Assessing the potential health impacts of the 2003 and 2007 firestorms on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops trucatus) in San Diego Bay

Context: Firestorms negatively affected air quality throughout San Diego County during 2003 and 2007, including the San Diego Bay, which houses the Navy's bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Objective: To assess the potential impact of the 2003 and 2007 fires on dolphin health. Materials and methods: Hematology and serum chemistry values were evaluated retrospectively among Navy dolphins the year and month before; during; and the month after the 2003 and 2007 fires. Results: Both 2003 and 2007 fires were associated with lower calcium either during or the month post-fire compared to the control periods. During and the month following the 2003 fire, dolphins had higher serum carbon dioxide compared to the control periods. Dolphins during and the month following the 2007 fire had lower absolute or percent neutrophils and higher chloride. The 2007 fire was also associated with increased percent eosinophils during the fire and higher percent monocytes and bilirubin the month following the fire compared to the control periods. Discussion and conclusion: Consistent with what has been previously reported in humans and other animals, this study supports that fire smoke inhalation may have mild effects on dolphin physiology, including calcium homeostasis, lung function and immune response.