Sometimes sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) cannot find their way back to the high seas: a multidisciplinary study on a mass stranding.
<h4>Background</h4>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...
Guardado en:
| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | EN |
| Publicado: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2011
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doaj.org/article/f0d70fc278754b5fb1a35dc6b34bc07d |
| Etiquetas: |
Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
|
| id |
oai:doaj.org-article:f0d70fc278754b5fb1a35dc6b34bc07d |
|---|---|
| record_format |
dspace |
| spelling |
oai:doaj.org-article:f0d70fc278754b5fb1a35dc6b34bc07d2021-11-18T06:53:43ZSometimes sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) cannot find their way back to the high seas: a multidisciplinary study on a mass stranding.1932-620310.1371/journal.pone.0019417https://doaj.org/article/f0d70fc278754b5fb1a35dc6b34bc07d2011-01-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/21673789/?tool=EBIhttps://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203<h4>Background</h4>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.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>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.<h4>Conclusions/significance</h4>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.Sandro MazzariolGiovanni Di GuardoAntonio PetrellaLetizia MarsiliCristina M FossiClaudio LeonzioNicola ZizzoSalvatrice VizziniStefania GaspariGianni PavanMichela PodestàFulvio GaribaldiMargherita FerranteChiara CopatDonato TraversaFederica MarcerSabina AiroldiAlexandros FrantzisYara De Bernaldo QuirósBruno CozziAntonio FernándezPublic Library of Science (PLoS)articleMedicineRScienceQENPLoS ONE, Vol 6, Iss 5, p e19417 (2011) |
| institution |
DOAJ |
| collection |
DOAJ |
| language |
EN |
| topic |
Medicine R Science Q |
| spellingShingle |
Medicine R Science Q Sandro Mazzariol Giovanni Di Guardo Antonio Petrella Letizia Marsili Cristina M Fossi Claudio Leonzio Nicola Zizzo Salvatrice Vizzini Stefania Gaspari Gianni Pavan Michela Podestà Fulvio Garibaldi Margherita Ferrante Chiara Copat Donato Traversa Federica Marcer Sabina Airoldi Alexandros Frantzis Yara De Bernaldo Quirós Bruno Cozzi Antonio Fernández Sometimes sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) cannot find their way back to the high seas: a multidisciplinary study on a mass stranding. |
| description |
<h4>Background</h4>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.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>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.<h4>Conclusions/significance</h4>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. |
| format |
article |
| author |
Sandro Mazzariol Giovanni Di Guardo Antonio Petrella Letizia Marsili Cristina M Fossi Claudio Leonzio Nicola Zizzo Salvatrice Vizzini Stefania Gaspari Gianni Pavan Michela Podestà Fulvio Garibaldi Margherita Ferrante Chiara Copat Donato Traversa Federica Marcer Sabina Airoldi Alexandros Frantzis Yara De Bernaldo Quirós Bruno Cozzi Antonio Fernández |
| author_facet |
Sandro Mazzariol Giovanni Di Guardo Antonio Petrella Letizia Marsili Cristina M Fossi Claudio Leonzio Nicola Zizzo Salvatrice Vizzini Stefania Gaspari Gianni Pavan Michela Podestà Fulvio Garibaldi Margherita Ferrante Chiara Copat Donato Traversa Federica Marcer Sabina Airoldi Alexandros Frantzis Yara De Bernaldo Quirós Bruno Cozzi Antonio Fernández |
| author_sort |
Sandro Mazzariol |
| 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. |
| publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| publishDate |
2011 |
| url |
https://doaj.org/article/f0d70fc278754b5fb1a35dc6b34bc07d |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT sandromazzariol sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT giovannidiguardo sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT antoniopetrella sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT letiziamarsili sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT cristinamfossi sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT claudioleonzio sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT nicolazizzo sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT salvatricevizzini sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT stefaniagaspari sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT giannipavan sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT michelapodesta sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT fulviogaribaldi sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT margheritaferrante sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT chiaracopat sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT donatotraversa sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT federicamarcer sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT sabinaairoldi sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT alexandrosfrantzis sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT yaradebernaldoquiros sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT brunocozzi sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding AT antoniofernandez sometimesspermwhalesphysetermacrocephaluscannotfindtheirwaybacktothehighseasamultidisciplinarystudyonamassstranding |
| _version_ |
1718424265292775424 |