Lexi Durant - Argentina
Last winter break, I had the opportunity to travel to Argentina to work with Dr. Marcela Uhart and Dr. Ralph Vanstreels. I spent most of my time in Camarones, a quiet seaside fishing community, where I was instantly greeted by the beautiful coastlines of Patagonia.
Every year, a group of Magellanic penguins spends time at Cabo dos Bahías to lay eggs and raise their chicks. The colony has been declining in recent history and Dr. Gabriela Blanco’s team spends time at the colony every year collecting data on penguin foraging behavior, chick rearing success, and chick growth rates to better characterize the population dynamics. Every day, we travelled to the nearby penguin colony to collect these data. There were also several other research projects going on concurrently with which I was able to assist. One project was a penguin diet study which involved placing tarps in front of the nests where the penguins normally defecate and then collecting fecal samples for genetic sequencing to determine what they had been eating. There had also been an increase in the amount of standing water pools and mosquitoes in the penguin colony which raised concerns about transmission of vector borne diseases.
So, we collected water samples to determine habitat suitability for mosquitoes and collected samples of mosquito larvae. We also collected blood samples from the penguins and chicks for serology. Another project involved deploying silicon bands designed to bind organic pollutants on the penguins and then recollecting them after they had been foraging at sea to send to the lab and determine what toxins they may be exposed to. Additionally, I got to spend time working with an ecology student on his fieldwork activities including setting and re-checking rodent traps for a mark-recapture study in hopes to better evaluate the ecosystem as a whole. This was a wonderful chance to practice a variety of fieldwork methods used to study wildlife population health.
Another major aspect of my visit was having the opportunity to learn about the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak that has been causing mass mortality events in Argentinian wildlife, primarily in marine mammals and seabirds. I was able to participate in some of the outbreak activities Dr. Uhart and Dr. Vanstreels have been leading. We travelled to a couple of areas that had not yet been surveyed for HPAI cases and spent a few days walking and driving along the coastline to look for carcasses and symptomatic animals. It was extremely eye-opening and heartbreaking to see the sheer amount of carcasses on some sections of the beach and to observe animals displaying neurologic symptoms characteristic of HPAI.
We took record of the numbers of carcasses of different species at various locations and performed some field necropsies to collect samples for testing and histopathology. Back in town, we started processing the samples that would then be evaluated to ascertain what lesions are observed with HPAI in different species. We also swabbed sea lion carcasses that had been on the beach for various amounts of time to ascertain how long a carcass may act as a source of infection for other animals in the shared environment. This was a unique opportunity to implement biosecurity practices that are needed to study zoonotic infectious disease agents in the field. Overall, these experiences strengthened my interest in infectious disease surveillance and outbreak response.
In conclusion, this was an extremely valuable learning opportunity that I am incredibly grateful for. It was amazing to meet so many kind people, see the beautiful scenery, and practice my Spanish. I got to not only work alongside of but also live with the penguin monitoring team for the month which allowed for a highly immersive experience. I will utilize both the research and communication skills I developed during my time in Argentina throughout my future career as a veterinarian.