Sometimes sperm whales (physeter macrocephalus) cannot find their way back to the high seas: A multidisciplinary study on a mass stranding
Background: Mass strandings of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) remain peculiar and rather unexplained events, which rarely occur in the Mediterranean Sea. Solar cycles and related changes in the geomagnetic field, variations in water temperature and weather conditions, coast geographical featu...
Published in: | PLoS ONE |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2011
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10553/47523 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0019417 |
id |
ftunivlaspalmas:oai:accedacris.ulpgc.es:10553/47523 |
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record_format |
openpolar |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Acceda |
op_collection_id |
ftunivlaspalmas |
language |
English |
topic |
240119 Zoología marina 240118 Mamíferos 3109 Ciencias veterinarias Polycyclic Aromatic-Hydrocarbons North-Sea Genetic Diversity Marine Mammals Methyl Mercury Heavy-Metals Habitat Use Cetaceans Atlantic Methylmercury Sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus Multidisciplinary study Mass stranding Mediterranean Sea |
spellingShingle |
240119 Zoología marina 240118 Mamíferos 3109 Ciencias veterinarias Polycyclic Aromatic-Hydrocarbons North-Sea Genetic Diversity Marine Mammals Methyl Mercury Heavy-Metals Habitat Use Cetaceans Atlantic Methylmercury Sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus Multidisciplinary study Mass stranding Mediterranean Sea Mazzariol, Sandro Guardo, Giovanni Di Petrella, Antonio Marsili, Letizia Fossi, Maria Cristina Leonzio, Claudio Zizzo, Nicola Vizzini, Salvatrice Gaspari, Stefania A. Pavan, Gianni Podestà, Michela Garibaldi, Fulvio Ferrante, Margherita Copat, Chiara Traversa, Donato Marcer, Federica Airoldi, Sabina Frantzis, Alexandros Bernaldo De Quirós Miranda, Yara Cozzi, Bruno Fernández Rodríguez, Antonio Jesús Sometimes sperm whales (physeter macrocephalus) cannot find their way back to the high seas: A multidisciplinary study on a mass stranding |
topic_facet |
240119 Zoología marina 240118 Mamíferos 3109 Ciencias veterinarias Polycyclic Aromatic-Hydrocarbons North-Sea Genetic Diversity Marine Mammals Methyl Mercury Heavy-Metals Habitat Use Cetaceans Atlantic Methylmercury Sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus Multidisciplinary study Mass stranding Mediterranean Sea |
description |
Background: Mass strandings of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) remain peculiar and rather unexplained events, which rarely occur in the Mediterranean Sea. Solar cycles and related changes in the geomagnetic field, variations in water temperature and weather conditions, coast geographical features and human activities have been proposed as possible causes. In December 2009, a pod of seven male sperm whales stranded along the Adriatic coast of Southern Italy. This is the sixth instance from 1555 in this basin. Methodology/Principal Findings: Complete necropsies were performed on three whales whose bodies were in good condition, carrying out on sampled tissues histopathology, virology, bacteriology, parasitology, and screening of veins looking for gas emboli. Furthermore, samples for age determination, genetic studies, gastric content evaluation, stable isotopes and toxicology were taken from all the seven specimens. The animals were part of the same group and determined by genetic and photo-identification to be part of the Mediterranean population. Causes of death did not include biological agents, or the "gas and fat embolic syndrome", associated with direct sonar exposure. Environmental pollutant tissue concentrations were relatively high, in particular organochlorinated xenobiotics. Gastric content and morphologic tissue examinations showed a prolonged starvation, which likely caused, at its turn, the mobilization of lipophilic contaminants from the adipose tissue. Chemical compounds subsequently entered the blood circulation and may have impaired immune and nervous functions. Conclusions/Significance: A multi-factorial cause underlying this sperm whales' mass stranding is proposed herein based upon the results of postmortem investigations as well as of the detailed analyses of the geographical and historical background. The seven sperm whales took the same "wrong way" into the Adriatic Sea, a potentially dangerous trap for Mediterranean sperm whales. Seismic surveys should be also regarded as potential co-factors, even if no evidence of direct impact has been detected. 17 |
