Thierry M Work
Dr. Thierry M Work is currently the project leader for the National Wildlife Health Center Honolulu Field Station where he leads a team that provides support to safeguard wildlife and ecosystem health through research and technical assistance to federal, state, and international partners.
Professional Experience
1992-Present: Project leader, USGS National Wildlife Health Center Honolulu Field Station
1987-1992: Wildlife veterinarian, California Department of Fish & Game
Education and Certifications
1989 Masters in Preventive Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis
1988 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis
1985 Master Science, Entomology, UC Davis
1983 Bachelor Science, Entomology, Texas A&M
Affiliations and Memberships*
Wildlife Disease Association
Sigma Xi
Science and Products
Tissue loss (white syndrome) in the coral Montipora capitata is a dynamic disease with multiple host responses and potential causes
Candidatus Renichlamydia lutjani, a Gram-negative bacterium in internal organs of blue striped snapper Lutjanus kasmira from Hawaii
Bacterial communities associated with healthy and Acropora white syndrome-affected corals from American Samoa
Infection by Haemoproteus parasites in four species of frigatebirds and the description of a new species of Haemoproteus (Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae)
Infanticide of wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus chick at Marine corps Base Hawaii
Pathology of tissue loss (white syndrome) in Acropora sp. corals from the Central Pacific
Growth anomalies on the coral genera Acropora and Porites are strongly associated with host density and human population size across the Indo-Pacific
Gross and microscopic morphology of lesions in Cnidaria from Palmyra Atoll, Central Pacific
Coastal habitat degradation and green sea turtle diets in Southeastern Brazil
Coral diversity and the severity of disease outbreaks: a cross-regional comparison of Acropora white syndrome in a species-rich region (American Samoa) with a species-poor region (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands).
Comparative health assessment of western Pacific leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) foraging off the coast of California, 2005-2007
Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are critically endangered, primarily threatened by the overharvesting of eggs, fisheries entanglement, and coastal development. The Pacific leatherback population has experienced a catastrophic decline over the past two decades. Leatherbacks foraging off the coast of California are part of a distinct Western Pacific breeding stock that nests on beaches in
Outbreak of Acropora white syndrome following a mild bleaching event at Palmyra Atoll, Northern Line Islands, Central Pacific
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Science
- Data
Filter Total Items: 15No Result Found
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 166
Tissue loss (white syndrome) in the coral Montipora capitata is a dynamic disease with multiple host responses and potential causes
Tissue loss diseases or white syndromes (WS) are some of the most important coral diseases because they result in significant colony mortality and morbidity, threatening dominant Acroporidae in the Caribbean and Pacific. The causes of WS remain elusive in part because few have examined affected corals at the cellular level. We studied the cellular changes associated with WS over time in a dominantAuthorsThierry M. Work, Robin Russell, Greta S. AebyCandidatus Renichlamydia lutjani, a Gram-negative bacterium in internal organs of blue striped snapper Lutjanus kasmira from Hawaii
The blue-striped snapper Lutjanus kasmira (Perciformes, Lutjanidae) are cosmopolitan in the Indo-Pacific but were introduced into Oahu, Hawaii, USA, in the 1950s and have since colonized most of the archipelago. Studies of microparasites in blue-striped snappers from Hawaii revealed chlamydia-like organisms (CLO) infecting the spleen and kidney, characterized by intracellular basophilic granular iAuthorsDaniele Corsaro, Thierry M. WorkBacterial communities associated with healthy and Acropora white syndrome-affected corals from American Samoa
Acropora white syndrome (AWS) is characterized by rapid tissue loss revealing the white underlying skeleton and affects corals worldwide; however, reports of causal agents are conflicting. Samples were collected from healthy and diseased corals and seawater around American Samoa and bacteria associated with AWS characterized using both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods, from coralAuthorsBryan Wilson, Greta S. Aeby, Thierry M. Work, David G. BourneInfection by Haemoproteus parasites in four species of frigatebirds and the description of a new species of Haemoproteus (Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae)
