Seasonal Prevalence of Skin Lesions on Dolphins across a Natural Salinity Gradient

Makayla A. Guinn (), Christina N. Toms, Carrie Sinclair and Dara N. Orbach
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Makayla A. Guinn: Department of Life Sciences, Texas A & M University—Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA
Christina N. Toms: Psychology Department, New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA
Carrie Sinclair: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, Pascagoula, MS 39567, USA
Dara N. Orbach: Department of Life Sciences, Texas A & M University—Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 10, 1-12

Abstract: Bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) inhabit waters across a broad natural salinity gradient and exhibit changes in skin condition based on the quality of their environment. Prolonged exposure to low salinities (≤10–20 ppt) degenerates the epidermal barrier and causes cutaneous lesions in dolphins, while the role of high salinity exposure (>35 ppt) in lesion development remains unknown. We assessed seasonal lesion prevalence in three free-ranging dolphin stocks inhabiting coastal Gulf of Mexico (GoM) waters of different salinities (0–30 ppt, 22–35 ppt, and 36+ ppt) using images of dolphin bodies. Lesions were documented on 44% of the dolphins photographed ( n = 432), and lesion occurrence was significantly related to cold seasons and water temperatures but not salinity. Cold water temperatures may heighten dolphin susceptibility to infectious pathogens and disease and compound the effects of anthropogenic pollutants in the GoM. As dolphins are a bioindicator species of marine habitat welfare, natural studies assessing dolphin skin may reveal environmental degradation with potential impacts on marine ecosystems and human health.

Keywords: bioindicator; bottlenose dolphin; epidermal disease; Gulf of Mexico; hypersaline (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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