Dear all, On the 26th of January the NGOs (Almeria PROMAR) and the Spanish Cetacean Society (SEC) requested the collaboration of the Unit of Cetacean Research (Veterinary Pathology Unit, Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School) from Las Palmas University in the Canary Islands, to conduct a pathological study of four whales that mass stranded on the Almeria´s coats in Southern Spain. The veterinary pathologists carried out the necropsy of two males and two females beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris, family Ziphiidae). All animals were in good body (nutritive) conditions with some rests of ingested prey. Three carcasses were in fresh condition and the fourth was moderately decomposed when necropsied. The epidemiological data showed an “atypical” beaked whale mass stranding involving four whales which died during the evening and/or night of the 26th of January 2006. Two animals were found alive and two were found dead. The two live animals appeared to show clear signs of “sickness” and died soon after being found. All the four animals showed a “Gas and Fat Embolic Syndrome” as a result of the pathological study. This syndrome, as it has been previously described in beaked whales, would be responsible for the stranding and death of these animals. When whales with this syndrome strand alive, they develop a more severe cardiovascular clinico-pathological picture and die shortly afterwards. The pathological findings in the Almeria mass stranding is very similar to previous referenced in “atypical” beaked whale mass strandings associated spatially and temporally to military naval exercises (Bahamas, 2000; Canary Islands, 2002, 2004). In all of these cases mid- frequency active sonar was used before or during the time of strandings. The whales involved were mainly of the Ziphiidae family. Based on current scientific knowledge, and the pathological findings in this study, the most likely primary cause of this type of beaked whale mass stranding event is anthropogenic acoustic activities, most probably anti-submarine active mid-frequency sonar used during the military naval exercises (Jepson et al. 2003, Fernandez et al. 2004, 2005, Cox et al. 2006). For more details please contact: Antonio Fernández, DVM, PhD, ECVP Profesor of Veterinary Pathology Co-ordinator Unit of Cetacean Research (Members): Manuel Arbelo, DVM Eva Sierra, DVM Mariña Méndez, DVM Ana Godinho, DVM Maria José Caballero, DVM, PhD Gustavo Ramirez, DVM Veterinary Histology and Pathology Email: afernandez@dmor.ulpgc.es Institute for Animal Health and Food Security (IUSA) Veterinary School University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Bibliography: • Jepson, P.D., Arbelo, M., Deaville, R., Patterson,I.A.P., Castro, P., Baker, J.R., Degollada, E., Ross, H.M., Herraez, P., Pocknell, A.M., Rodriguez, F., Howie, F.E., Espinosa, A., Reid, R.J., Jaber, J.R., Martin, V., Cunningham, A.A. and Fernández, A. 2003. Gas-bubble lesions in stranded cetaceans. Nature 425:575-576. • Fernández, A. 2004. Pathological findings in stranded beaked whales during the naval military manoeuvres near the Canary Islands. Pp. 37-40 In Proceedings of the Workshop on Active Sonar and Cetaceans (P. Evans and L. Miller, eds.). • Fernández, A., Arbelo, M., Deaville, R., Patterson, I.A.P., Castro, P., Baker, J.R., Degollada, E., Ross, H.M., Herráez, P., Pocknell, A.M., Rodríguez, F., Howie, F.E., Espinosa, A., Reid, R.J., Jaber, J.R., Martin, V., Cunninghan, A.A., and Jepson, P.D. 2004. Beaked Whales, Sonar and Decompression Sickness. Nature 10: 1038. • Fernández, A., Edwards, J.F., Rodriguez, F., Espinosa de los Monteros, A., Herraez, P., Castro, P., Jaber, J.R., Martin, V. and Arbelo, M. 2005. "Gas and fat embolic syndrome“ involving a mass stranding of beaked whales (family Ziphiidae) exposed to anthropogenic sonar signals. Veterinary. Pathology. 42:446-57. • T.M. Cox1, T.J. Ragen1, A.J. Read2, E. Vos1, R.W. Baird3, K. Balcomb4, J. Barlow5, J. Caldwell6, T. Cranford7, L. Crum8, A. D’Amico9, G. D’Spain10, A. Fernández 11, J. Finneran9, R. Gentry12, W. Gerth13, F. Gulland14, J. Hildebrand10, D. Houser15, T. Hullar16, P.D. Jepson17, D. Ketten18, C.D. MacLeod19, P. Miller20, S. Moore21, D. Mountain22, D. Palka23, P. Ponganis10, S. Rommel24, T. Rowles25, B. Taylor5, P. Tyack18, D. Wartzok26, R. Gisiner27, J. Mead28, L. Benner29. Understanding the Impacts of Anthropogenic Sound on Beaked Whales. [1] This paper arose out of a workshop convened in April 2004 by the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.