Post by seapalm on Nov 16, 2010 23:24:57 GMT -5
A paper published Nov. 10, 2010 by the Royal Society of Biological Sciences indicates that skin lesions with blistering and similar to deep burns are being found on three species of whales in the Gulf of California (Mexico). They reported that blue whales, who spend more time at the surface than other whales, and have the lightest skin coloring of the species studied, also have the most skin lesions. The authors of the paper noted that the "lesions increased significantly over time," and that reports of cetacean skin lessions have multiplied with 28% of those in this study showing a blistering lesion whose cause is unknown. They came to the conclusion that the whales were suffering from skin damage similar to the sunburns and skin cancers in humans due to increasing ultra violet radiation and thinning of the ozone.
My comments: They did no water testing and assumed that there is nothing between the surface of the ocean and the sun . . .like air. The blue whales, who spend more time at the surface, would also have more exposure to whatever is in the air. Many toxins in air and water could cause similar skin damage. Skin coloring could be a factor in the sensitivity, but all three species had the blistering skin lesions. The data was collected between Jan. and June in 2007, 2008 and 2009, so the skin lesions can't be attributed to the BP oil spill and dispersants used. The very first comment left on the paper at the Royal Society web page notes that there has been no evidence of any statistically significant increase in UVR levels at the latitude or altitude in which the study was conducted, but rather that the changes in UVR levels that are being seen start around mid-latitude and increase toward the poles and with increasing altitude. Implying the increasing UVR wouldn't be a supportable cause of the lesions on whales in the Gulf of California.
The full text, which includes photos, is free, and can be found here:
rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2010/11/08/rspb.2010.1903
My comments: They did no water testing and assumed that there is nothing between the surface of the ocean and the sun . . .like air. The blue whales, who spend more time at the surface, would also have more exposure to whatever is in the air. Many toxins in air and water could cause similar skin damage. Skin coloring could be a factor in the sensitivity, but all three species had the blistering skin lesions. The data was collected between Jan. and June in 2007, 2008 and 2009, so the skin lesions can't be attributed to the BP oil spill and dispersants used. The very first comment left on the paper at the Royal Society web page notes that there has been no evidence of any statistically significant increase in UVR levels at the latitude or altitude in which the study was conducted, but rather that the changes in UVR levels that are being seen start around mid-latitude and increase toward the poles and with increasing altitude. Implying the increasing UVR wouldn't be a supportable cause of the lesions on whales in the Gulf of California.
The full text, which includes photos, is free, and can be found here:
rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2010/11/08/rspb.2010.1903