New tool to aid in dolphin strandings
Thursday, May 1, 2014 - 12:01
in Health & Medicine
The cause of dolphin strandings has long been a mystery but a new study shows that clues about survival rates after release may be found in the sea mammal’s blood. The study analyzed blood work and body condition values from stranded common dolphins and compared them with survival rates after release. Responders in the field are now using the blood and health data to make better release decisions and predict survival outcomes. "The establishment of these blood values provides a window into the overall health of the dolphin," said the paper's lead author. "Now we have a way to predict which stranded dolphins have a better chance of survival after release and this can help triage care."