Multi-Trial Ecotoxicological Diagnostic Tool in Cetacean Skin Biopsies

Threats facing cetaceans have changed through time. While overkill from hunting was the most obvious and immediate threat to some species and populations during much of the 20 th century, the relative importance of other threats, particularly bycatch in fisheries and contamination, has increased dramatically during the last few decades. It is difficult to distinguish the effects of one threat from those of another when multiple threats are acting simultaneously; this is particularly evident in the Mediterranean area. Exposure to contaminants combined with other human impacts can affect survivorship, recruitment, www.intechopen.com Skin Biopsy -Perspectives 318 reproductive success, mutation rates and migration and may play a significant role in the partitioning of genetic variation among high stress exposed and less stress exposed populations Taking into account this complex pattern, international institutions like IWC and ACCOBAMS have recently encouraged research for development of suites of sensitive non-lethal tools in skin biopsies of free-ranging animals, to define the "health status" of threatened cetacean species (Pollution 2000+, IWC Project). Threats faced by cetaceans can be schematized below.