title: Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) stranded along the southern North Sea: an assessment through metallic contamination.
abstract: Throughout the last few years, the southern North Sea has witnessed an increase in the number of stranded marine mammals, particularly the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). This species is subject to several potential threats such as exposure to contaminants, changes in food supply, marine traffic and fishery by-catch. The aims of this study were to investigate potential associations between contaminants and health status and to analyze spatial and temporal trends of metal concentrations in harbour porpoises. Selected trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Se, V and Zn) were measured in kidneys and livers of 105 harbour porpoises stranded along the southern North Sea (French and Belgian coasts from 2006 to 2013) and 27 stranded along the Bay of Biscay (French coast from 2009 to 2012). Porpoises that died from infectious disease displayed significant higher hepatic concentrations of Cd, Hg, Se and Zn compared to healthy porpoises that died from physical trauma. Adult porpoises displayed significant higher concentrations of Cd, Cr, Hg, Se and V in livers compared to juveniles. No spatial or temporal trends in metal concentrations were detected in our study. The results of the present study suggested that chemical contamination may represent one of many threats encountered by harbour porpoises, but it cannot explain alone the increase in the number of stranded individuals.
authors: University of Lille Nord de France, France; Université du Littoral, Laboratoire d׳Océanologie et de Géosciences, 32 Avenue Foch, BP 80, F-62930 Wimereux, France; CNRS, UMR 8187, F-62930 Wimereux, France; CNRS, National Centre for Marine Sciences, P.O. Box 534, Batroun, Lebanon. Electronic address: celine.mahfouz@univ-littoral.fr.
authors: Céline
authors: C
authors: Mahfouz
authors: University of Lille Nord de France, France; Université du Littoral, Laboratoire d׳Océanologie et de Géosciences, 32 Avenue Foch, BP 80, F-62930 Wimereux, France; CNRS, UMR 8187, F-62930 Wimereux, France.
authors: Françoise
authors: F
authors: Henry
authors: University of Lille Nord de France, France; Université du Littoral, Laboratoire d׳Océanologie et de Géosciences, 32 Avenue Foch, BP 80, F-62930 Wimereux, France; CNRS, UMR 8187, F-62930 Wimereux, France.
authors: Lucie
authors: L
authors: Courcot
authors: Observatoire pour la Conservation et l׳Etude des Animaux et Milieux Marins- OCEAMM, F-59123 Zuydcoote, France.
authors: Sylvain
authors: S
authors: Pezeril
authors: Observatoire pour la Conservation et l׳Etude des Animaux et Milieux Marins- OCEAMM, F-59123 Zuydcoote, France.
authors: Thibaut
authors: T
authors: Bouveroux
authors: Centre de Recherche sur les Mammiferes Marin, Institut du Littoral et de l׳Environnement, Port des minimes, Av. du Lazaret, 17000 La Rochelle, France.
authors: Willy
authors: W
authors: Dabin
authors: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, B43 Liège University, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors: Thierry
authors: T
authors: Jauniaux
authors: CNRS, National Centre for Marine Sciences, P.O. Box 534, Batroun, Lebanon.
authors: Gaby
authors: G
authors: Khalaf
authors: University of Lille Nord de France, France; Université du Littoral, Laboratoire d׳Océanologie et de Géosciences, 32 Avenue Foch, BP 80, F-62930 Wimereux, France; CNRS, UMR 8187, F-62930 Wimereux, France.
authors: Rachid
authors: R
authors: Amara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000009:adverse effects; D002423:Cause of Death; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000009:adverse effects; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009659:North Sea; D050741:Phocoena; D012643:Selenium / Q000009:adverse effects; D014639:Vanadium / Q000009:adverse effects; D015032:Zinc / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D002104:Cadmium; D014639:Vanadium; D008628:Mercury; D012643:Selenium; D015032:Zinc
keywords: Harbour porpoise; Metals; Southern North Sea; Stranding