Offshore Earthquakes Do Not Influence Marine Mammal Stranding Risk on the Washington and Oregon Coasts
The causes of marine mammals stranding on coastal beaches are not well understood, but may relate to topography, currents, wind, water temperature, disease, toxic algal blooms, and anthropogenic activity. Offshore earthquakes are a source of intense sound and disturbance and could be a contributing...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2018-01-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/8/2/18 |
| _version_ | 1818178433769799680 |
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| author | Rachel A. Grant Anna Savirina Will Hoppitt |
| author_facet | Rachel A. Grant Anna Savirina Will Hoppitt |
| author_sort | Rachel A. Grant |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The causes of marine mammals stranding on coastal beaches are not well understood, but may relate to topography, currents, wind, water temperature, disease, toxic algal blooms, and anthropogenic activity. Offshore earthquakes are a source of intense sound and disturbance and could be a contributing factor to stranding probability. We tested the hypothesis that the probability of marine mammal stranding events on the coasts of Washington and Oregon, USA is increased by the occurrence of offshore earthquakes in the nearby Cascadia subduction zone. The analysis carried out here indicated that earthquakes are at most, a very minor predictor of either single, or large (six or more animals) stranding events, at least for the study period and location. We also tested whether earthquakes inhibit stranding and again, there was no link. Although we did not find a substantial association of earthquakes with strandings in this study, it is likely that there are many factors influencing stranding of marine mammals and a single cause is unlikely to be responsible. Analysis of a subset of data for which detailed descriptions were available showed that most live stranded animals were pups, calves, or juveniles, and in the case of dead stranded mammals, the commonest cause of death was trauma, disease, and emaciation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T20:47:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-57d31720a3be4562aaf6f3d184d2e93d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T20:47:54Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-57d31720a3be4562aaf6f3d184d2e93d2022-12-22T00:51:19ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152018-01-01821810.3390/ani8020018ani8020018Offshore Earthquakes Do Not Influence Marine Mammal Stranding Risk on the Washington and Oregon CoastsRachel A. Grant0Anna Savirina1Will Hoppitt2Department of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, East Rd, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UKDepartment of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, East Rd, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UKSchool of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UKThe causes of marine mammals stranding on coastal beaches are not well understood, but may relate to topography, currents, wind, water temperature, disease, toxic algal blooms, and anthropogenic activity. Offshore earthquakes are a source of intense sound and disturbance and could be a contributing factor to stranding probability. We tested the hypothesis that the probability of marine mammal stranding events on the coasts of Washington and Oregon, USA is increased by the occurrence of offshore earthquakes in the nearby Cascadia subduction zone. The analysis carried out here indicated that earthquakes are at most, a very minor predictor of either single, or large (six or more animals) stranding events, at least for the study period and location. We also tested whether earthquakes inhibit stranding and again, there was no link. Although we did not find a substantial association of earthquakes with strandings in this study, it is likely that there are many factors influencing stranding of marine mammals and a single cause is unlikely to be responsible. Analysis of a subset of data for which detailed descriptions were available showed that most live stranded animals were pups, calves, or juveniles, and in the case of dead stranded mammals, the commonest cause of death was trauma, disease, and emaciation.http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/8/2/18marine mammalmass strandingstrandingcetaceanearthquakesseismic activity |
| spellingShingle | Rachel A. Grant Anna Savirina Will Hoppitt Offshore Earthquakes Do Not Influence Marine Mammal Stranding Risk on the Washington and Oregon Coasts Animals marine mammal mass stranding stranding cetacean earthquakes seismic activity |
| title | Offshore Earthquakes Do Not Influence Marine Mammal Stranding Risk on the Washington and Oregon Coasts |
| title_full | Offshore Earthquakes Do Not Influence Marine Mammal Stranding Risk on the Washington and Oregon Coasts |
| title_fullStr | Offshore Earthquakes Do Not Influence Marine Mammal Stranding Risk on the Washington and Oregon Coasts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Offshore Earthquakes Do Not Influence Marine Mammal Stranding Risk on the Washington and Oregon Coasts |
| title_short | Offshore Earthquakes Do Not Influence Marine Mammal Stranding Risk on the Washington and Oregon Coasts |
| title_sort | offshore earthquakes do not influence marine mammal stranding risk on the washington and oregon coasts |
| topic | marine mammal mass stranding stranding cetacean earthquakes seismic activity |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/8/2/18 |
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