Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Radiological Investigation of Gas Embolism in the East Asian Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis sunameri)

Researchers used post-mortem computed tomography to document the first confirmed case of gas embolism in an East Asian finless porpoise, challenging the assumption that cetaceans are immune to diving-related tissue gas tension and expanding evidence of this condition beyond Western ocean populations.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the intestinal tracts of East Asian finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis sunameri) from Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea of China

Researchers found microplastics in the intestinal tracts of East Asian finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis sunameri) from the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea of China, providing direct evidence of microplastic ingestion in cetaceans from Asian marine waters.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in large marine animals stranded in the Republic of Korea

Researchers analyzed microplastics in the digestive tracts of 12 stranded marine animals in South Korea, including whales, porpoises, dolphins, and sea turtles, detecting microplastic contamination across all species examined between 2019 and 2021.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Pathological findings in stranded harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) with special focus on anthropogenic causes

Post-mortem examination of 612 harbor porpoises stranded in the Netherlands between 2008 and an unspecified end year revealed that anthropogenic causes including bycatch, vessel strikes, and entanglement were among the leading causes of death. The surveillance program identified plastic ingestion in a subset of animals and highlighted the North Sea as a high-risk environment for this sentinel species.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of Microplastics between Lung Tissues and Intestinal Contents in Finless Porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis)

Researchers analyzed both lung tissue and intestinal contents of 11 deceased finless porpoises, marking the first study to examine microplastic inhalation in this species. They found microplastics in both respiratory and digestive systems, with intestinal concentrations roughly 2.5 times higher than those in the lungs. The study demonstrates that marine mammals face microplastic exposure through both breathing and eating, expanding our understanding of how these pollutants accumulate in aquatic wildlife.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The intestinal microbiota of a Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus): possible relationships with starvation raised by macro-plastic ingestion

Researchers profiled the gut bacteria of a stranded Risso's dolphin that died after ingesting rubber gloves, finding that starvation caused by plastic obstruction was associated with disrupted microbial diversity and the presence of potentially opportunistic pathogens, offering early evidence linking plastic ingestion to microbiome dysbiosis in cetaceans.

2023 International Microbiology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

The Confirmed Stranding of an Adult Female Risso's Dolphin, Grampus griseus (G. Cuvier, 1812), in the northeastern Mediterranean Sea

This report documents a confirmed stranding record of an adult female Risso's dolphin on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, providing necropsy findings and ecological context for a species classified as 'Least Concern' in the Mediterranean. The case contributes to regional marine mammal stranding databases used to monitor cetacean health.

2023 Natural and Engineering Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary Study on Microplastic Contamination in Black Sea Cetaceans: Gastrointestinal Analysis of Phocoena phocoena relicta and Tursiops truncatus ponticus

Researchers conducted a preliminary study of microplastic contamination in the gastrointestinal tracts of Black Sea harbor porpoises and bottlenose dolphins, documenting microplastic presence and characterizing particle types and polymer compositions.

2024 Animals 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic ingestion by harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena in the Netherlands: Establishing a standardised method

Researchers examined the stomachs of over 650 harbour porpoises from the Netherlands and found that the rate of plastic ingestion was more than double (15% vs 7%) when a dedicated, standardized detection protocol was used compared to routine inspection. Polyethylene and polypropylene were the most common plastic types found, and the litter appeared to be accidentally swallowed while the animals fed near the sea floor.

2018 AMBIO 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Pathologic findings and causes of death of stranded cetaceans in the Canary Islands (2006-2012)

The causes of death of 224 cetaceans stranded on the Canary Islands between 2006 and 2012 were determined by necropsy, with natural causes (good nutritional status, 33.6%) and nutritional stress (23.5%) being most common, but foreign body-related pathology (including plastic ingestion) identified as a cause of death in a subset of animals. The study provides forensic evidence that plastic ingestion contributes to cetacean mortality in this eastern Atlantic region.

2018 PLoS ONE 133 citations
Article Tier 2

First Evidence of Retrospective Findings of Microplastics in Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) From German Waters

Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from German waters using retrospective intestinal samples, providing among the first evidence of microplastic accumulation in this top predator cetacean species.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Analyzing 13 Years of Cetacean Strandings: Multiple Stressors to Cetaceans in Taiwanese Waters and Their Implications for Conservation and Future Research

A 13-year postmortem study of 73 cetacean strandings in Taiwan identified multiple stressors including disease, fishing gear entanglement, and pollution, with findings informing future conservation priorities for cetaceans in Taiwanese waters.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Cetaceans and microplastics: First report of microplastic ingestion by a coastal delphinid, Sousa chinensis

Researchers reported the first documented case of microplastic ingestion by the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis), finding microplastics in the intestinal contents of both adult and calf individuals. The findings indicate that both prey consumption and unintentional ingestion are likely exposure pathways for microplastic accumulation in this coastal cetacean species.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 135 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in marine mammals stranded around the British coast: ubiquitous but transitory?

