Renee Breeden is a Biological Laboratory Technician at the National Wildlife Health Center Honolulu Field Station.
Renee has a degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. She worked in Colorado as a supervisory zookeeper at a butterfly house, water quality lab manager in a water treatment plant, and at Ocean Journey Aquarium before coming to Hawaii in 2006. Renee assists with day to day operations at the field station.
Science and Products
Mass mortality of collector urchins (Tripneustes gratilla) in Hawai`i
As grazers, sea urchins are keystone species in tropical marine ecosystems, and their loss can have important ecological ramifications. Die-offs of urchins are frequently described but their causesare often unclear, in part because systematic examinations of animal tissues at gross and microscopic level are not done. In some areas, urchins are being employed to control invasive marine algae. Here
Data on invasive corallimorphs Palmyra
Invasive marine species are well documented but options to manage them are limited. At Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (Central North Pacific), native invasive corallimorpharians, Rhodactis howesii, have smothered live native corals since 2007. Laboratory and field trials were conducted evaluating two control methods to remove R. howesii overgrowing the benthos at Palmyra Atoll (Palmyra): 1
Data set on reticuloendotheliosis in Hawaiian birds
Only one virus, Avipox, has been documented in wild birds in Hawaii. Here, using immunohistochemistry and PCR, we found that two native threatened Hawaiian geese, one with multicentric histiocytoma and another with toxoplasmosis and one Laysan albatross with avian pox were infected with reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV). The virus was isolated from one of the geese by cell culture. PCR surveys of
Data on blood cells of the collector urchin, Tripneustes gratilla
Echinoderms such as urchins are important in marine ecosystems, particularly as grazers, and unhealthy urchins can have important ecological implications. For instance, unexplained mortalities of Diadema sp. in the Caribbean were followed by algal overgrowth and subsequent collapse of coral reef ecosystems. Unfortunately few tools exist to evaluate echinoderm health making management of mortalitie
Pufferfish mortality data
In 2010, a mass mortality of pufferfish in Hawaii was dominated by Arothron hispidus showing aberrant neurological behaviors. Using pathology, toxinology, and field surveys, we implicated a series of novel, polar, marine toxins as a likely cause of this mass mortality. Our findings are striking in that 1) a marine toxin was associated with a kill of a fish species that is, itself, toxic; 2) we
Mass mortality of collector urchins Tripneustes gratilla in Hawai`i
As grazers, sea urchins are keystone species in tropical marine ecosystems, and their loss can have important ecological ramifications. Die-offs of urchins are frequently described, but their causes are often unclear, in part because systematic examinations of animal tissues at gross and microscopic level are not done. In some areas, urchins are being employed to control invasive marine algae. Her
Authors
Thierry M. Work, Julie Dagenais, Robert Rameyer, Renee Breeden, Tina Weatherby
Invasive corallimorpharians at Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge are no match for lye and heat
Invasive marine species are well documented but options to manage them are limited. At Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (Central North Pacific), native invasive corallimorpharians, Rhodactis howesii, have smothered live native corals since 2007. Laboratory and field trials were conducted evaluating two control methods to remove R. howesii overgrowing the benthos at Palmyra Atoll (Palmyra): 1
Authors
Thierry M. Work, Renee Breeden, Robert Rameyer, Vernon Born, Tim Clark, Jeremy Rainal, Chris Gillies, Julia Rose, Alex Wegmann, Stefan Kropidlowski
Morbidity and mortality of Hawaiin geese (Branta sandvicensis) and Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) associated with reticuloendotheliosis virus
Only one virus, Avipox, has been documented previously in wild birds in Hawaii. Using immunohistochemistry and PCR, we found that two native threatened Hawaiian Geese (Branta sandvicensis), one with multicentric histiocytoma and the other with toxoplasmosis, and one Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) with avian pox were infected with reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV). The virus was isolate
Authors
Thierry M. Work, Renee Breeden, Julie Dagenais, Robert Rameyer, Holly Sellers, Hon S. Ip, James W. Casey
Cytology reveals diverse cell morphotypes and cellin-cell interactions in normal collector sea urchins Tripneustes gratilla
Echinoderms such as sea urchins are important in marine ecosystems, particularly as grazers, and unhealthy sea urchins can have important ecological implications. For instance, unexplained mortalities of Diadema antillarum in the Caribbean were followed by algal overgrowth and subsequent collapse of coral reef ecosystems. Unfortunately, few tools exist to evaluate echinoderm health, making managem
Authors
Thierry M. Work, Elena Millard, Daniela B. Mariani, Tina M. Weatherby, Robert Rameyer, Julie Dagenais, Renee Breeden, Allison Beale
A novel host-adapted strain of Salmonella Typhimurium causes disease in olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) in the Pacific.
