aim was to check not only for immediate lethal damage, but also for sublethal changes. These can result in porpoises being less able to find food and orient themselves. This in turn increases the risk of becoming ill, as well as being exposed to collision trauma or bycatch. Here, the exclusion procedure was used to evaluate whether the findings that were collected were caused by other causes. With the agreement of MELUND, data collected during the annual harbor porpoise mortality monitoring were included in an assessment of this particular issue.

Results:

Siebert, U., Stürznickel, J., Schaffeld., T., Oheim, R., Rolvien, T., Prenger-Berninghoff, E., Wohlsein, P., Lakemeyer, J., Rohner, S., Schick, L.A., Gross, S., Nachtsheim, D., Ewers, C., Becher, P., Amling, M., Morell, M. 2022. Blast injury on harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from the Baltic Sea after explosions of deposits of World War II ammunition. Environment International 159, 107014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.107014

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.107014

Funding: Ministerium für Energiewende, Landwirtschaft, Umwelt, Natur und Digitalisierung, 45.525 EUR

Project Details:
For several years, hunters in Schleswig-Holstein have observed an increase in diseased and deceased hares, depending on the region, as well as a decrease in hunting distances. The results of the spotlight taxations also show that despite relatively constant spring populations, the hares counted during the autumn taxations have been decreasing for several years. For this reason, 190 hunting hares from selected hunting grounds, as well as 79 fall hares from all over Schleswig-Holstein, have already been examined in detail for infectious diseases as a potential cause for the decline in the hare population in 2016 - 2019. Histological, virological, parasitological and microbiological samples were taken from each animal in addition to collecting physiological data. The occurrence of tularemia (Francisella tularensis), as well as Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus Type 2 (RHDV-2) and European Brown Hare Syndrome Virus (EBHSV) was checked in cooperation with specialized institutes. In this way, we have already been able to gain an impression of the incidence of infection over a number of years and have identified territory-specific differences, which we are now attempting to clarify further.
The results of the investigations so far show above all changes in the digestive organs, an increased exposure to parasites and indicate a high infestation with EBHSV. In the past year of investigation, RHDV2 was detected for the first time in rabbits from Schleswig-Holstein. Although high mortality rates after infection with this virus have been shown in rabbits in other countries, RHDV2 has not been detected in any rabbits in this study. Whether rabbits play a role as a source of infection for hares in Schleswig-Holstein will also be investigated in more detail.
As in previous years, the results will be evaluated together with the Landesjagdverband S.-H. and the Wildtierkataster S.-H., whereby further investigation strategies or precautionary measures will be developed. This project supports the further development of preventive health protection and food safety measures for wild animals in Schleswig-Holstein.

Results:

For several years the hunters of Schleswig- Holstein observed an increase of sick an dead european brown hares (Lepus europaeus). Therefore the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover in cooperation with the Wildtierkataster Schleswig- Holstein (WTK) of the University of Kiel, as well as the Landesjagdverband Schleswig- Holstein (LJV- SH) started in 2016 to examine european brown hares for infectious diseases. The study was funded for four years by the Ministerium für Energiewende, Landwirtschaft, Umwelt, Natur und Digitalisierung des Landes Schleswig- Holstein (MELUND).

With the support of the hunters of Schleswig- Holstein it was possible to examine in total 356 european brown hares during the study in the years 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020. We dissected the hares and histological, virological, parasitological and microbiological samples were taken from each animal. The occurrence of tularemia (Francisella tularensis), as well as Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus Type 2 (RHDV-2) and European Brown Hare Syndrome Virus (EBHSV) was examined in cooperation with specialized institutes.

In comparison, in the year 2020 less pathological findings were diagnosed than in 2016 and 2017, but more than in 2019. The gastrointestinal tract of the hares was affected the most and and an increased exposure with parasites was confirmed. We also found a lot of hares with subclinical hepatitis and follicular hyperplasia of the spleen, which could be due to an infection with the european brown hare virus (EBHSV), as antibody titers confirmed that almost all hares that we examined were in contact with the virus. EBHSV is highly contagious and causes a high mortality which could lead to a massive decline of the population.

Like in the former years we diagnosed steatitis and nephritis in multiple hares, the origin of these pathological findings is not confirmed yet.

In 2020 stomach content and livers of 10 hares were examined at the Institute or Animal Nutrition of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover for the quanitity of vitamine E and unsaturated fatty acids. The number of examined animals was really low, but the results indicate that the steatitis could be caused by a vitamine E deficiency while having an excess of unsaturated fatty acids. Futher studies need to be done to confirm this.

