Causes of mortality of harbor porpoises Phocoena phocoena along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Canada.

摘要: There is increasing public interest in the overall health of marine environment. Harbor porpoises Phocoena phocoena have a coastal distribution, and stranded animals function as sentinels for population ecosystem health. The goal this retrospective study was to join datasets from western Atlantic eastern Pacific coasts Canada investigate causes morbidity mortality species. A total 241 necropsy records were reviewed including 147 (61%) region 94 (39%) 1988 2011. cause death could be determined with confidence 118 (49%) these cases. Of cases, leading both regions, together separately, infectious disease. In region, followed by traumatic anthropogenic causes, whereas it emaciation/starvation, dependent calves, causes. Pathogens potential zoonotic significance or indicative environmental contamination, e.g. Salmonella sp. Cryptococcus gattii, identified. Numerous parasitic species observed within lungs, liver, stomach, middle ear, subcutaneous tissues, although they usually interpreted incidental findings. Anthropogenic may underrepresented are notoriously difficult diagnose certainty, thereby making up proportion 'unknown death' (51%) category. Improved standardization data collection documentation required better understand harbor porpoise