Salmonella spp. are frequently shed by wildlife including turtles, but S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium or lesions associated with Salmonella are rare in turtles. Between 1996 and 2016, we necropsied 127 apparently healthy pelagic olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) that died from drowning bycatch in fisheries and 44 live or freshly dead stranded turtles from the west coast
Authors
Thierry M. Work, Julie Dagenais, Brian A. Stacy, Jason T. Ladner, Jeffrey M. Lorch, George H. Balazs, Elias Barquero-Calvo, Brenda M. Berlowski-Zier, Renee Breeden, Natalia Corrales-Gómez, Rocio Gonzalez-Barrientos, Heather Harris, Gabriela Hernández-Mora, Angel Herrera-Ulloa, Shoreh Hesami, T. Todd Jones, Juan Alberto Morales, Terry M. Norton, Robert Rameyer, Daniel Taylor, Thomas B. Waltzek
Pufferfish mortality associated with novel polar marine toxins in Hawaii
Fish die-offs are important signals in tropical marine ecosystems. In 2010, a mass mortality of pufferfish in Hawaii (USA) was dominated by Arothron hispidus showing aberrant neurological behaviors. Using pathology, toxinology, and field surveys, we implicated a series of novel, polar, marine toxins as a likely cause of this mass mortality. Our findings are striking in that (1) a marine toxin was
Authors
Thierry M. Work, Perer D. R. Moeller, Kevin R. Beauchesne, Julie Dagenais, Renee Breeden, Robert Rameyer, Willliam A. Walsh, Melanie Abecassis, Donald R. Kobayashi, Carla M. Conway, James Winton
Mortality patterns in endangered Hawaiian geese (Nene; Branta sandvicensis)
Understanding causes of death can aid management and recovery of endangered bird populations. Toward those ends, we systematically examined 300 carcasses of endangered Hawaiian Geese (Nene; Branta sandvicensis) from Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, and Kauai between 1992 and 2013. The most common cause of death was emaciation, followed by trauma (vehicular strikes and predation), and infectious/inflammatory
Authors
Thierry M. Work, Julie Dagenais, Robert Rameyer, Renee Breeden
Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) have novel asymmetrical antibodies
Igs in vertebrates comprise equally sized H and L chains, with exceptions such as H chain–only Abs in camels or natural Ag receptors in sharks. In Reptilia, Igs are known as IgYs. Using immunoassays with isotype-specific mAbs, in this study we show that green turtles (Chelonia mydas) have a 5.7S 120-kDa IgY comprising two equally sized H/L chains with truncated Fc and a 7S 200-kDa IgY comprised of
Authors
Thierry M. Work, Julie Dagenais, Renee Breeden, Anette Schneemann, Joyce Sung, Brian Hew, George H. Balazs, John M. Berestecky
Science and Products
- Data
Mass mortality of collector urchins (Tripneustes gratilla) in Hawai`i
As grazers, sea urchins are keystone species in tropical marine ecosystems, and their loss can have important ecological ramifications. Die-offs of urchins are frequently described but their causesare often unclear, in part because systematic examinations of animal tissues at gross and microscopic level are not done. In some areas, urchins are being employed to control invasive marine algae. HereData on invasive corallimorphs Palmyra
Invasive marine species are well documented but options to manage them are limited. At Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (Central North Pacific), native invasive corallimorpharians, Rhodactis howesii, have smothered live native corals since 2007. Laboratory and field trials were conducted evaluating two control methods to remove R. howesii overgrowing the benthos at Palmyra Atoll (Palmyra): 1Data set on reticuloendotheliosis in Hawaiian birds
Only one virus, Avipox, has been documented in wild birds in Hawaii. Here, using immunohistochemistry and PCR, we found that two native threatened Hawaiian geese, one with multicentric histiocytoma and another with toxoplasmosis and one Laysan albatross with avian pox were infected with reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV). The virus was isolated from one of the geese by cell culture. PCR surveys ofData on blood cells of the collector urchin, Tripneustes gratilla
Echinoderms such as urchins are important in marine ecosystems, particularly as grazers, and unhealthy urchins can have important ecological implications. For instance, unexplained mortalities of Diadema sp. in the Caribbean were followed by algal overgrowth and subsequent collapse of coral reef ecosystems. Unfortunately few tools exist to evaluate echinoderm health making management of mortalitiePufferfish mortality data
In 2010, a mass mortality of pufferfish in Hawaii was dominated by Arothron hispidus showing aberrant neurological behaviors. Using pathology, toxinology, and field surveys, we implicated a series of novel, polar, marine toxins as a likely cause of this mass mortality. Our findings are striking in that 1) a marine toxin was associated with a kill of a fish species that is, itself, toxic; 2) we - Publications
Mass mortality of collector urchins Tripneustes gratilla in Hawai`i