To find the reason for the decline of the european brown hare population multidisciplinary research is needed as there are multiple factors that cause the decrease. By studying the health status of the european brown hares for multiple years we have been able to gain an impression of the occurance of infectious diseases in the population of Schleswig- Holstein.

file:///C:/aaNeueWebseiten/DozIS%20Projekte/2021/Ergebnisse%202021/Feldhasen_Studie_Infekionsstatus_2020_Klink.pdf

Funding: Ministerium für Energiewende, Landwirtschaft, Umwelt, Natur und Digitalisierung, 53.210 EUR

Project Details:
In this research project, ITAW will investigate infectious diseases, the state of health and the causes of death due to illness and changes in harbour seals in Schleswig-Holstein. The research project will investigate pathological changes in connection with infectious agents, with a special focus on zoonotic diseases. The occurrence of virological, microbiological and parasitological pathogens will be investigated intensively. The project is expected to provide valuable data for the seal populations that continue to grow in the North Sea. The scientific findings are to be passed on to the seal hunters so that they are trained in the detection of infectious diseases and in the handling of marine mammals. Development and review of hygiene measures, infectious diseases and documentation materials play an important role in this. A regionally representative number of seals is selected from those passed on by seal hunters. These are intensively researched and assessed for the presence of diseases.
These examinations include a complete autopsy of the animals, further examinations such as histology, bacteriology, virology, serology and parasitology, age determination as well as taking and securing samples for later analyses or research projects. Furthermore, a statistical analysis on the size of the necessary sample for statements on the state of health is to be carried out. A scientific exchange with the seal hunters will take place during the entire research project period.

Results:

Studies on the health status of harbour seals in Schleswig-Holstein in 2020

Report to the Ministry for Energy Transition, Agriculture, Environment, Nature and Digitalisation of the State of Schleswig-Holstein and the State Agency for Coastal Protection, National Park and Marine Conservation Schleswig-Holstein (only German)

https://www.tiho-hannover.de/fileadmin/57_79_terr_aqua_Wildtierforschung/79_Buesum/downloads/Berichte/Seehunde_Gesundheitsmonitoring_2020.pdf

Funding: Ministerium für Energiewende, Landwirtschaft, Umwelt, Natur und Digitalisierung, 50.000 EUR

Project Details:
In this pilot study, the importance of permanent landscape elements such as ditches, roadsides and hedges as well as additional measures such as flower strips and fallow land for the spatio-temporal behavior of different predator and prey species will be comparatively investigated.
Studies on hare and pheasant show a strong, negative influence of predators, especially during the breeding and rearing phase. Thus, predation is of great importance for the population structure during the course of the year as well as with regard to the current population situation and long-term population development. In this context, the importance of permanent landscape elements as well as of additionally created measure areas, which are also used by hare and pheasant, for the space-time behavior of different predator species (e.g. red fox, stone marten, raccoon dog, domestic cat) will be investigated in more detail. In comparison to the space-use behavior of prey species (e.g. brown hare, pheasant) in the same hunting grounds, this can provide valuable insights into overlaps between the staging areas of predators and prey.
To test the feasibility of a larger-scale follow-up study, red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and brown hares (Lepus europaeus) will be studied as model organisms for the predator and prey species. For this purpose, the animals will be equipped with different telemetry transmitters to record space use as well as diurnal behavior, disturbance, injury and killing potential. From this, first statements on the probability of encounter and effects on habitat selection between predators and prey can be made.

Results:

Abschlußbericht 2021

https://www.tiho-hannover.de/fileadmin/57_79_terr_aqua_Wildtierforschung/79_Buesum/downloads/Berichte/2021_Praedatorenbericht.pdf

Funding: Bundesamt für Gewässerkunde, Koblenz, 16.588 EUR

Project Details:
In this project dead otters from Lower Saxony will be autopsied and examined. In this context, the parameters age, sex, nutritional status and primary cause of death will be determined, as far as the conservation status allows. In addition to a macroscopic examination, histological sections of the livers in particular will be prepared and examined in order to determine any changes. Furthermore, homogenized sample material from the removed liver tissue will be provided by the BFG for chemical analyses and fat determination. Furthermore, the BFG will be provided with already processed otter liver samples from the otter mortality monitoring Schleswig-Holstein, for chemical analyses and fat determination.
A summary of the diagnostic findings and the discovery data, i.e. location and date of discovery, conservation status, and, if applicable, information on the cause of death, will be provided in report form.

