Relative to other subdisciplines of conservation science, conservation physiology remains somewhat nascent. Although there is a growing number of successes where physiological concepts, knowledge and tools have informed conservation decisions and management actions, there also remain a number of challenges. We argue that there is a set of misconceptions that serve as de facto barriers to realizing the full potential of conservation physiology as a mission-oriented area of scholarly inquiry and practice. However, we also suggest that those misconceptions can be easily dispelled. In this paper, we identify and dispel 10 'myths' in conservation physiology: (i) conservation physiology subsumes other disciplines and has no unique goals; (ii) the toolbox is too invasive; (iii) tools are too specialized; (iv) the field relies too heavily on surrogates and captive studies; (v) physiological information cannot be scaled from the individual level to the population level; (vi) baseline (i.e. control) data are too sparse; (vii) conservation physiology is too speculative; (viii) managers do not care about physiology; (ix) conservation physiology cannot engage fundamental scientists; and (x) conservation physiology cannot solve conservation problems. Given that some of these misconceptions represent ongoing barriers, we also identify opportunities for further overcoming them. In particular, embracing co-production and engaging in effective knowledge exchange are fundamental to generating relevant and actionable knowledge. Similarly, we submit that the tension between fundamental and applied science is not inherently disruptive and ensures that there is a strong foundation for evidence-based decisions. This paper is intended to open the eyes and minds of ecologists, physiologists and end-users about what conservation physiology has to offer and how to realize those opportunities. Working collectively and collaboratively to achieve the common mission of conservation physiology will not only benefit conservation science but will also benefit biodiversity and society.

This paper delves into the development and implications of the Hearing Dog Evaluation and Reporting Overview (HERO) tool, which is a novel initiative built on the Five Domains animal welfare model to comprehensively assess the wellbeing of Hearing Dogs. The HERO’s creation involved two phases. In Phase One, an expert panel was surveyed using an electronic Delphi technique to gather consensus on items for the tool. This phase culminated in 28 items, exhaustively covered the Five Domains, and offered a holistic evaluation of Hearing Dog welfare. Phase One complemented existing assistance animal standards and emphasised the importance of a quality environment and continuous wellbeing monitoring. Phase Two involved 23 Hearing Dog owners, to assess the tool’s usability, particularly its user-friendliness and perceived value. Concerns about handlers’ ability to identify welfare indicators were raised, highlighting the need for additional development of resources and guidance. This preliminary study has shown that the HERO is a promising tool for understanding and promoting Hearing Dog welfare. Future research will look to validate the tool by drawing from expert observations and physiological measures, tailoring survey questions, and creating a user-sharing platform.

In China, the world's largest fish producer, fish are generally transported live from farms to points of sale or processing. However, there is little published literature on live fish transport in China or aquaculture stakeholder attitudes towards fish welfare. This study investigated transport practices within the Chinese freshwater fish industry and opinions around fish welfare among aquaculture stakeholders. Online and face-to-face surveys were conducted with 252 participants from 18 provinces across China, with more than half from Hunan Province. Participants represented the fish production, sales, government, and research sectors. Responses indicated that over 75% of freshwater fish are transported live, generally in compartmented tanks with water-holding systems on purpose-built trucks. Destinations were primarily wholesale markets with journey durations ranging from less than one hour, up to eight hours. Dissolved oxygen, water temperature, and staff experience were reported as the most important factors affecting fish welfare during transport. While over 60% of participants were unaware of the specific term "animal welfare", three-quarters recognised a link between fish welfare and product quality. A similar proportion acknowledged that fish are sentient, with respondents educated at the tertiary level having greater awareness of, and concern for, fish welfare. As the concept of animal welfare is emerging among aquaculture stakeholders, these findings provide valuable insights into transport practices and opportunities for improving both animal welfare and product quality. The results also contribute to a better understanding of the potential welfare risks to fish during transport in China, especially among Chinese fish welfare researchers.

Pasture-based beef cattle are raised in a range of production environments. Some paddocks may contain trees and other objects that allow for grooming, hence being naturally enriching, whilst others may be barren without these opportunities. Additionally, it is not uncommon for cattle to move between these enriched and barren environments as part of routine management. While the benefits of enrichment are well studied, how this ‘enrichment loss’ impacts cattle welfare as access to stimuli is removed is unknown. This trial assessed the impacts of the loss of an enriching object (grooming brush) on grazing beef cattle welfare and production characteristics. When grooming brush access was blocked, cattle became dirtier, showed reduced average daily gain, and had elevated faecal cortisol metabolites, although this varied according to the degree of initial individual brush use. Additionally, allogrooming and grooming on other objects were reduced when access to the brush was returned, potentially indicating a rebound effect. These results demonstrate that the loss of adequate grooming objects can impair the overall welfare of grazing cattle; however, further work is needed to determine exactly which natural or artificial objects provide adequate grooming opportunities.

