Measuring Baseline Cortisol Levels in Cetaceans: Developing a Novel Non-Invasive Analysis Method

With this project, we propose the development of a novel tool in stress research; a non-invasive method to measure long-term cortisol levels in cetaceans. Cortisol in cetacean skin samples is expected to reflect levels of chronic stress, as the acute stress potentially caused by the sampling itself is not expected to enter this matrix for days or even weeks. Skin samples can thus provide information on the long-term physiological status of the animal.