Research

Project Details:
The behavior of European hedgehogs after hindlimb amputation is insufficiently researched. While some literature suggests hedgehogs may cope well with such amputations, there is a lack of systematic studies to confirm this. This project aims to evaluate the gait of hedgehogs after hindlimb amputation during rehabilitation. Healthy four-legged and three-legged hedgehogs will be analyzed and compared using accelerometers to understand the impact on their movement and survival, ultimately contributing to more effective treatments and better outcomes for wildlife rehabilitation.

Project Details:
Salmonella-specific phages are isolated and characterized from bearded dragons. Their spectrum of activity is determined, and their in vitro and in vivo effectiveness is examined.

Cooperation Partners:

Robert-Koch-Institut RKI Wernigerode

Funding: Förderverein Bioökonomieforschung e.V. (FBF), 13.000 EUR

Project Details:
The aim is to research and establish a novel method for sorting bovine sperm in a joint project. Here, TiHo carries out its sub-project (A) and also works cooperatively with the also beneficiary partner Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, who carries out its sub-project (B).
The aim of the first project phase, in cooperation with GAU, is to define an optimized protocol for treating the bull semen with a TLR7/8 ligand to separate the sperm using Swim Up. At the same time, two methods for determining the ratio of the X:Y sperm (digital PCR vs. MoFlow XDP Cell Sorter) are compared.
In the second project phase, our targeted task is to further optimize the accuracy and efficiency, or sperm vitality, with the selected sorting method of the processed samples by using microfluidic chips.

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Dr. Michael Hölker, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Dept. für Nutztierwissenschaften.

Funding: Interreg VI-B Norseeprogramm EFRE (Mittel aus dem Europäischen Fonds für regionale Entwicklung - EFRE) Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Bundes- und Europangelegenheiten und Regionale Entwicklung, Hannover Mittel des Bundes, 411.143 EUR

Project Details:
The North Sea is one of the busiest shipping areas. In order to achieve the EU's climate targets, a massive expansion of wind farms is planned in the North Sea. The North Sea is also a valuable habitat for many species that are threatened by future maritime developments. This also includes the risk of noise pollution. DEMASK aims to encourage maritime decision-makers, spatial planners and industry stakeholders to address the issue of underwater noise by jointly planning scenarios for the future of the North Sea, improving the tools and knowledge to assess noise mitigation scenarios and setting strategic priorities that lead to a well-managed noise landscape.
DEMASK consists of three working groups. The centerpiece (WP1) is the joint scenario planning process. WP1 relies on stakeholder participation and is specifically designed to maximize the uptake of strategic policy priorities for noise mitigation. It defines and assesses the key policy scenarios for noise reduction. WP2 focuses on predicting the future noise situation. Finally, WP3 will carry out risk assessments for biodiversity in the North Sea for alternative action scenarios. Pilot projects will predict the noise scenarios for these alternative scenarios compared to the baseline situation and use these noise scenarios to assess the impacts of noise and the associated risks for indicator species. Risks will be assessed on the basis of sensitivity, distribution, habitat and exposure if the thresholds for the occurrence of biologically significant adverse effects (LOBE) are exceeded at the regional level. This work package is led by ITAW.

Cooperation Partners:

Projektkoordination, Rijkswaterstaat (RWS), Ministry of Infastructure and Water Management, Utrecht

Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), Hamburg

TNO research, Den Haag

IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Kristineberg

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Brüssel

North Sea Foundation, Utrecht

Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Oostende

JASCO Applied Sciences

Funding: MEKUN, 133.105 EUR

Project Details:
The aim of the study applied for here is to investigate the habitat use of harbor porpoises in the western part of the Baltic Sea in a follow-up project using "passive-acoustic monitoring". To this end, harbor porpoise click detectors (C-PODs, Ceatacean_Porpoise_Detectors) were deployed at a total of four locations in March 2021 to record the presence of harbor porpoises. In August 2023, another station funded by the German Wildlife Foundation was deployed in the Baltic Sea. The monitoring stations in operation (Holnis, Bredgrund, Schleisand, Damp and Waabs) are intended to close the existing gap in the monitoring network between Fehmarn and Denmark. The habitat of harbor porpoises in the Baltic Sea is heavily influenced by human activities and factors that can have a negative impact on harbor porpoise populations. These include commercial shipping, tourist leisure activities, seismic surveys, military activities, fishing, offshore construction, blasting of old munitions, chemical and pharmaceutical pollution and marine litter.
In the Baltic Sea in particular, the harbor porpoise continues to be threatened by fishing with gillnets, in which harbor porpoises can end up as unintentional bycatch. In order to warn harbor porpoises of gillnets, acoustic warning devices are increasingly being used in the German Baltic Sea to warn porpoises of nets. These warning devices (Porpoise Alert = PAL) simulate the communication sound of harbor porpoises. Whether these devices lead to a reduction in by-catches has not yet been conclusively investigated. There is also currently no accompanying research to investigate whether these devices lead to the displacement of harbor porpoises.
The anthropogenic interventions described are only the most serious for the harbor porpoise. All these activities have a simultaneous effect on the harbor porpoise population and cannot be considered separately. The absence of older animals among the harbor porpoises captured and stranded in all study areas could be an indication that harbor porpoises in the Baltic Sea are affected by cumulative anthropogenic activities.

This study addresses the following questions:

1. Where do harbor porpoises occur in the western Baltic Sea?
2. Are there seasonal trends in the occurrence of harbor porpoises?
3. Which areas are of high ecological importance for harbor porpoises (e.g. foraging hotspots)?
4. Can the C-POD data collected as part of this monitoring be used to investigate the effects of blasting on harbor porpoises?
5. Can recommendations be derived from the results for certain periods when blasting should be considered more critically than in others?
6. Does the presence of PAL signals have an influence on the dating of harbor porpoises?

Funding: MEKUN, 172.488 EUR

Project Details:
The occurrence of harbor seals in the waters of Schleswig-Holstein has increased in recent years. At the same time, the seals are exposed to an increasing amount of human activity. These include chemical pollution, offshore wind turbine constructions, the Fehmarnbelt crossing, shipping, military and civilian detonations (munitions disposal), fishing, litter, habitat loss and other disturbances such as tourism. The increasing grey seal population in the North Sea has also led to the predation and rape of seals by grey seals in recent years.
As part of this research project, a total of 30 dead seals from the Schleswig-Holstein North Sea and Baltic Sea are to be examined in-depth for their state of health. These 30 individuals will be examined in addition to the 30 seals that will be necropsied as part of the project, which is funded by the Supreme Hunting Authority in the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Areas, Europe and Consumer Protection of Schleswig-Holstein (MLLEV), bringing the total number of necropsied seals from Schleswig-Holstein to 60. Histological, microbiological and parasitological examinations will be carried out.

Project Details:
GnRH agonists are frequently used in practice to treat diseases of the reproductive system in privately reared laying hens. After surgical removal of the oviduct, suppression of gonadal activity is essential. The aim of the planned studies is to examine the influence of such a resection of the laying intestine on the effect of the slow-release GnRH agonist deslorelin in clinical use. In order to assess the effect of the GnRH agonist, the activity of the ovary and oviduct will be evaluated by determining the sex hormones and by sonographic examination.

Funding: Bezirksamt Hamburg-Nord, 48.000 EUR

Project Details:
The establishment of pigeon lofts for urban pigeons is an important component in the management of the pigeon population for many cities. With this background, the influence of a newly installed pigeon loft for urban pigeons on the development and health status of the neighboring pigeon population, the occurrence of pigeon-specific pathogens and the contamination by pigeons in the catchment area will be investigated in the city of Hamburg over a period of two years.

Cooperation Partners:

Frau Dr. Anke Höfer

Fachamt Verbraucherschutz, Gewerbe und Umwelt:

Veterinärwesen und Lebensmittelüberwachung, Hamburg

Project Details:
Infections with adenoviruses have been detected in hand-reared Common swifts in connection with stomatitis. As part of this project, the virus is to be investigated in more detail and its spread in the wild population of swifts and swallows, as possible carriers, is to be determined in the Hanover area.

Funding: Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, 233.000 EUR

Project Details:
The project aims to develop a time- and location-based, digital, and mobile decision aid for citizens who have found a wild animal in nature. It enables the identification of the species and, based on the symptoms, provides a help recommendation through a decision tree. Specific contacts for further information are also provided.