This bibliography contains references to diseases, health, clinical biochemistry and pathology of captive and wild sea birds. The definition of a sea bird is broad and includes all species that feed within the marine environment and others which are related but inhabit other aquatic environments e.g. cormorants. The bibliography is comprehensive but not exhaustive. The compilers would appreciate lists of missed and new items for inclusion. These should be sent to the data officer at the Australian Antarctic Data Centre at the contact details listed below.

This dataset contains data revealing the incidence of bacterial, viral and parasitic disease causing agents in Antarctic bird populations. Samples for disease analysis have been collected from various species of Antarctic birds during the course of ASAC project 953 and are stored at the Department of Microbiology, University of Western Australia and CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratories (AAHL). All analysis is being performed at the Department of Microbiology, University of Western Australia. A summary of samples collected and stored for each species is listed below. Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae): Serum (blood) and faecal (cloacal) swabs were collected from chicks and adults in the Mawson station area, the Vestfold Hills and Terra Nova Bay. Samples from approximately 1200 birds have been stored. Tissue samples have been collected from chick carcasses found in the Vestfold Hills area. Carcasses were collected on an opportunistic basis. Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri): Serum (blood) and faecal (cloacal) swabs were collected from chicks at Amanda Bay, Auster and Cape Washington. Tissue samples have been obtained from 20 chick carcasses collected from Auster Rookery. South polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki): Serum (blood) and faecal (cloacal) swabs were collected from 125 adult birds in the Vestfold Hills area. This project has close ties with ASAC project 1336 (ASAC_1336 - South polar skuas as vectors of disease). See that metadata record for related datasets. The fields in this dataset are: Infectious bursal disease virus Avian influenzae Avian adenovirus Sample Species Age Year Region Colony Location Stage of Breeding Season Blood Sample Cloacal Swab Serum

Metadata record for data from ASAC Project 1336 See the link below for public details on this project. ---- Public Summary from Project ---- Antarctica is considered the most remote ecosystem in the world and yet recent studies have discovered high infection rates for some common poultry diseases in penguins. Because of the increase in human presence in Antarctica from station personnel and tourism there is concern that humans are introducing the diseases to Antarctic wildlife. Alternatively, migratory birds such as the South Polar skua may act as the primary agent bringing exotic diseases to Antarctic penguins. This study will investigate the role of South Polar skuas in the introduction and transmission of diseases to Antarctic penguins. To do this we will assess the normal viral, bacterial and parasitic flora of skuas. In addition we will monitor the effects diseases have on the growth and survivorship of skua chicks. Finally, through radio tracking, we will investigate the local and migratory movements of skuas to determine the scope of their influence. By understanding the role that skuas play in the dynamics of diseases in Antarctica we will be able to define the role of humans more clearly. The download file attached to this metadata record contains a number of excel spreadsheets, and corresponding work documents. Each spreadsheet is paired with a word document (of the same name), which explains each column, etc in detail. This project is related to ASAC project 953 (ASAC_953), Investigations of bacterial, viral and parasitic infections in Antarctic penguins, and the development of a standardised monitoring scheme. The fields in this dataset are: Skuas Adults Chicks Disease Date Mate Band number Weight Length Blood Haematology Latitude Longtiude Cloacal swabs Head Tarsus Culmen Bill South Polar Skua Adelie Penguin Viral swab bacterial swab