Marine Mammal Science
Article

What can cetacean stranding records tell us? A study of UK and Irish cetacean diversity over the past 100 years

Ellen J. Coombs

Corresponding Author

E-mail address: ellen.coombs.14@ucl.ac.uk

Genetics, Evolution and Environment Department, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom

Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom

Corresponding author (e‐mail:

ellen.coombs.14@ucl.ac.uk

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Rob Deaville

UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, The Wellcome Building, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, United Kingdom

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Richard C. Sabin

Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom

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Louise Allan

Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom

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Mick O'Connell

Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Merchants Quay, Kilrush V15 E762, County Clare, Ireland

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Simon Berrow

Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Merchants Quay, Kilrush V15 E762, County Clare, Ireland

Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway‐Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Galway, H91 T8NW, Ireland

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Brian Smith

Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom

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Andrew Brownlow

Scottish Marine Mammal Stranding Scheme, SRUC Wildlife Unit, Drummondhill, Inverness, IV2 4JZ, United Kingdom

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Mariel Ten Doeschate

Scottish Marine Mammal Stranding Scheme, SRUC Wildlife Unit, Drummondhill, Inverness, IV2 4JZ, United Kingdom

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Rod Penrose

Marine Environmental Monitoring, Penwalk, Llechryd, Cardigan, West Wales, SA43 2PS, United Kingdom

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Ruth Williams

Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Five Acres, Allet, Truro, TR4 9DJl, United Kingdom

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Matthew W. Perkins

UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, The Wellcome Building, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, United Kingdom

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Paul D. Jepson

UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, The Wellcome Building, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, United Kingdom

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Natalie Cooper

Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom

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First published: 30 April 2019
Citations: 1
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Abstract

There are many factors that may explain why cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) strand. Around the UK and Ireland, over 20,000 stranding records have been collected since 1913, resulting in one of the longest, continuous, systematic stranding data sets in the world. We use this data set to investigate temporal and spatial trends in cetacean strandings and use generalized additive models (GAMs) to investigate correlates of strandings. We find a dramatic increase in strandings since the 1980s, most likely due to increases in recording effort, and the formation of formal strandings networks. We found no correlation between the numbers of cetaceans stranding each year and several potential environmental and anthropogenic predictors: storms, geomagnetic activity, North Atlantic Oscillations, sea‐surface temperature, and fishing catch. We suggest that this is because the scale of change in the variables is too coarse to detect any potential correlations. It may also highlight the idiosyncratic nature of species’ responses to external pressures, and further the need to investigate other potential correlates of strandings, such as bycatch and military sonar. Long‐term cetacean stranding data provide vital information on past and present diversity for common, rare, and inconspicuous species. This study underlines the importance of continued support for stranding networks.

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