Anthropogenic debris in the digestive tract of a southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) stranded in Golfo Nuevo, Argentina

Alzugaray, L.; Di Martino, M.; Beltramino, L.; Rowntree, V.J.; Sironi, M.; Uhart, M.M.

Anthropogenic debris in the digestive tract of a southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) stranded in Golfo Nuevo, Argentina

2020

Over the past fifty years, interactions between anthropogenic debris and a wide range of marine species have increased. In cetaceans, the most frequent interactions have occurred through ingestion and/or entanglement, with results ranging from minor injuries to death in affected animals. While debris ingestion is widely documented in odontocetes, records are scarcer in mysticetes. This study describes the finding of plastic litter in the digestive tract of a southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) juvenile male, which was found dead on the shores of Golfo Nuevo, Chubut, Argentina in 2014. During the examination of intestinal contents, anthropogenic waste was found and classified as macro-debris (25 mm-1 m). Although this whale likely died of causes not related to this finding, it is the first record of anthropogenic debris ingestion for this species. This event adds information about the potential impact of human-made debris on a variety of aquatic species and ecosystems.

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