Among seabirds, the fregatids stand out with a high prevalence of blood parasites. Four of 5 species in this family have been found to be infected with Haemoproteus; however, complete species descriptions with molecular phylogeny are lacking. Seventy-five samples from 4 species of frigatebirds, i.e., Fregata andrewsi, Fregata minor, Fregata magnificens, and Fregata aquila, were screened for infectAuthorsSantiago Merino, Janos Hennicke, Javier Martinez, Katrin Ludynia, Roxana Torres, Thierry M. Work, Stedson Stroud, Juan F. Masello, Petra QuillfeldtInfanticide of wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus chick at Marine corps Base Hawaii
No abstract available.AuthorsT.F. Russell, L. Young, Thierry M. WorkPathology of tissue loss (white syndrome) in Acropora sp. corals from the Central Pacific
We performed histological examination of 69 samples of Acropora sp. manifesting different types of tissue loss (Acropora White Syndrome-AWS) from Hawaii, Johnston Atoll and American Samoa between 2002 and 2006. Gross lesions of tissue loss were observed and classified as diffuse acute, diffuse subacute, and focal to multifocal acute to subacute. Corals with acute tissue loss manifested microscopicAuthorsThierry M. Work, Greta S. AebyGrowth anomalies on the coral genera Acropora and Porites are strongly associated with host density and human population size across the Indo-Pacific
Growth anomalies (GAs) are common, tumor-like diseases that can cause significant morbidity and decreased fecundity in the major Indo-Pacific reef-building coral genera, Acropora and Porites. GAs are unusually tractable for testing hypotheses about drivers of coral disease because of their pan-Pacific distributions, relatively high occurrence, and unambiguous ease of identification. We modeled mulAuthorsGreta S. Aeby, Gareth J. Williams, Erik C. Franklin, Jessica Haapkyla, C. Drew Harvell, Stephen Neale, Cathie A. Page, Laurie Raymundo, Bernardo Vargas-Angel, Bette L. Willis, Thierry M. Work, Simon K. DavyGross and microscopic morphology of lesions in Cnidaria from Palmyra Atoll, Central Pacific
We conducted gross and microscopic characterizations of lesions in Cnidaria from Palmyra Atoll, Central Pacific. We found growth anomalies (GA) to be the most commonly encountered lesion. Cases of discoloration and tissue loss were rare. GAs had a focal or multi-focal distribution and were predominantly nodular, exophytic, and umbonate. In scleractinians, the majority of GAs manifested as hyperplaAuthorsGareth J. Williams, Thierry M. Work, Greta S. Aeby, Ingrid S. Knapp, Simon K. DavyCoastal habitat degradation and green sea turtle diets in Southeastern Brazil
To show the influence of coastal habitat degradation on the availability of food for green turtles (Chelonia mydas), we assessed the dietary preferences and macroalgae community at a feeding area in a highly urbanized region. The area showed low species richness and was classified as degraded. We examined stomach contents of 15 dead stranded turtles (CCL = 44.0 cm (SD 6.7 cm)). The diet was composAuthorsRobson G. Santos, Agnaldo Silva Martins, Julyana da Nobrega Farias, Antunes Paulo Horta, Hudson Tercio Pinheiro, Cecilia Baptistotte, Jeffrey A. Seminoff, George H. Balazs, Thierry M. WorkCoral diversity and the severity of disease outbreaks: a cross-regional comparison of Acropora white syndrome in a species-rich region (American Samoa) with a species-poor region (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands).
The dynamics of the coral disease, Acropora white syndrome (AWS), was directly compared on reefs in the species-poor region of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) and the species-rich region of American Samoa (AS) with results suggesting that biodiversity, which can affect the abundance of susceptible hosts, is important in influencing the impacts of coral disease outbreaks. The diversity-disAuthorsG.S. Aeby, D.G. Bourne, B. Wilson, Thierry M. WorkComparative health assessment of western Pacific leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) foraging off the coast of California, 2005-2007
Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are critically endangered, primarily threatened by the overharvesting of eggs, fisheries entanglement, and coastal development. The Pacific leatherback population has experienced a catastrophic decline over the past two decades. Leatherbacks foraging off the coast of California are part of a distinct Western Pacific breeding stock that nests on beaches in
AuthorsHeather S. Harris, Scott R. Benson, Kirsten V. Gilardi, Robert H. Poppenga, Thierry M. Work, Peter H. Dutton, Jonna A.K. MazetOutbreak of Acropora white syndrome following a mild bleaching event at Palmyra Atoll, Northern Line Islands, Central Pacific
No abstract available.AuthorsG.J. Williams, I.S. Knapp, Thierry M. Work, E.J. ConklinNon-USGS Publications**
Beale, A.M., Higgins, R.J., Work, T.M., Bailey, C.S., Smith, M.O., Shinka, T., and Hammock, B.D. (1989). MPTP-induced parkinson-like disease in sheep: Clinical and pathologic findings. Journal of Environmental Pathology and Toxicology 9, 417-428.
