Annual Report for the period 1st January – 31st December 2018 (Contract number ME6008) Compiled by R. Deaville (ZSL) Contributing Authors- P.D. Jepson, M. Perkins and R. Williams (ZSL) A. Brownlow, N. Davison, M. ten Doeschate and E. MacLennan (SRUC) B. Smith, K. Swindells and R.C. Sabin (NHM) R. Penrose (MEM) J.E.F. Barnett, K. Astley, N. Clear, A. Crosby and R. Williams (UoE/CWTMSN) This report results from work conducted by the collaborative UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme. Partner organisations are Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Scotland’s Rural College, Inverness (SRUC), the Natural History Museum (NHM), Marine Environmental Monitoring (MEM) and Cornwall Wildlife Trust Marine Strandings Network/University of Exeter. Funding bodies Contract manager Partner organisations Partner organisations UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme MB0111/ME6008 Marine Biodiversity Division, Defra Information on the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme can also be found at WWW.ukstrandings.org. Data summarised in this report was collected in the UK under contract to Defra and the Devolved Governments of Scotland and Wales between 1st January 2018 and 31st December 2018, under contract number ME6008 (2017-2020). Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London (ZSL) - Contractor Regent’s Park London NW1 4RY Tel: 020 7449 6672 Fax: 020 7586 1457 Web: www.zsl.org/science/ Scotlands Rural College (SRUC) - Subcontractor Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, SRUC Northern Faculty, An Lòchran, Inverness Campus, Inverness Scotland IV2 5NA Tel: 01463 243030 Web: www.strandings.org The Natural History Museum (NHM) - Subcontractor Cromwell Road South Kensington London SW7 5BD Tel: 020 7942 5155 Fax: 020 7942 5572 Web: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/citizen-science/uk-whale-and-dolphin-strandings.html Marine Environmental Monitoring (MEM) - Subcontractor Penwalk, Llechryd Cardigan Ceredigion West Wales SA43 2PS Tel: 01239 682405 Web: www.strandings.com Cornwall Wildlife Trust Marine Strandings University of Exeter, Penryn campus Network (CWTMSN) – Subcontractor (UoE)- Subcontractor Cornwall Wildlife Trust Environment and Sustainability Institute Five Acres Exeter University Allet Penryn Campus Truro Falmouth Cornwall, TR4 9DJ Cornwall, TR10 9FE Tel: 01872 273939 Tel: 01326 255720 Web: www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/strandings Web: www.exeter.ac.uk/cornwall/ Strandings in the UK can be reported on 0800 652033. www.facebook.com/pages/Cetacean-Strandings-Investigation-Programme-UK-strandings/142706582438320 2 CSIP Annual Report 2018 Executive summary During 2018, 1051 cetaceans were reported to the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP), comprising at least 16 species, a figure ~40% higher than that reported during the previous four year period (mean n=754, 2014-2017) and the highest number recorded in the UK by the CSIP since its inception in 1990 (data CSIP database). Of these, 944 were found stranded and dead, 72 were seen to have stranded alive (of which 27 were refloated) and 35 were dead cetaceans found at sea. The largest number of cetacean strandings were reported in England (n=456), followed by Scotland (n=434), Wales (n=124), Northern Ireland (n=17), the Isle of Man (n=15) and the Channel Islands (n=5). Consistent with previous years, the most common UK-stranded cetacean species in 2018 were the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena, n=532) and the short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis, n=191). A 33% increase in harbour porpoise strandings and a 23% increase in short-beaked common dolphin strandings were recorded during 2018, relative to the mean number reported during the previous four years in the UK. These were primarily driven by an increase in reported strandings of harbour porpoises on the north-west coast of England and Scottish coasts and also by an increase in reported strandings of short- beaked common dolphins in southwest England. Ten reports of UK stranded marine turtles, four reports of UK stranded basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) and one report each of a stranded angelshark (Squatina squatina) and a blue shark (Prionace glauca) were also received. Although not part of its formal remit, data on stranded seals continue to be collected by the CSIP and during 2018, 790 dead stranded seals were recorded by the CSIP, with the majority (n=500) being recorded in Scotland. There were also ten stranding events involving two or more animals (mass stranding events) during 2018. In addition, a large scale Unusual Mortality Event (UME) involving beaked whales also occurred on the Scottish