author2 |
Bernaldo de Quiros, Yara Pavan, Gianni Copat, Chiara Ferrante, Margherita Fernandez, Antonio Frantzis, Alexandros Traversa, Donato Mazzariol, Sandro Marsili, Letizia 24173815500 26664524800 13104212100 7006269026 57211159872 7006654575 7004020205 6507827560 6602597485 24775700400 7003283149 7005828669 7006836979 57143880700 26027461200 6603886608 14424279800 16244070400 8758039800 37664524500 7004475671 56673009900 888516 364862 2926353 218875 1469274 30388413 492976 1115028 538487 1332778 32133621 1285618 2600390 2964097 241219 1236237 159572 1847399 2521419 |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mazzariol, Sandro Guardo, Giovanni Di Petrella, Antonio Marsili, Letizia Fossi, Maria Cristina Leonzio, Claudio Zizzo, Nicola Vizzini, Salvatrice Gaspari, Stefania A. Pavan, Gianni Podestà, Michela Garibaldi, Fulvio Ferrante, Margherita Copat, Chiara Traversa, Donato Marcer, Federica Airoldi, Sabina Frantzis, Alexandros Bernaldo De Quirós Miranda, Yara Cozzi, Bruno Fernández Rodríguez, Antonio Jesús |
author_facet |
Mazzariol, Sandro Guardo, Giovanni Di Petrella, Antonio Marsili, Letizia Fossi, Maria Cristina Leonzio, Claudio Zizzo, Nicola Vizzini, Salvatrice Gaspari, Stefania A. Pavan, Gianni Podestà, Michela Garibaldi, Fulvio Ferrante, Margherita Copat, Chiara Traversa, Donato Marcer, Federica Airoldi, Sabina Frantzis, Alexandros Bernaldo De Quirós Miranda, Yara Cozzi, Bruno Fernández Rodríguez, Antonio Jesús |
author_sort |
Mazzariol, Sandro |
title |
Sometimes sperm whales (physeter macrocephalus) cannot find their way back to the high seas: A multidisciplinary study on a mass stranding |
title_short |
Sometimes sperm whales (physeter macrocephalus) cannot find their way back to the high seas: A multidisciplinary study on a mass stranding |
title_full |
Sometimes sperm whales (physeter macrocephalus) cannot find their way back to the high seas: A multidisciplinary study on a mass stranding |
title_fullStr |
Sometimes sperm whales (physeter macrocephalus) cannot find their way back to the high seas: A multidisciplinary study on a mass stranding |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sometimes sperm whales (physeter macrocephalus) cannot find their way back to the high seas: A multidisciplinary study on a mass stranding |
title_sort |
sometimes sperm whales (physeter macrocephalus) cannot find their way back to the high seas: a multidisciplinary study on a mass stranding |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10553/47523 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0019417 |
genre |
Physeter macrocephalus |
genre_facet |
Physeter macrocephalus |
op_source |
PLoS ONE [ISSN 1932-6203], v. 6 (5), (e19417) |
op_relation |
PLoS ONE 6 1932-6203 http://hdl.handle.net/10553/47523 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019417 79956205540 000290720200005 e19417 WOS:000290720200005 A-3628-2015 M-4619-2015 H-2192-2013 B-2781-2011 G-3448-2015 No ID Sí |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0019417 |
container_title |
PLoS ONE |
container_volume |
6 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
e19417 |
_version_ |
1766168152084840448 |
spelling |