Hammock, B.D., Beale, A.M., Work, T.M., Gee, S.J., Gunther, R., Higgins, R.J., Shinka, T., and Castagnoli, N. (1989). A sheep model for MPTP induced parkinson-like symptoms. Life Sciences 45, 1601-1608.
Jessup, D.A., Work, T.M., Bushnell, R., Sawyer, M.M., and Osburn, B.I. (1990). An outbreak of bluetongue in captive deer and adjacent livestock in Kern county, California. California Fish and Game 76, 83-90.
Work, T.M., and Jessup, D.A. (1990). Epidemiology and pathology of hemorrhagic disease in free-ranging black-tailed deer in California: 1986-1987. Transactions of the Western Section of the Wildlife Society 26, 72-76.
Work, T.M., Sawyer, M.M., Jessup, D.A., Washino, R.K., and Osburn, B.I. (1990). Effects of anaesthetization and storage temperature on bluetongue virus recovery from Culicoides variipennis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and sheep blood. Journal of medical entomology 27, 331-333.
Work, T.M., Washino, R.K., and Van RIper, I.I.I., C (1990). Comparative susceptibility of Culex tarsalis, Anopheles franciscanus and Culiseta inornata (Diptera: Culicidae) to Plasmodium relictum (Haemosporidia: Plasmodiiae). Journal of medical entomology 27, 68-71.
Work, T.M., Mullens, B.A., and Jessup, D.A. (1991). Estimation of survival and gonotrophic cycle length of Culicoides variipennis (Diptera; Ceratopogonidae) in California. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 7, 242-249.
Fritz, L., Quilliam, M.A., Wright, J.L.C., Beale, A.M., and Work, T.M. (1992). An outbreak of domoic acid poisoning attributed to the pennate diatom Pseudonitzschia australis. J Phycol 28, 439-442.
Work, T.M., Jessup, D.A., and Sawyer, M.M. (1992). Experimental bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus infeciton in black-tailed deer. J Wildl Dis 28, 623-628.
Work, T.M., Barr, B., Beale, A., Fritz, L., Quilliam, M.A., and Wright, J.L.C. (1993). Epidemiology of domoic acid poisoning in brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) and Brandt's cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) in California. J Zoo Wildl Med 24, 54-62.
Work, T.M., Beale, A.M., Fritz, L., Quilliam, M.A., Silver, M., Buck, K., and Wright, J. (1993). Domoic acid intoxication of brown pelicans and cormorants in Santa Cruz, California. In Toxic phytoplankton blooms in the sea, T. Smayda, ed. (Copenhagen: Elsiever), pp. 643-649.
Work, T.M., DeLong, R.L., Spraker, T.R., and Melin, S.R. (1993). Halothane anesthesia as a method of immobilizing free-ranging California sea lions (Zalophus californianus). J Zoo Wildl Med 24, 482-487.
Chomel, B.B., Carniciu, M.L., Kasten, R.W., Castelli, P.M., Work, T.M., and Jessup, D.A. (1994). Antibody prevalence of eight ruminant infectious diseases in California mule and black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemioneus). J Wildl Dis 30, 51-59.
Patton, J.F., Work, T.M., Jessup, D.A., Hietala, S.K., Oliver, M.N., and MacLachlan, N.J. (1994). Serologic detection of bluetongue virus infection of black-tailed deer:comparison of the serum neutralization, agar gel immunodiffusion, and competitive ELISA assays. J Wildl Dis 30, 99-102.
Paul-Murphy, J., Work, T., Hunter, D.B., McFie, E., and Fjelline, D. (1994). Serologic survey and serum biochemical reference ranges of the free-ranging mountain lion (Felis concolor) in California. J Wildl Dis 30, 205-215.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- News
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government