SBIR Phase I: Ultrasonic Assessment of Bone Mineral Density of the Bottlenose Dolphin: A Proposed Method for Monitoring Dolphin and Ecosystem Health

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project has as its long range objective development of a portable and non-invasive 'ocean-ready' ultrasound device for measuring dolphin bone mineral density (BMD), as a means for assessing and monitoring dolphin and ecosystem health. At present there is no way to assess bone health in dolphins in managed or in free-ranging populations. The specific objectives of this project are (i) to determine the BMD associated with an extensive set of archived skeletal samples from stranded bottlenose dolphins across a range of geographically distinct populations and obtain a set of normative BMD curves versus age, according to gender and other individual-specific morphometric features; (ii) to determine a functional relationship between age and BMD and other individual-specific features; and (iii) to develop an ultrasound method and laboratory system capable of accurately estimating dolphin BMD. X-ray densitometry will be used to determine the BMD of the dolphin radii, and computer simulated and in vitro ultrasound measurements will be used to determine a set of ultrasound parameters. An ultrasound based-estimate of BMD will be established, and the degree to which BMD and morphometric measurements can estimate dolphin age (a key aspect of understanding dolphin/marine ecosystem health) will be established. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is in its potential for managing and dealing with changes in the ecosystem such as through climate change and from exposure to contaminants. The proposed technology therefore has the potential for significantly expanding the ability of the scientific community to assess not only dolphin but overall marine ecosystem health. In addition, an ultrasonically determined value of BMD that could further be used to estimate dolphin age would have significant and additional commercial value worldwide. This value will be realized by marketing a commercial ultrasound product and by offering a commercial service to marine ecosystem health assessment groups. The degree to which the understanding of dolphin and ecosystem health may be positively impacted by the ultrasound technology to be developed in this project cannot be understated. As already noted, there is virtually little if anything presently known about bone properties of dolphins, how they may change over time, and how they may reflect changing climates and contaminants in the oceans. This research may also have analogous significant impacts on the health assessments of other aquatic mammals, such as sea lions and whales. In addition, the USB-based portable ultrasound technology developed in this project should also have large commercial value in the field of non-destructive testing.