Report of skin disease in Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena austrtalis) from Península Valdés, Argentina. A possible conservation concern.

FIORITO, C; BERTELLOTTI, M; LOMBARDO, DM

Bled

Encuentro; Scientific Committee Annual Meeting 2014; 2014

International Whaling Commission

First records of skin lesions of Southern Right Whales were taken between 2005 and 2008 as part of a study of parasitic feeding behaviour of sea gulls on right whales. Many lesions are wounds caused by the attacks of kelp gulls (Larus dominicanus), that feed on the skin and blubber from whales? backs (Bertellotti et al. 2008, Fazio et al. 2012). A variety of other lesions of unknown etiology were observed, affecting both adults and calves born in this area (Bertellotti et al., 2008). Since gulls commonly feed on garbage and sewage in proximities of cities could carry a lot of pathogens that could cause some skin diseases in whales. Other hypothesis claim that injuries are associated with changes in the marine ecosystem where whales live. Changes in the marine environment caused either by climate alterations or anthropogenic factors contribute to the appearance of diseases that may affect several marine mammal species (Van Bressem et al., 2009 b). The assessment of the cetacean species health condition at sea is difficult since it requires huge logistic efforts to be made. There are an increasing number of studies that use photo-identification images to evaluate dolphin and whale?s skin diseases (Wilson et al., 1999; Van Bressem et al., 2003; Pettis et al., 2004; Hamilton and Marx, 2005). The increasing occurrence of skin lesions in Southern Rigth Whales may reflect their health status and may act as an indicator of SC/65b/E06