Researchers examined whole digestive tracts of 50 stranded marine mammals from 10 UK species and found microplastics in every animal (mean 5.5 particles). The low numbers and predominance in stomachs versus intestines suggest particles are largely transitory rather than accumulating permanently in marine mammal guts.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in marine mammals stranded around the British coast: ubiquitous but transitory?

Researchers examined the entire digestive tracts of 50 stranded marine mammals from 10 species around the British coast and found microplastics in every single animal. However, the relatively low particle counts suggest that microplastics may pass through the gut rather than accumulate permanently. The findings indicate that microplastic ingestion is ubiquitous among marine mammals, though the long-term health consequences remain unclear.

2019 Scientific Reports 367 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in finless porpoises and their habitats along the Fujian coast of the East China Sea

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in finless porpoises along the Fujian coast of the East China Sea using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) on intestinal samples and habitat water. They found microplastics ubiquitous in both porpoise intestines and surrounding waters, with fibers being the dominant form (86.90% of intestinal MPs), mostly transparent and smaller than 1.0 mm in size.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 9 citations
Article Tier 2

A Quantitative Analysis of Microplastics in the Gastrointestinal Tracts of Odontocetes in the Southeast Region of the United States

Researchers quantified microplastic accumulation in the gastrointestinal tracts of toothed whales from the southeastern United States. The study found microplastics present in all examined specimens, indicating that these marine mammals are routinely ingesting microplastic particles from their ocean environment.

2024 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Short Communication: Marine litter ingestion by a Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni) in Mindanao, Philippines, and the need for consistent long-term recording of single-individual strandings

Researchers documented a case of plastic ingestion in a stranded Bryde's whale in the Philippines and argue that even single-individual stranding events yield valuable data on marine litter impacts. The authors call for systematic long-term collection of stranding records in developing countries to fill critical knowledge gaps.

2023 ˜The œjournal of cetacean research and management. Special issue 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the presence of microplastics in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) stranded in the Western Mediterranean Sea

Researchers analyzed three decades of intestinal content data from Western Mediterranean striped dolphins stranded over 30 years, finding microplastics in 90.5% of dolphins, making it one of the highest contamination rates reported in cetaceans.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 64 citations
Article Tier 2

First report from North America of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of stranded bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

This study reported the first North American case of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of stranded bottlenose dolphins, finding particles in the majority of animals examined. The detection of microplastics in apex marine predators like dolphins indicates that plastic contamination has penetrated far up the marine food chain.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Compartment-wise distribution of microplastics from Indus River dolphins.

Researchers analysed the compartment-wise distribution of microplastics across anatomical regions of Indus River dolphins (Platanista minor), finding MPs throughout the complete gastrointestinal tract of five stranded individuals with an average of 286.4 MPs per individual. The distribution data illuminate the pathways of MP accumulation via prey consumption and incidental ingestion in this endangered species.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Occurrence in the Gastrointestinal Tract of a Risso’s Dolphin Grampus griseus in the Northeastern Mediterranean Sea

A stranded Risso's dolphin in the northeastern Mediterranean was found to contain 454 microplastic particles in its gastrointestinal tract. Fibers and fragments were the most common forms, including polypropylene and polyethylene. This case study documents microplastic ingestion by a cetacean species and contributes to growing evidence of widespread plastic contamination in Mediterranean marine mammals.

2022 AQUATIC SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Cetaceans and Marine Debris: The Great Unknown

This review examines evidence for plastic and marine debris ingestion and entanglement in cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), finding that while cases of illness and death from plastic ingestion have been documented, many questions about the extent of the problem remain unanswered. The authors call for better standardized reporting to understand the true scale of marine debris impacts on these animals.

2012 Journal of Marine Biology 108 citations
Article Tier 2

7种鲸类消化道中微塑料

Researchers examined microplastic pollution in the digestive tracts of 12 individual whales from seven different species, including freshwater and nearshore varieties. The study characterized microplastic pollution levels across different parts of the digestive system and provided policy recommendations based on the contamination patterns observed.

2026 Open MIND