First evaluation of legacy persistent organic pollutant contamination status of stranded Yangtze finless porpoises along the Yangtze River Basin, China

Zhang, Kai; Qian, Zhengyi; Ruan, Yuefei; Hao, Yujiang; Dong, Weiwei; Li, Ke; Mei, Zhigang; Wang, Kexiong; Wu, Chenxi; Wu, Jianhong; Zheng, Jinsong; Lam, Paul K. S.; Wang, Ding
Science of The Total Environment (2020)

Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis), inhabiting the Yangtze River, are an endangered species in China. They are threatened by various kinds of pollutants, among which persistent organic pollutants (POPs)…


Stable oxygen isotopes reveal habitat use by marine mammals in the Río de la Plata estuary and adjoining Atlantic Ocean

Drago, Massimiliano; Valdivia, Meica; Bragg, Daniel; González, Enrique M.; Aguilar, Alex; Cardona, Luis
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science (2020)

Detailed knowledge on habitat use by marine mammals is critical for understanding their ecological role and for adequate management. Here, we assess the habitat use patterns of thirteen species of…


Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls are still associated with toxic effects in harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) despite having fallen below proposed toxicity thresholds

Williams, Rosie; ten Doeschate, Mariel; Curnick, David J.; Brownlow, Andrew; Barber, Jonathan L.; Davison, Nicholas J.; Deaville, Robert; Perkins, Matthew; Jepson, Paul D.; Jobling, Susan
Environmental Science & Technology (2020)

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are toxic, persistent, and lipophilic chemical compounds that accumulate to high levels in harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) and other cetaceans. It is important to monitor PCBs in…


Social, reproductive and contextual influences on fecal glucocorticoid metabolites in captive Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

Serres, Agathe; Robeck, Todd; Deng, Xiaojun; Steinman, Karen; Hao, Yujiang; Wang, Ding
Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens (2020)

Although the use of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGCM) measurements as non-invasive biomarkers for the stress response in mammals has increased, few studies have been conducted in odontocetes. We investigated if…


The click production of captive Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaorientalis) is influenced by social and environmental factors

Serres, Agathe; Xu, Chen; Hao, Yujiang; Wang, Ding
Animals (2021)

Yangtze finless porpoises use high-frequency clicks to navigate, forage, and communicate. The way in which click production may vary depending on social or environmental context has never been investigated. A…


Out of sight, out of mind: How conservation is failing European porpoises

Carlén, Ida; Nunny, Laetitia; Simmonds, Mark P.
Frontiers in Marine Science (2021)

The conservation of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) appears to be failing in Europe. There are particular concerns about this species in the Baltic Proper, Black, and Mediterranean Seas, as well…


Millions of seafloor pits, not pockmarks, induced by vertebrates in the North Sea

Schneider von Deimling, Jens; Hoffmann, Jasper; Geersen, Jacob; Koschinski, Sven; Lohrberg, Arne; Gilles, Anita; Belkin, Igor; Böttner, Christoph; Papenmeier, Svenja; Krastel, Sebastian
Communications Earth & Environment (2023)

Seabed pockmarks are among the most prominent morphologic structures in the oceans. They are usually interpreted as surface manifestation of hydrocarbon fluids venting from sediments. Here we suggest an alternative…


Diving on damage – The muscle transcriptome of parasitic infested harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) hints at oxidative stress but not hypoxia

Dönmez, Eda Merve; Siebert, Ursula; Fabrizius, Andrej
Frontiers in Marine Science (2023)

The only native cetacean in German waters, the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), is impacted by numerous pathological lesions in the respiratory tract mainly caused by parasites or bacteria. Although harbor…