Health assessment of harbour porpoises (PHOCOENA PHOCOENA) from Baltic area of Denmark, Germany, Poland and Latvia

Siebert, Ursula; Pawliczka, Iwona; Benke, Harald; Vietinghoff, Vivica von; Wolf, P. A.; Pilats, Valdis; Kesselring, Tina; Lehnert, Kristina; Prenger‐Berninghoff, Ellen; Galatius, Anders; Kyhn, Line A.; Teilmann, Jonas; Hansen, Mette Sif; Sonne, Christian; Wohlsein, P.

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2020.105904

Cited by 26 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Two harbour porpoises from the BS showed changes in the stomach tissue, including gastritis, with no evidence of parasite occurrence. Similar pathological findings were identified for individuals from the BS (Siebert et al, 2020). Thus, a relationship between the accumulation of microplastics and intestinal parasites could not be confirmed in harbour porpoises, as it was previously suggested for grey seals by Hernandez-Milian et al (2019).…”

Section: Impact On the Health Statussupporting

confidence: 44%

“…Furthermore, the bycaught or asphyxiated porpoises were in a better nutritional status in comparison to the remaining ones. However, a good nutritional status is not synonymous with a good health of a harbour porpoise (Siebert et al, 2020). Based on the results presented herein, it can be assumed that a harbour porpoise, which is not physically hampered in feeding or hunting, will accumulate more microplastics in the GIT than a diseased one.…”

Section: Trophic Accumulation Via the Food Web?mentioning

confidence: 72%

“…Harbour porpoises investigated in this study, which were either accidentally bycaught (Siebert et al, 2020) or affected by a pharyngeal entrapment (Gross et al, 2020), showed a microplastic burden of 19.8 particles (SD = 12.77; n = 11) per individual. Compared to the remaining ones (n = 19), where no accidental death could be diagnosed (incl.…”

Section: Health Statusmentioning

confidence: 79%

“…Based on the well-established stranding network in Schleswig-Holstein (Germany), carcasses of stranded and bycaught harbour porpoises from the NS and BS are collected in the course of a health monitoring (Siebert et al, 2001(Siebert et al, , 2020Lehnert et al, 2005). This monitoring is established since 1990 at the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), which regularly conducts necropsies of harbour porpoises using a standardised protocol (Siebert et al, 2001(Siebert et al, , 2020. Since 2014, intestinal samples of marine mammals, including harbour porpoises, were exclusively collected for microplastic analysis.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, tissue damage and inflammations are assumed to be caused by micro-and nanoplastic occurrence (Carr et al, 2012;Stock et al, 2019). In addition, the occurrence of an enteritis in harbour porpoises seems to be rare, since only 9% of the Baltic individuals found in German waters seems to be affected (Siebert et al, 2020). Thus, it is still speculative if the presence of microplastics may cause the tissue damages found in the harbour porpoises as it has already been observed in beluga whales (Moore et al, 2020).…”

Section: Impact On the Health Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

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First Evidence of Retrospective Findings of Microplastics in Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) From German Waters

et al. 2021

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Microplastic ingestion by lower trophic level organisms is well known, whereas information on microplastic ingestion, egestion and accumulation by top predators such as cetaceans is still lacking. This study investigates microplastics in intestinal samples from harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) found along the coastline of Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) between 2014 and 2018. Out of 30 individuals found along the North Sea (NS) and the Baltic Sea (BS) coast, 28 specimens contained microplastic. This study found a relationship between the nutritional status of cetaceans and the amount of found microplastics. Harbour porpoises with a good or moderate nutritional status contained a higher number of microplastics, when compared with specimens in a poor nutritional status. In addition, when individuals died accidently due to suspected bycatch in gillnets, where a feeding event is highly assumed or a pharyngeal entrapment happened, the microplastic burden was higher. In total, 401 microplastics (≥100 μm), including 202 fibres and 199 fragments were found. Intestines of the specimens of the BS contained more microplastics than the ones from the NS. Differences in the share of fibres could be revealed: for BS fibres constituted 51.44% and for NS, fibres constituted 47.97%. The polymers polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, acrylic (with nitrile component) and an acrylic/alkyd paint chip (with styrene and kaolin components) were identified. This is the first study investigating the occurrence of microplastics in harbour porpoises from German waters and will, thus, provide valuable information on the actual burden of microplastics in cetaceans from the North and Baltic Seas.

