Manatee blood parameter research. Final report.

Abstract

During the project, studies to investigate lymphocyte proliferation in both captive and free-ranging manatees were initiated. The captive manatees were from Homossassa Springs, SeaWorld, Miami Seaquarium, and Mote Marine Laboratory, all in Florida. The wild-caught manatees were from southwest Florida. The overall purpose of the study was to establish routine methodology for consistent proliferation of lymphocytes isolated from manatee whole blood. The parameters assessed for culture conditions included testing two different T-cell mitogens, concanavalin A (ConA) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) at varying concentrations, and one B-cell mitogen, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Data accumulated resulted in determining the optimal mitogens, their most effective concentrations, and the window of maximal lymphocyte proliferative activity.