Results:

Report on the commission "Provision of tissue samples from otters from Lower Saxony for chemical residue analyses".

https://www.tiho-hannover.de/fileadmin/57_79_terr_aqua_Wildtierforschung/79_Buesum/downloads/Berichte/Fischotterbericht_Rodentizide_Dez_2020_Gewebeproben_BfG.pdf

Funding: BfN (Deutschland) Der deutsche Beitrag war Teil einer Aufstockung im Projekt TopMarine Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Dänemark) Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (Schweden), 28.908 EUR

Project Details:
Joint survey by Denmark, Germany and Sweden
The harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is the most abundant cetacean species occurring year-round in both the North Sea and Baltic Sea. In the Baltic Sea region and the North Sea, three distinct populations of harbour porpoises are recognised: (1) the Baltic Proper population in the inner Baltic Sea, (2) the Belt Sea population in the western Baltic Sea, Belt Sea, the Sound and southern Kattegat, and (3) the North Sea population, which occurs from the northern Kattegat, through Skagerrak to the entire North Sea. The three populations are genetically and morphologically distinct. Furthermore, satellite telemetry and passive acoustic monitoring studies have demonstrated limited exchange and geographic overlap between the North Sea and Belt Sea populations, and between the Belt Sea and the Baltic Proper populations. These findings have led to the suggestion of defined summer management borders, which should be used when monitoring the Belt Sea population.
In the EU, the Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC) demands that all member states protect the harbour porpoise in its entire natural range, and designate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) as part of the Natura 2000 network. Furthermore, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) (Directive 2008/56/EC) emphasises the need for cross-border monitoring of a wide-ranging species, such as the harbour porpoise. Consequently, management programmes will have to include monitoring not only of porpoise abundance within the designated Natura 2000 sites, but also of the entire biological population to detect any changes in absolute abundance. In order to assess and report on the status of the population in time with the six-year reporting cycle of the Habitats Directive and also of MSFD, the abundance and distribution surveys should be conducted approximately every six years.

The waters inhabited by the Belt Sea population were so far assessed few times and in irregular intervals since the 1990s. The first dedicated survey of the population was carried out in 2012 and was termed MiniSCANS. In 2020, Germany, Denmark and Sweden conducted a dedicated large-scale aerial survey (MiniSCANS-II) for harbour porpoises in the area of the Belt Sea population. The Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation (Germany), Aarhus University (Denmark) and the Swedish Museum of Natural History Stockholm (Sweden) were involved in the planning and realisation of the survey. The survey used the same protocol and methodology for aerial surveys as implemented in the previous SCANS surveys, as well as in the national monitoring surveys conducted in German, Dutch and Danish waters to derive unbiased absolute abundance estimates. The results of this study allowed for estimating abundance and potential trends to monitor progress in achieving favourable conservation status under the Habitats Directive and good environmental status (GES) as demanded by the MSFD.

Results:

https://www.tiho-hannover.de/fileadmin/57_79_terr_aqua_Wildtierforschung/79_Buesum/downloads/Berichte/20210913_Report_MiniSCANSII_2020_revised.pdf

Cooperation Partners:

Centre for Environment and Energy, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark

Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Frescativägen 40, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden

Funding: Verein der Förderer der Wildtierforschung an der Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover e. V., 2.100 EUR

Project Details:
Aufgrund der ersten vielversprechenden Ergebnisse der Pilotstudie wird angestrebt, die erhobenen Daten zur Raumnutzung von Katzen zu verifizieren. Dazu sollen weitere Katzen mit GPS Halsbändern ausgestattet werden. Insgesamt wird eine Individuenzahl von mindestsens 20 weiteren Katzen angestrebt, um eine ausreichend große Datengrundlage zu schaffen und die Raumnutzung der Hauskatze umfassender beurteilen zu können.
Die gewonnenen Daten werden mit verschiedenen statistischen Methoden analysiert und modelliert

Funding: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, 40.000 EUR

Project Details:
Eine Gemeinsamkeit aller Krebszellen ist ihr erster Schritt der Entartung, d. h. der Verlust der Zellpolarität, welcher sich in veränderten ("anormalen") Genexpressionsmustern manifestiert. Ein detailliertes Verständnis dieser genetischen Grundlagen ist notwendig, um entartete Zellen frühzeitig detektieren und ggf. wieder ins rechte Lot rücken zu können. In menschlichen Zelllinien sind die genetischen Interaktionen mit anderen regulatorischen Prozessen auf Zellebene zu kompliziert, um die notwendigen Details der "Entartung" (Polaritätsverlust) in akzeptabler Zeit entschlüsseln zu können. Das einfachste aller tierischen Modellsysteme jedoch, das Plattentier Trichoplax, hat vergleichsweise nur wenige Zellen und Zelltypen und eine übersichtliche genetische Komplexität mit sehr geringem Hintergrundrauschen. Kürzlich haben wir bewiesen, dass der polare Trichoplax faszinierenderweise Homologe aller relevanten und prinzipiellen Zellpolaritätsgene des Menschen besitzt, und somit völlig neue Möglichkeiten für eine Entschlüsselung der genetischen Regulationsmechanismen der Zellpolarität schafft.
im Mai 2021 startet die erste Forschungsrakete ("sounding rocket") vom DLR mit unserem Plattentier Trichoplax an Bord ins Weltall, wo dem Tierchen die Schwerkraft und somit das Signal für die Polaritätsorientierung seiner Zellen genommen wird.

