26137
Multispecies Mass Stranding of Pilot Whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), and Dwarf Sperm Whales (Kogia sima) in North Carolina on 15-16 January 2005
Report on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event UMESE0501Sp:
Document
Published / External
30700
NC multispecies UME spreadsheets
Data Set
Completed
2006-03-01
On 15-16 Jan 2005, three offshore species of cetaceans (33 short-finned pilot whales, Globicephala macrorhynchus, one minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata, and two dwarf sperm whales, Kogia sima) stranded alive on the beaches of North Carolina. The pilot whales stranded near Oregon Inlet, the minke whale in northern North Carolina, and the dwarf sperm whales near Cape Hatteras. Live strandings of three species in one weekend was unique in North Carolina and qualified as an Unusual Mortality Event. Gross necropsies were conducted on 16-17 Jan 2005 on 27 pilot whales, two dwarf sperm whales, and the minke whale. Samples were collected for clinical pathology, parasitology, gross pathology, histopathology, microbiology and serology. There was variation in the number of animals sampled for each collection type, however, due to carcasses washing off the beach or degradation in carcass condition during the course of the response. Comprehensive histologic examination was conducted on 16 pilot whales, both dwarf sperm whales, and the minke whale. Limited organ or only head tissue suites were obtained from nine pilot whales. Histologic examination of tissues began in Feb 2005 and concluded in Dec 2005 when final sampling was concluded. In summary, the researchers did not find commonality in gross and histologic lesions that would indicate a single cause for this stranding event. Three pilot whales and one dwarf sperm whale had debilitating conditions identified that could have contributed to stranding, one pilot whale had a debilitating condition (subdural hemorrhage) that could have been present prior to or resulting from stranding. While the pilot and dwarf sperm whale strandings may have had a common cause, the minke whale stranding was probably just coincidental. On the basis of examination of physical evidence in the affected whales, however, the authors cannot definitively conclude that there was or was not a causal link between anthropogenic sonar activity or environmental conditions (or a combination of these factors) and the strandings. Overall, the cause of UMESE0501Sp in North Carolina is not and likely will not be definitively known.
Hohn, Aleta A., David S. Rotstein, Craig A. Harms, and Brandon L. Southall. 2006. Report on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event UMESE0501Sp: Multispecies Mass Stranding of Pilot Whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), and Dwarf Sperm Whales (Kogia sima) in North Carolina on 15-16 January 2005.NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-537, 222 p. TM.
Theme
World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS)
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Theme
World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS)
Globicephala macrorhynchus
Theme
World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS)
Kogia sima
Spatial
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
Theme
UMESE0501Sp
Theme
dwarf sperm whales
Theme
marine mammal
Theme
minke whale
Theme
pilot whale
Theme
stranding
Temporal
2005
Spatial
Cape Hatteras
Spatial
oregon inlet
Technical Memorandum (Tech Mem
Acrobat Portable Document Format
Published
Author
2006
Person
Hohn, Aleta
aleta.hohn@noaa.gov
101 Pivers Island Road
Beaufort
NC
28156
252-728-8797
252-728-8784
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wd1SXSQAAAAJ
Aleta Hohn Google Scholar Page
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2006
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NOAA Central Library
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Ground Condition
Range
2005-01-15
2005-01-16
2006
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/3457
2006
Organization
NOAA Central Library
Title : Report on marine mammal unusual mortality event UMESE0501Sp : multispecies mass stranding of pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), and Dwarf sperm whales (Kogia sima) in North Carolina on 15-16 January 2005
Personal Author(s) : Hohn, Aleta A. (Aleta Ann), 1954-;Rotstein, David R.;Harms, Craig A., 1957-;Southall, Brandon Lee;
Corporate Authors(s) : Southeast Fisheries Science Center (U.S.)
Published Date : 2006
Series : NOAA technical memorandum NMFS-SEFSC ; 537
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