IntroductionNon-invasive hormone assessment is growing in interest as producers and livestock researchers seek new methods to assess animal welfare. Non-invasive wool assessment offers long-term, historic reflections of hormone concentration at the scale of weeks and months - and are not limited by sampling stress - thus making wool an appropriate tissue for long-term hormone analysis. This pilot study quantified cortisol and testosterone concentrations of ram fleece and determined if there is a significant difference between segments of the sample staple, and whether there is a correlation between hormones. Cortisol is a glucocorticoid produced within the adrenal glands and secreted in anticipation of or in response to a stressor. Testosterone is an androgen mainly synthesised within the testes of males and responsible for several critical functions including regulation of muscle growth, libido and spermatogenesis.MethodsIn our study, 70 topknot wool samples were collected from rams on a commercial stud property in Dirranbandi, Queensland, Australia. Of these animals, 12 samples were selected at random to undergo cortisol and testosterone quantification. In the laboratory, a single, intact staple was isolated from the total sample, divided into 10 mm segments and prepared for their respective (cortisol or testosterone) immunoassays.ResultsNo significant difference (p > 0.05) was found between wool segments for either cortisol or testosterone, however, statistical differences (p < 0.05) were found between individuals for both hormones. A strong positive correlation (R2 = 0.9173, p < 0.05) was found between wool cortisol and testosterone concentrations.DiscussionIn summary, this study reveals the major future possibilities for non-invasive wool hormone assessment in merino rams.

Abstract Populations of Queensland koalas are rapidly declining, and the driving force behind this is habitat loss. This study analyzed reports (N = 50,858) made to three wildlife- focused veterinary clinics within the South-East Queensland Wildlife Hospital Network for assistance relating to a sick or injured wild koala between 1997 and 2019. Using descriptive and inferential statistics, a nominal logistic regression was performed to test the effect of key independent variables (age, sex, and etiology) on the outcome of each koala (released, deceased, euthanized) after being reported. Results found that the most common outcome for both sexes, most etiologies, and all ages was euthanasia. A comprehensive understanding of the primary risks affecting endangered species, and how these risks affect the likelihood of survival, is essential to inform species conservation policies and extinction risk assessments. We hope this study can provide an indispensable basis for future koala conservation strategies.

To deliver a comprehensive learning experience while shifting to online teaching due to COVID-19, educators at The University of Queensland (Australia) adopted Lt, a cloud-based platform, to overcome the challenges of delivering animal anatomy practicals. A two-phased study was conducted to evaluate the use of Lt for both online and on-campus students and its impact on student satisfaction and performance. Phase 1 investigated students' satisfaction with the practical experience, with online students expressing greater satisfaction across all constructs related to the practical: design, Lt, and feedback. Phase 2 investigated end-of-course evaluations, with all evaluated items increasing from 2019 to 2020 and 2021, along with student performance showing no difference between the online and on-campus students for practical assessment items and final examinations. The findings give confidence for technology adoption to enhance the learning experience for online students and provides an exemplar for similar adoption for practical delivery across other science disciplines.

Farmed fish are commonly transported between various facilities by road vehicles, resulting in inevitable exposure to uncontrolled and oscillatory movements, likely exacerbated by poor road conditions. The effect of road quality on livestock has been studied during live transport, but research into the impact of motion has been rarely examined with fish. This study investigated the effects of different motion frequencies related to road quality on the welfare and recovery of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Three motion frequencies were examined in this study using a non-transported control, a simulated “rough” transport treatment, and a simulated “smooth” transport treatment. Live transport was carried out for 3h using a motion simulation platform with a movement frequency of 1.0 and 1.8Hz for the smooth and rough treatment, respectively. Control fish were kept in static tanks for the same duration to obtain basal physiology, behaviour, and flesh quality. Water parameters were measured before and immediately after simulated transport in all groups. Behavioural, physiological, and muscle parameters were measured before simulated transport, as well as 0h and 24h post-transport. Total ammonia nitrogen levels increased in all treatments over time (p < 0.001), with significantly higher values observed in transported groups. Non-transported fish displayed increased biting (p = 0.025), chasing (p = 0.010), and threatening (p = 0.003) behaviour over time, suggesting potential fasting and confinement stress. During the post-transport period, a significant main effect of treatment and timepoint on freezing and thigmotaxis behaviour was found, with an increase in these behaviours over time and significantly higher levels between control and smooth transported groups. Nevertheless, aggressive behaviours were affected only by timepoint, with an increase observed between 0h and 24h post-transport. Neither plasma biochemical indicators nor flesh quality differed between treatments, while a significant effect of timepoint was found for plasma glucose (p = 0.045), plasma lactate (p = 0.021), and muscle pH (p < 0.001). Our study consequently did not find rough transport to impact fish physiology and flesh quality more than smooth transport, but behavioural results suggest there was a strong combined effect of fasting, exposure to a novel environment, and confinement over time. Future research would be valuable to study these effects on the welfare of transported bass, allowing for a longer recovery time and the use of potential mitigation options such as environmental enrichment.