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Section: Impact On the Health Statussupporting

confidence: 44%

Section: Trophic Accumulation Via the Food Web?mentioning

confidence: 72%

Section: Health Statusmentioning

confidence: 79%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Impact On the Health Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

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First Evidence of Retrospective Findings of Microplastics in Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) From German Waters

et al. 2021

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Current species protection does not serve its porpoise—Knowledge gaps on the impact of pressures on the Critically Endangered Baltic Proper harbour porpoise population, and future recommendations for its protection

Koschinski,

Owen,

Lehnert

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Successful management requires information on pressures that threaten a species and areas where conservation actions are needed. The Baltic Proper harbour porpoise population was first listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in 2008. Now, 16 years later, there is no change in conservation status despite ample conservation policy calling for its protection and an urgent need for management action to protect this population. Here, we provide an overview of the current status of the population, highlight knowledge gaps on the impact of pressures, and make recommendations for management of anthropogenic activities. Based on an exceeded limit for anthropogenic mortality, the high concentrations of contaminants in the Baltic Sea, combined with reductions in prey availability and increases in underwater noise, it is inferred that this population is likely still decreasing in size and conservation action becomes more urgent. As bycatch and unprotected underwater explosions result in direct mortality, they must be reduced to zero. Inputs of contaminants, waste, and existing and emerging noise sources should be minimised and regulated. Additionally, ecosystem‐based sustainable management of fisheries is paramount in order to ensure prey availability, and maintain a healthy Baltic Sea. Stranding networks to routinely assess individuals for genetic population assignment and health need to be expanded, to identify rare samples from this population. Knowledge is still scarce on the population‐level impact of each threat, along with the cumulative impact of multiple pressures on the population. However, the current knowledge and management instruments are sufficient to apply effective protection for the population now. While bycatch is the main pressure impacting this population, urgent conservation action is needed across all anthropogenic activities. Extinction of the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise population is a choice: decision‐makers have the fate of this genetically and biologically distinct marine mammal population in their hands.

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Pathological findings in bycaught harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from the coast of Northern Norway

et al. 2021

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Due to little prior knowledge, the present study aims to investigate the health status of bycaught harbour porpoises from the northernmost Arctic Norwegian coastline. Gross, histopathological and parasitological investigations were conducted on 61 harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena phocoena) accidentally captured in fishing gear from February to April 2017 along the coast of Northern Norway. Most animals displayed a good nutritional status, none were emaciated. Pulmonary nematodiasis (Pseudalius inflexus, Halocercus invaginatus and Torynurus convolutus) was found in 77% and associated with severe bronchopneumonia in 33% of the animals. The majority (92%) had parasites in the stomach and intestine (Anisakis simplex sensu stricto (s. s.), Pholeter gastrophilus, Diphyllobothrium stemmacephalum, Hysterothylacium aduncum and Pseudoterranova decipiens s. s.). The prevalence of gastric nematodiasis was 69%. In the 1st stomach compartment A. simplex s. s. was found in 30% of the animals, causing severe chronic ulcerative gastritis in 23%. Campula oblonga infected the liver and pancreas of 90% and 10% of the animals, respectively, causing severe cholangitis/pericholangitis/hepatitis in 67% and moderate pancreatitis in 10% of the animals. Mesenteric and pulmonary lymphadenitis was detected in 82% and 7% of the animals, respectively. In conclusion, the major pathological findings in the investigated Arctic porpoises were parasitoses in multiple organs with associated severe lesions, particularly in the lung, liver and stomach. The animals were generally well nourished and most showed freshly ingested prey in their stomachs. The present study indicates that the harbour porpoises were able to tolerate the detected parasitic burden and associated lesions without significant health problems.

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Health assessment of harbour porpoises (PHOCOENA PHOCOENA) from Baltic area of Denmark, Germany, Poland and Latvia

Cited by 26 publications

References 49 publications

First Evidence of Retrospective Findings of Microplastics in Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) From German Waters

First Evidence of Retrospective Findings of Microplastics in Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) From German Waters

Current species protection does not serve its porpoise—Knowledge gaps on the impact of pressures on the Critically Endangered Baltic Proper harbour porpoise population, and future recommendations for its protection

Pathological findings in bycaught harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from the coast of Northern Norway

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