Acknowledgements
We thank the numerous students, research assistants and volunteers who
contributed to sample collection and processing. In-kind and logistical
support was provided by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Canada
Coast Guard, the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (DFO Science),
Environment Canada, Parks Canada Agency, Maritime Air Charters Limited
(Sable Aviation), and Sable Island Station (Meteorological Service of
Canada). Funding was provided by the Margaret Gunn Endowment for Animal
Research, the L. David Dubé and Heather Ryan Veterinary Health and
Research Fund, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of
Canada (Discovery Grants Nos 2019-04388 to JP, 2016-06459 to PDM), and
the Canada Foundation for Innovation (Leaders Opportunity Grant No.
25046). SG and AH were supported by scholarships from the University of
Calgary Department of Ecosystem and Public Health and the O’Brien Centre
for the Bachelor of Health Sciences. MRS was supported variously by an
NSERC Vanier scholarship, Alberta Innovates scholarship, and Izaak
Walton Killam scholarship while completing the research contained
herein. Sample collection and laboratory analyses were performed under
Parks Canada Agency Research and Collections Permit SINP-2013-2014,
University of Saskatchewan Animal Care Protocol 20090032, and University
of Calgary Animal Care Protocol AC18-0078.