Cooperation Partners:

1) Université de Lyon, Centre de recherche en cancérologie, France

2) Charles University, First Faculty of Medicine, Czech Republic

3) Vilua Health GmbH Braunschweig (Industriepartner)

4) Deutsches Luft- und Raumfahrtzentrum (DLR) Köln

5) LaTrobe University, Medical School, Melbourne, Australia

6) Yale University, Yale Genomics Center, New Haven, USA

Funding: Ministerium für Energiewende, Landwirtschaft, Umwelt, Natur und Digitalisierung (MELUND, Kiel), 91.738 EUR

Project Details:
The native grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) population developed increasingly positive after official protection and following recolonisation of the Wadden Sea. This can be seen as a good sign for the effectiveness of the implemented protective measures regarding the population development.
However, the positive population development also creates challenges from the management point of view. There is an increasing demand of suitable habitat as well as ressources, which is mostly associated with an enhanced conflict potential. This is especially connected with several tourism, fishery and energy industry stakeholders utilising the North Sea area.
The gain of a preferably comprehensive understanding of the target species concerning biology, health, habitat demand and connected population development is a fundamental requirement for the implementation of an effective and future-oriented management. Beside the value for the future local management concept, this knowledge is increasingly requested within the framework of international treaties.
The Heligoland dune plays a superior role for the German grey seal population. Up to 68% of the German population can be found there. Due to this presence, Heligoland is especially suitable as model region for further scientific studies in order to promote an understanding on national level beside the local situation.
Therefore, following aspects shall be processed in the context of this project:

° Detailed evaluation of beach use by grey seals on the Heligoland dune

° Analysis of collected data from the Schleswig-Holstein stranding network in order to gain a better understanding of marine mammals stranded on Heligoland (species, quantity, age, diseases)

° Support of public relations work for the management of potential human-wildlife conflict

° Feasibility studies concerning the investigation of long-term development and habitat use of the native grey seal population via telemetry under consideration of mortality, fertility and site fidelity as essential parameters for population development

Results:

In close cooperation with the Jordsand Association and the municipality's own dune rangers, existing count data were aggregated, sifted and evaluated.

For the evaluation, count data collected almost daily from 2016 to 2019 could be used. As expected, there is seasonal variation in the number of grey seals present. Thereby, the time of the fur change (March, April), as well as the birth phase (November, December) are the periods of the year when the most animals are sighted on the dune. This observation also shows that a significantly larger proportion of female animals is present on Helgoland during almost the entire course of the year. A further insight, which can be derived from this representation, refers to the time of the coat change. Here it is evident from the proportional distribution that female grey seals change their coats earlier (peak: ~end of February) than males (peak: ~mid-April).

Looking at the use in consideration of the individual beaches, it is noticeable that the beaches are used very differently. For grey seals, the north beach plays an important role as the main berth throughout the year. In the period from June to July alone, there are more grey seals on the southern beach than on the northern beach. The Aade, on the other hand, plays a rather subordinate role during the course of the year and is only increasingly used at the time of the change of coat, as well as during the birth phase.

In order to support the local public relations work, as well as to continue the important transfer of scientific knowledge to the population, several posters were created within the framework of this project, which contain general information about the biology of the seals on Helgoland, but also recommendations for the behavior towards the grey seals as well as current research results.

For an assessment of the long-term development of a population, it is essential to have a deeper understanding of space use and habitat requirements of juveniles. These parameters are difficult to determine for marine mammals because observing behavior at sea is nearly impossible. Satellite-based telemetry provides one method to record the distribution and behavior of juveniles after they leave their birthplace.

In order to gain further insights into the spatial distribution on the open sea as well as the use of feeding areas by means of the generated position data, further evaluation methods were used.

Special focus was put on Bayesian data analysis using so-called "Hierarchical state space models".

On the basis of the specific behavior of the transmitted grey seals, a recorded track can be divided into different uses. This shows that, in addition to the moorings in the coastal area, areas far "offshore" are used intensively by the animals. The generated dive data provide a further basis for evaluating the use of the available habitat. Thus, it can be shown that individuals frequently undertake benthic dives, reaching depths of up to 50 meters.

In summary, it can be said that with the methods shown and tested, a solid and reproducible analysis procedure could be established, which, despite the use of relatively simple equipment, allows a more in-depth assessment of the habitat use and distribution of the animals.

https://www.tiho-hannover.de/fileadmin//57_79_terr_aqua_Wildtierforschung/79_Buesum/downloads/Berichte/Helgolaender_Kegelrobbe.pdf