As grazers, sea urchins are keystone species in tropical marine ecosystems, and their loss can have important ecological ramifications. Die-offs of urchins are frequently described, but their causes are often unclear, in part because systematic examinations of animal tissues at gross and microscopic level are not done. In some areas, urchins are being employed to control invasive marine algae. HerAuthorsThierry M. Work, Julie Dagenais, Robert Rameyer, Renee Breeden, Tina WeatherbyInvasive corallimorpharians at Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge are no match for lye and heat
Invasive marine species are well documented but options to manage them are limited. At Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (Central North Pacific), native invasive corallimorpharians, Rhodactis howesii, have smothered live native corals since 2007. Laboratory and field trials were conducted evaluating two control methods to remove R. howesii overgrowing the benthos at Palmyra Atoll (Palmyra): 1AuthorsThierry M. Work, Renee Breeden, Robert Rameyer, Vernon Born, Tim Clark, Jeremy Rainal, Chris Gillies, Julia Rose, Alex Wegmann, Stefan KropidlowskiMorbidity and mortality of Hawaiin geese (Branta sandvicensis) and Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) associated with reticuloendotheliosis virus
Only one virus, Avipox, has been documented previously in wild birds in Hawaii. Using immunohistochemistry and PCR, we found that two native threatened Hawaiian Geese (Branta sandvicensis), one with multicentric histiocytoma and the other with toxoplasmosis, and one Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) with avian pox were infected with reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV). The virus was isolateAuthorsThierry M. Work, Renee Breeden, Julie Dagenais, Robert Rameyer, Holly Sellers, Hon S. Ip, James W. CaseyCytology reveals diverse cell morphotypes and cellin-cell interactions in normal collector sea urchins Tripneustes gratilla
Echinoderms such as sea urchins are important in marine ecosystems, particularly as grazers, and unhealthy sea urchins can have important ecological implications. For instance, unexplained mortalities of Diadema antillarum in the Caribbean were followed by algal overgrowth and subsequent collapse of coral reef ecosystems. Unfortunately, few tools exist to evaluate echinoderm health, making managemAuthorsThierry M. Work, Elena Millard, Daniela B. Mariani, Tina M. Weatherby, Robert Rameyer, Julie Dagenais, Renee Breeden, Allison BealeA novel host-adapted strain of Salmonella Typhimurium causes disease in olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) in the Pacific.
Salmonella spp. are frequently shed by wildlife including turtles, but S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium or lesions associated with Salmonella are rare in turtles. Between 1996 and 2016, we necropsied 127 apparently healthy pelagic olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) that died from drowning bycatch in fisheries and 44 live or freshly dead stranded turtles from the west coastAuthorsThierry M. Work, Julie Dagenais, Brian A. Stacy, Jason T. Ladner, Jeffrey M. Lorch, George H. Balazs, Elias Barquero-Calvo, Brenda M. Berlowski-Zier, Renee Breeden, Natalia Corrales-Gómez, Rocio Gonzalez-Barrientos, Heather Harris, Gabriela Hernández-Mora, Angel Herrera-Ulloa, Shoreh Hesami, T. Todd Jones, Juan Alberto Morales, Terry M. Norton, Robert Rameyer, Daniel Taylor, Thomas B. WaltzekPufferfish mortality associated with novel polar marine toxins in Hawaii
Fish die-offs are important signals in tropical marine ecosystems. In 2010, a mass mortality of pufferfish in Hawaii (USA) was dominated by Arothron hispidus showing aberrant neurological behaviors. Using pathology, toxinology, and field surveys, we implicated a series of novel, polar, marine toxins as a likely cause of this mass mortality. Our findings are striking in that (1) a marine toxin wasAuthorsThierry M. Work, Perer D. R. Moeller, Kevin R. Beauchesne, Julie Dagenais, Renee Breeden, Robert Rameyer, Willliam A. Walsh, Melanie Abecassis, Donald R. Kobayashi, Carla M. Conway, James WintonMortality patterns in endangered Hawaiian geese (Nene; Branta sandvicensis)
Understanding causes of death can aid management and recovery of endangered bird populations. Toward those ends, we systematically examined 300 carcasses of endangered Hawaiian Geese (Nene; Branta sandvicensis) from Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, and Kauai between 1992 and 2013. The most common cause of death was emaciation, followed by trauma (vehicular strikes and predation), and infectious/inflammatoryAuthorsThierry M. Work, Julie Dagenais, Robert Rameyer, Renee BreedenGreen turtles (Chelonia mydas) have novel asymmetrical antibodies
Igs in vertebrates comprise equally sized H and L chains, with exceptions such as H chain–only Abs in camels or natural Ag receptors in sharks. In Reptilia, Igs are known as IgYs. Using immunoassays with isotype-specific mAbs, in this study we show that green turtles (Chelonia mydas) have a 5.7S 120-kDa IgY comprising two equally sized H/L chains with truncated Fc and a 7S 200-kDa IgY comprised ofAuthorsThierry M. Work, Julie Dagenais, Renee Breeden, Anette Schneemann, Joyce Sung, Brian Hew, George H. Balazs, John M. Berestecky