New studies on deformities in cetaceans

Photo: Julie Béesau/Icelandic Orca Project.
ISM136 photographed in Grundarfjörður in March, 2014.

Two studies on the occurrence of vertebral column deformities and bent dorsal fins in killer whales of Iceland have recently been published. Filipa I.P. Samarra, Ecologist at MFRI, was among the authors of the two studies.

While the first study compared the cases of vertebral column deformities observed in Iceland with those observed in killer whales of Norway, the second study looked at the occurrence of bent dorsal fins in a range of cetacean species and populations. In both cases, the causes are unknown because individuals were first observed as adults exhibiting these deformities, and the number of individuals with such deformities represented a low percentage of the population. However, continued monitoring of the population will be required to understand if this proportion changes and what long-term consequences these deformities have for individual fitness.  

A catalogue of killer whales found in Icelandic coastal waters was published by MFRI earlier this year.