Dear colleagues,
We are pleased to announce the publication of our paper entitled 'Visual health assessment of white-beaked dolphins off the coast of Northumberland, North Sea, using underwater photography' in Marine Mammal Science, doi 10.1111/mms.12501
Abstract
A novel method with underwater images was used for a general health assessment of 86 white-beaked dolphins photo-identified off the Northumberland's North Sea coast (UK) in 2011-2016. Tattoo skin disease was observed in 10 dolphins. Sixty-six dolphins (76.7%) had at least one type of nonlethal injury, including white marks, non-linear incisive injuries and linear marks. Injuries of anthropogenic origin, mainly from fisheries related interactions and vessel strikes, were suspected in 15.1% of dolphins. Such injuries are increasingly reported in small cetaceans worldwide, affecting fitness, welfare, longevity and reproduction. Their high prevalence in white-beaked dolphins from Northumberland is of concern.
Dr Marie-Francoise Van Bressem
Cetacean Conservation Medicine Group-CMED Peruvian Centre for Cetacean Research-CEPEC