Japan’s whaling is unscientific

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Professor Júlio Ernesto Baumgarten: (1965 – 2022)

This is an obituary for Professor Júlio Ernesto Baumgarten

Postmortem interval applied to cetacean carcasses: Observations from laboratory and field studies with the Abrolhos Bank Region, Brazil

Estimating the postmortem interval (PMI) in cetaceans is challenging. These mammals often sink after death, later floating and traveling considerable distances before stranding, complicating decomposition stage analysis. Our study investigates decomposition patterns in humpback whale, guiana dolphin, and franciscana dolphin. We analyzed decomposition stages using photographic data from Instituto Baleia Jubarte (IBJ) and conducted a controlled guiana dolphin carcass decomposition study in a laboratory to establish a reliable PMI baseline for carcasses found along Brazil's Abrolhos Bank region. Our findings reveal species-specific decomposition timelines: humpback whale carcasses typically beach within 14 days post-death maximum, while franciscana and guiana dolphins strand within seven to eight days. The most common PMI for whales was five to six days, guiana dolphins four days, and franciscana dolphins four to five days. We used the five decomposition codes: I alive animals, II fresh carcass, III moderate decomposition, IV advanced decomposition, V skeletal remains. For small cetaceans, code II indicates a PMI of two days, III four days, and IV seven days. For large whales, code II signifies a PMI of one day, III three days, and IV seven days. PMI estimation is vital for identifying the period a carcass floated from death site to shoreline. This information supports forensic approaches in understanding anthropogenic impacts on cetacean mortality and aids ecological and conservation studies regarding cetacean strandings, using PMI and backtracking techniques

Carcass non-recovery rate of franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei), calibrated with a drift mark-recapture study at FMA Ia, Brazil

The franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) is one of the smallest dolphins globally and the most threatened in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. Beach monitoring helps to investigate cetacean strandings within their distributions and assess impacts that cause mortality. Using drifters in mark-recapture studies helps to estimate recovery rates when carcasses are unavailable. The study aims to estimate the non-recovery rate of franciscana carcasses from FMA Ia by comparing the spatial distribution between carcasses and drifters along the coast; correlating the influence of cold fronts with the recovery rate of drifters; estimating the non-recovery rate of carcasses according to the drifters’ results and the meteorological profile in the pre-stranding period; characterizing the death diagnostic with temporal distribution of franciscanas by considering the stranding index and the carcass non-recovery rates. We repeated the release of 54 drifters in two campaigns close to the coast within the range of franciscana dolphins, where beaches are monitored daily, in the north region of Espírito Santo state, Brazil. The carcass stranding hotspots (21%) and drifters (18%) were 10 km apart. Cold fronts significantly increase the number of strandings. Considering the incidence of cold fronts in the pre-stranding period and linear regression from drifters, the median carcass recovery rate is 0.26, 95% IC [0.22 - 0.29], which means that for each stranding, the carcass non-recovery rate varies from 0.78 to 0.71. The range between 265 to 350 estimates the total of carcasses from 77 strandings observed from 2003 to 2021. The record year of strandings was 2014 (n = 14). About 52% of records occurred in summer, and January is the month with the highest occurrence of strandings. Of the conclusive diagnoses (n = 43), around 77% (n = 33) were attributed to incidental capture in gillnets. Estimating the number of carcasses based on stranding records is essential for population viability analyses and conservation purposes, especially considering small and isolated populations as in the present study. To prevent local extinction, a solution to avoid incidental capture, especially along summers, must be addressed quickly

An overview of forensic ecology applied for marine megafauna conservation

Ocean currents, driven by gravity, wind, and water density, disperse marine biota worldwide, often leading species to shorelines alive or as carcasses. These carcasses provide vital information about species' health conditions and threats within their habitats. Marine animal strandings thus offer crucial insights into the ecological implications of population mortality. This research is instrumental for conservation efforts and identifying trends and threats. Scientists use human and animal forensics approaches to trace the origins of beached bodies. The capability to backtrack carcass drift and estimate death sites helps evaluate anthropogenic impacts. This information also forms the basis for legal applications and gives ecological indicators for marine megafauna conservation. Using backtracking in forensic ecology for conservation research presents expansive investigative opportunities. This paper offers a comprehensive review of: 1) Physical and environmental processes; 2) Drift applications; 3) Marine megafauna examples; 4) Forensic principles; 5) Postmortem intervals; 6) Marine megafauna backtracking. We further discuss these findings' potential conservation applications for endangered species. Our review aims to enhance understanding of coastal animal distribution, estimate mortality rates from strandings, explore seasonal variations for beach monitoring programs, and investigate anthropogenic impacts

Novel herpesviruses in riverine and marine cetaceans from South America

Herpesvirus (HV) infections in cetaceans are frequently associated with skin and mucosal lesions. Although HV infections have been reported worldwide, their occurrence in southern Atlantic marine mammals is still poorly understood. We tested skin, oral and genital mucosal beta-actin PCR-positive samples from 109 free-ranging Brazilian cetaceans using a universal herpesvirus DNA polymerase PCR. Herpesvirus-positive skin samples from a Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis), a dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima), a Bolivian river dolphin (Inia boliviensis), and a lingual sample from an Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) were histologically evaluated. Additional tissue samples from these animals were also PCR-positive for HV, including a novel sequence obtained from the dwarf sperm whale's stomach and mesenteric lymph node. Four novel HV species were detected in the Guiana dolphin (one), the dwarf sperm whale (two) and the Bolivian river dolphin (one). The cutaneous lesions (marked, focally extensive, chronic proliferative dermatitis) of the Guiana dolphin and the Bolivian river dolphin were similar to previous HV reports in cetaceans, despite the absence of intranuclear inclusion bodies. This is the largest HV survey in South American cetaceans and the first detection of HV infection in riverine dolphins worldwide. © 2018 Elsevier B.V

Japan’s whaling is unscientific

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