1. A mass stranding of seven Longman’s beaked whales (Indopacetus pacificus) in New Caledonia, South Pacific
- Author
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Rémi Dodemont, Paco Bustamante, Claire Garrigue, Merel L. Dalebout, Jean Christophe Vivier, Marc Oremus, Olivier Kwiatek, Christina Lockyer, Geneviève Libeau, Opération Cétacés, LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés - UMR 7266 (LIENSs), Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Contrôle des maladies animales exotiques et émergentes (UMR CMAEE), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad), Age Dynamics, Clinique Vétérinaire de Sainte-Marie, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences [Sydney] (BEES), University of New South Wales [Sydney] (UNSW), LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés - UMRi 7266 (LIENSs), This study was partially funded by the Observatoire de l'Environnement en Nouvelle-Caledonie (OEIL) and the Comite Consultatif Coutumier Environnemental (CCCE), and Garrigue, Claire
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,océan pacifique ,Adult male ,marine debris ,Zoology ,Baleine ,Aquatic Science ,Biology ,L73 - Maladies des animaux ,Indopacetus pacificus ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Ziphiidae ,mass stranding ,Biologie animale ,Species identification ,14. Life underwater ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Animal biology ,indopacetus pacificus ,mtDNA control region ,DNA species identification ,morbillivirus ,marine ,debris ,heavy metal pollution ,external appearance ,age ,tropical ,bottlenose whale ,tropical bottlenose whale ,cetacea ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,biology.organism_classification ,M40 - Écologie aquatique ,nouvelle calédonie ,L20 - Écologie animale ,[SDV.TOX.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology/Ecotoxicology - Abstract
International audience; Seven Longman’s beaked whales (Indopacetus pacificus) stranded together in southern New Caledonia on 16 November 2013 (one adult male, two adult females, two subadult females, one calf, and one unknown). At this time, we have no evidence to suggest that this event was an “atypical” mass stranding associated with active naval sonar or other anthropogenic activities. The adult females were slightly larger (618–640 cm) than the adult male (590 cm). The length of the calf (ca. 300 cm) suggests it was less than a year old. Five of the whales were sampled for mitochondrial (mt) DNA analysis to confirm species identification. All shared the same haplotype over 680 bp of the mtDNA control region. High concentrations of Hg, Fe, Se, Zn (all in the liver), and Cd (in the kidneys) were detected. Necropsies revealed plastic debris in the stomach of two of the whales. One of these same whales had chronic gastritis while the other had acute pleurisy and also tested positive for morbillivirus. This infection may have been a major factor behind this mass stranding event.
- Published
- 2016
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