Emerging and re‑emerging infectious diseases pose significant challenges to animal and public health, and are aligning with global food security concerns. Anthropogenic activities, such as changes in climate, agricultural procedures and farming practices contribute to the spread of zoonotic infections in new geographical areas. Overall diagnostic quality and treatment options have improved over the past few decades. The re‑emergence of old and new lethal diseases, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza in animals and humans, along with recurring epidemics, is increasingly threatening different sectors, including the animal care industry and veterinary medicine. The rapid pace of the animal industry, environmental change and socioeconomic burdens are influencing and challenging veterinarians, farmers and epidemiologists in their capacity to survey and control the spread of diseases in animals, and signify the useful impacts on their livelihoods and environment. There is high research interest in engineering various types of drug‑loaded cues with multiple functionalities to tackle several infectious and non‑infectious diseases. Additionally, the issue can be resolved with international‑level awareness efforts, the deployment of proper design and reliable reporting standards, precise test protocols, and acceptance of the utilization of latent class models to account for, interpret and justify imperfect reference tests. The present review discusses the challenges and strategies for preventing and combating infectious diseases in livestock. Furthermore, the ongoing challenges are summarized, and future considerations, concluding remarks and recommendations are also provided for progress in the animal care and medicine sectors.

Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are one of the most iconic marsupial species endemic to Australia. However, their population is declining due to threats including habitat loss, disease, dog attacks, and vehicle collisions. These threats also serve as acute or chronic stressors that impact koala welfare and conservation. Cortisol is widely used as a biomarker to study stress in koalas. However, plasma cortisol concentration is less studied due to its limited ability to assess chronic stress and welfare concerns. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) are biomarkers that could potentially detect chronic stress due to their antagonising and inhibitory effects on cortisol. In this study, we used plasma cortisol and the ratio of DHEAS and DHT to cortisol to assess stress in rescued koalas (n = 10) admitted to RSPCA Queensland. Although no significant differences were found between koalas across all biomarkers and the ratios failed to detect chronic stressors, similar trends were found consistently, suggesting the potential use of the biomarkers to assess stress. Across all biomarkers, the highest medians were found in koalas with Chlamydia-related reproductive disease and oxalate nephrosis and the lowest medians were found in koalas with Chlamydia-related conjunctivitis. Higher medians were also found consistently in females (n = 3) and adult koalas. In addition, insignificant negative correlations were found across all biomarkers between age, weight, and body conditioning scores, except for the positive correlation between weight and cortisol and cortisol:DHT. Overall, the consistency of trends and the insignificant differences found across biomarkers in our study suggested that using a single biomarker to assess chronic stress is insufficient, especially for hospital-based studies limited by sample population. Thus, this pilot study provides first step towards developing a koala-specific allostatic load index based on multiple stress biomarkers to understand chronic stress in rescued koalas.Lay summary Stress in koalas can be challenging for their welfare and conservation. In this study, we tested plasma glucocorticoids and their ratios as biomarkers of acute and chronic stress. Our finding showed ratios of DHEAS and DHT to cortisol are comparable across stress parameters and animal demographic characteristics. This study serves as a foundational framework for developing a stress index based on multiple biomarkers that could be useful tool for koala welfare.### Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.

In 2024, researchers from around the world entered the joint BMC Ecology and Evolution and BMC Zoology image competition. The photos, a celebration of the wonders and mysteries of the natural world, emphasise the importance of protecting life on our planet. This editorial announces the winning images chosen by the Editors and senior members of the journal’s editorial boards.

Abstract The live transport of farmed fish is an important practice in Chinese aquaculture due to consumer preferences in its domestic market. However, live transport can be stressful for fish and may cause many welfare issues. This study aimed to examine the effects of transport density on the welfare of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Adult fish were allocated to four experimental treatments in a two‐factor design (N = 5 groups per treatment). Factor one was stocking density of either 39 (low density) or 78 (high density) g L−1. Factor two was transport, with half of the fish groups exposed to simulated transport stress for 3 h using a motion platform, and the other half kept in static tanks for the same length of time. Baseline behavior and physiology were determined from a subset of fish after acclimation but before selection into groups and application of transport. To determine the effects of transport, stocking density, and their interaction on the experimental groups, physiological sampling and behavioral recording were carried out immediately after simulated transport, and water quality was measured both before and after transport. Changes in water quality were observed between two timepoints, with decreased dissolved oxygen levels and increased water temperature. Total ammonia nitrogen levels significantly increased in all treatments over time, particularly in the high‐density groups. Fish ventilation rates were significantly elevated in the groups kept at a high stocking density regardless of whether they also experienced transport stress. Fish transported at a high stocking density also showed more fear‐related behaviors such as freezing and thigmotaxis than non‐transported groups. Serum cortisol, catalase, and aspartate transaminase levels were significantly higher in the transported treatment groups compared to the baseline fish, but no difference was found for serum glucose, lactate, and glutathione peroxidase. We concluded that 3 h of simulated transport was stressful to largemouth bass kept at 78 g L−1, as evidenced by altered fish physiological and behavioral indicators of stress, as well as deteriorated water quality. Additionally, we identified a positive correlation between serum and skin mucus samples for cortisol, glucose, and lactate in transported fish, providing important information for developing less invasive methods for the welfare assessment of largemouth bass.