ftunivlaspalmas:oai:accedacris.ulpgc.es:10553/47523 2023-05-15T17:59:21+02:00 Sometimes sperm whales (physeter macrocephalus) cannot find their way back to the high seas: A multidisciplinary study on a mass stranding Mazzariol, Sandro Guardo, Giovanni Di Petrella, Antonio Marsili, Letizia Fossi, Maria Cristina Leonzio, Claudio Zizzo, Nicola Vizzini, Salvatrice Gaspari, Stefania A. Pavan, Gianni Podestà, Michela Garibaldi, Fulvio Ferrante, Margherita Copat, Chiara Traversa, Donato Marcer, Federica Airoldi, Sabina Frantzis, Alexandros Bernaldo De Quirós Miranda, Yara Cozzi, Bruno Fernández Rodríguez, Antonio Jesús Bernaldo de Quiros, Yara Pavan, Gianni Copat, Chiara Ferrante, Margherita Fernandez, Antonio Frantzis, Alexandros Traversa, Donato Mazzariol, Sandro Marsili, Letizia 24173815500 26664524800 13104212100 7006269026 57211159872 7006654575 7004020205 6507827560 6602597485 24775700400 7003283149 7005828669 7006836979 57143880700 26027461200 6603886608 14424279800 16244070400 8758039800 37664524500 7004475671 56673009900 888516 364862 2926353 218875 1469274 30388413 492976 1115028 538487 1332778 32133621 1285618 2600390 2964097 241219 1236237 159572 1847399 2521419 2011 http://hdl.handle.net/10553/47523 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0019417 eng eng PLoS ONE 6 1932-6203 http://hdl.handle.net/10553/47523 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019417 79956205540 000290720200005 e19417 WOS:000290720200005 A-3628-2015 M-4619-2015 H-2192-2013 B-2781-2011 G-3448-2015 No ID Sí PLoS ONE [ISSN 1932-6203], v. 6 (5), (e19417) 240119 Zoología marina 240118 Mamíferos 3109 Ciencias veterinarias Polycyclic Aromatic-Hydrocarbons North-Sea Genetic Diversity Marine Mammals Methyl Mercury Heavy-Metals Habitat Use Cetaceans Atlantic Methylmercury Sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus Multidisciplinary study Mass stranding Mediterranean Sea info:eu-repo/semantics/Article Article 2011 ftunivlaspalmas https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0019417 2021-04-27T23:10:12Z Background: Mass strandings of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) remain peculiar and rather unexplained events, which rarely occur in the Mediterranean Sea. Solar cycles and related changes in the geomagnetic field, variations in water temperature and weather conditions, coast geographical features and human activities have been proposed as possible causes. In December 2009, a pod of seven male sperm whales stranded along the Adriatic coast of Southern Italy. This is the sixth instance from 1555 in this basin. Methodology/Principal Findings: Complete necropsies were performed on three whales whose bodies were in good condition, carrying out on sampled tissues histopathology, virology, bacteriology, parasitology, and screening of veins looking for gas emboli. Furthermore, samples for age determination, genetic studies, gastric content evaluation, stable isotopes and toxicology were taken from all the seven specimens. The animals were part of the same group and determined by genetic and photo-identification to be part of the Mediterranean population. Causes of death did not include biological agents, or the "gas and fat embolic syndrome", associated with direct sonar exposure. Environmental pollutant tissue concentrations were relatively high, in particular organochlorinated xenobiotics. Gastric content and morphologic tissue examinations showed a prolonged starvation, which likely caused, at its turn, the mobilization of lipophilic contaminants from the adipose tissue. Chemical compounds subsequently entered the blood circulation and may have impaired immune and nervous functions. Conclusions/Significance: A multi-factorial cause underlying this sperm whales' mass stranding is proposed herein based upon the results of postmortem investigations as well as of the detailed analyses of the geographical and historical background. The seven sperm whales took the same "wrong way" into the Adriatic Sea, a potentially dangerous trap for Mediterranean sperm whales. Seismic surveys should be also regarded as potential co-factors, even if no evidence of direct impact has been detected. 17 Article in Journal/Newspaper Physeter macrocephalus Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Acceda PLoS ONE 6 5 e19417 |