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Bringing Virtual Microscopy to Marine
Conservation: An Ocean of Possibilities
Presenter: Margaret Rotstein, MS
Senior Research Analyst
NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office of Protected Resources (OPR)
Synthesis
Professional Services, Inc.
Introduction
• The world’s oceans are increasingly threatened by
impacts from pollution, habitat loss, invasive species,
diseases, and global climate change
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) has been given the responsibility of protecting
marine animals through science-based conservation and
management
• Two of these programs, Coral Health and Disease
Consortium (CHDC) and the Marine Mammal Health and
Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP) have
cooperated to improve the technology of sharing
information on the histology and pathology of marine
animals; particularly corals and marine mammals
Funding provided by:
Marine Mammal Health and
Stranding Response Program
and
Coral Health and
Disease Consortium
Goals of Coral Health and Disease
Consortium (CHDC)
• Detect and assess trends in coral
diseases at the necessary scales for
scientific investigation and policy
development.
• Determine the causes and
consequences of increasing disease
frequency and distribution.
• Evaluate possible management
responses designed to mitigate the
spread and affects of disease on
coral reef ecosystems and their
users.
Goals of Marine Mammal Health and
Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP)
• Facilitate the collection and dissemination of reference data
on health and health trends
• Correlate the health and health trends with physical,
chemical and biological environmental parameters
• Coordinate effective responses to
Unusual Mortality Events
(a stranding that is unexpected;
involves a significant die-off of
any marine mammal population;
and demands immediate
response)
The Challenge
• A global community of researchers require an efficient,
low-cost solution to:
 consult with each other on unique cases
 educate students and other scientists
rapidly respond to unusual disease
outbreaks or mortality events
• Establish a framework to systematically
study pathologies
Standardize disease pathological
descriptions
Standardize normal morphological
structure
The Challenge
Coral Histology and Histopathology
• Basic biology of normal corals is poorly understood
• Understanding of coral pathology is limited to
descriptions of gross lesions
• Names reflect observations (e.g. black band, white
band, dark spot)
• Our lack of understanding of the underlying mechanisms
of coral pathologies inhibits our ability to manage the
growing coral health problems
Status of Understanding
Coral Health and Disease
Equine
Coral
Middle Ages
Free-ranging
terrestrial
wildlife
Avian
Exotic
Rodent
Human
Dog
Cat
21st Century
Courtesy: Dr. T. Work, USGS
Requirements
• High resolution digital imaging of
glass microscope slides
• Software that provides Internet
conferencing and annotation of
digital slides
Morbillivirus infection in brain of
• Web-based Internet application
Grey Seal
that integrates databases with
virtual slides to provide educational
modules, training and case-based
records
Working Towards a Solution
• October 2006 – through a partnership with MMHRSP
and CDHC, purchase of Aperio Technologies, Inc
Software and Scanning Services
• Plan to purchase ScanScope scanner in future
• Development of web-based application and back-end
database to:
 Record histopathology data on Marine Mammal Strandings
 Link to data to associated slides on Aperio Server
 Provide library of reference coral slides showing normal and
abnormal histology
 Implement virtual rounds
 Provide education modules
Web-based Application:
Functionality
Consultation
Audience: experts
 Standardization / Terminology
 Consensus on nomenclature of coral anatomy
 Consensus on all pathologies of marine mammals
(conditions, diseases and injuries)
 Mass Stranding Events / Disease
Outbreaks
 Crisis events – digital images made available to
experts world-wide for rapid response
 Review of findings from disease outbreaks
 Special Cases
 Unique cases that require consultation / letigation
M. Moore, WHOI
Periosteal proliferation of
entangled humerus in Right
Whale
Web-based Application:
Functionality
Training and Communication
Audience: students,
pathologists, marine
biologists
 Virtual Rounds
 Web-based submissions, scheduling and case write-ups
 Utilize Aperio’s Digital Slide Conferencing feature in ScanScope
 Individual Cases
 Digital library of coral and marine mammal histology slides
 Education modules to demonstrate normal and
abnormal histology
 Standard Nomenclature
 Training scientists on the terminology used in coral
and marine mammal pathology
Web-based Application:
Functionality
Education
Audience: public
web-enabled distance learning
 Normal Histology
 Pathology of common conditions
 Standardization / Terminology
Anatomy of Coral
Gas-filled cavities in the liver of a
stranded common dolphin
Solutions
•
•
•
•
Database – Oracle 10g
Web server - Apache
Virtual Microscope Server – Aperio Technologies
Application Server – ColdFusion MX
Oracle DB Server
Virtual Microscope Server
NOAA Hardware Configuration
Internet Application
Internet Application
Internet Application
Internet Application
Internet Application
Internet Application
Event-Based Software and
Data
Virtual Microscope
Aperio Software
(NMFS/NOS)
Education Virtual
Rounds Cases
(NMFS/NOS)
Clinical Pathology
(NOS)
SQL Server
Unusual Mortality
Event
(NMFS)
Diagnostic Pathology
(NMFS)
Oracle
Cora l Health &
Disease
(NOS)
Contaminates
(NWFSC, NIST)
MS Access DB
MMHRSP
(NMFS)
Biotoxins
Subsistence Hunt
By-Catch and
others
Controls access and security
NMAHD
Core Biomedical Software
and Data
NOAA
PORTAL
Main Entry
WWW
Acknowledgments
Marine Mammal Health & Stranding Response Program
• Teri Rowles, PhD, DVM
• David Rotstein, DVM, MPVM, DACVP
• Kathy Burek, DVM, MS, DACVP
Skin Lesion in
• Angela Collins-Payne, Information Specialist Bottlenose dolphin
Coral Health and Disease Consortium
• Cheryl Woodley, PhD
Infected Sea Fan with
Aspergillosis sydowii