First record of Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus (Cuvier, 1812) in Icelandic waters

Abstract In July 2022, two Risso's dolphins were reported stranded in Hrútafjörður (N65° 09,503; W21° 05,529), a fjord in northern Iceland. These events represent the first confirmed observations and strandings of Risso's dolphins in Icelandic waters. Given the uniqueness of these events,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology and Evolution
Main Authors: Valérie Chosson, Haseeb S. Randhawa, Guðjón M. Sigurðsson, Sverrir D. Halldórsson, Þorvaldur Þ. Björnsson, Vilhjálmur Svansson, Sandra M. Granquist, Karl Gunnarsson, Filipa I. P. Samarra, Christophe Pampoulie
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023
Subjects:
delphinidae
iceland
necropsy
North Atlantic
stranding
Ecology
QH540-549.5
Iceland
Subarctic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10477
https://doaj.org/article/e0a39cf6e8dc4dc59f59a9ef20d0ad90
Description
Summary:Abstract In July 2022, two Risso's dolphins were reported stranded in Hrútafjörður (N65° 09,503; W21° 05,529), a fjord in northern Iceland. These events represent the first confirmed observations and strandings of Risso's dolphins in Icelandic waters. Given the uniqueness of these events, a decision was made to conduct full necropsies on these individuals. This study reports findings from viral and parasitological investigations, morphological and fitness measurements, as well as stomach and intestine content analysis for each of the Risso's dolphin specimens. The results of the necropsies do not suggest any other cause of death than lack of food and exhaustion. A large plastic fragment in one individual's stomach supports these suggestions. The presence of those specimens in the middle of the subarctic ocean illustrates ongoing changes in spatial distribution expanding northward, impacting not only Risso's dolphins but more generally marine life and biodiversity.

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