coast during 2018. During 2018, 144 cetacean strandings (comprising 13 species) and one basking shark were examined at post mortem using standardised protocols. The most common causes of mortality of the 69 harbour porpoises examined at post-mortem during 2018 were infectious disease (n=20, primarily pneumonias due to parasitic infestations or generalised bacterial infections), starvation (n=15, including four neonates), attack by one or more bottlenose dolphins (n=11) and live stranding (n=5). All cases of fatal attack from bottlenose dolphins occurred in areas of sympatric distribution of these two species. There were no consistent trends in any cause of death category for UK-stranded harbour porpoises between 2014 and 2018. The most common causes of mortality of the 45 short-beaked common dolphins investigated at post-mortem during 2018 were infectious disease (n=12), by-catch (n=11) and live stranding (n=11). There were no consistent trends in any cause of death category for UK-stranded short-beaked common dolphins between 2014 and 2018. Data and tissue samples generated from the systematic examination of UK-stranded cetacean carcasses since 1990, continues to support a broad range of multidisciplinary scientific research activity and has resulted in nearly 250 publications within the peer- reviewed scientific literature in that period, including ten published during 2018. Various reports were produced by the CSIP during 2018 and a wide variety of outreach and education events were also carried out. Further information on the CSIP can be found at www.ukstrandings.org. 3 CSIP Annual Report 2018 Contents Executive Summary 3 Contents 4 1 List of Tables, Figures and Plates 5 2 Introduction 8 3 Project approach 10 4 Cetacean, marine turtle and shark strandings around 15 the UK coastline for the year 2018 4.1 Mass strandings/Unusual Mortality Events 23 4.1.1 Mass Stranding Events 23 4.1.2 Unusual Mortality Events 25 5 Summary of UK-stranded cetaceans, marine turtles and 29 basking sharks in 2018 (by species) 5.1 Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) 29 5.2 Short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) 31 5.3 Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) 34 5.4 White beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) 34 5.5 Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) 36 5.6 Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) 38 5.7 Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) 38 5.8 Long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas) 38 5.9 Northern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus) 40 5.10 Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) 40 5.11 Sowerby’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens) 40 5.12 Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) 42 5.13 Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus) 43 5.14 Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) 43 5.15 Killer whale (Orcinus orca) 44 5.16 Humpback whale (Megaptera novieanglae) 44 5.17 Indeterminate species 45 5.18 Marine turtles 45 5.19 Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) and other large bodied sharks 48 5.20 Seals 49 6 Post mortem investigations and causes of death data 51 7 Spatial distribution of selected cause of death categories 55 8 Collaborations and outputs 57 8.1 Investigations of relationships between environmental 57 contaminants and health status 8.2 Bycatch and Entanglement 58 8.3 Additional collaborative research activity 59 4 CSIP Annual Report 2018 8.4 2018 Peer revieWed publications 61 8.5 2018 Reports 63 8.6 2018 Conference abstracts 63 8.7 Demonstration necropsies 63 8.8 Outreach and Education 64 8.9 Meetings 67 9 References 69 10 Glossary of terms and acronyms 71 11 AcknoWledgments 72 12 Appendix 1 Contact details for the reporting of strandings 74 in the UK 13 Appendix 2 Marine debris ingestion and/or entanglement 76 14 Appendix 3 Summary of causes of death 2018 79 1 Tables, Figures and Plates 1.1 Tables Table 1 Reported strandings of cetaceans, marine turtles and basking sharks 17 in the UK during 2018 Table 2 Reported strandings of cetaceans, marine turtles and basking sharks 18 in the UK 2014-2018 Table 3 Post-mortem investigations conducted on UK stranded cetaceans 51 during 2018 Table 4 Post-mortem investigations conducted on stranded cetaceans and 51 marine turtles in England during 2018 Table 5 Post-mortem investigations conducted on stranded cetaceans in 52 Scotland during 2018 Table 6 Post-mortem investigations conducted on stranded cetaceans and 52 Marine turtles in Wales during 2018 Table 7 Post-mortem investigations conducted on stranded cetaceans in 52 Northern Ireland during 2018 Table 8 Causes of death of cetaceans and marine turtles examined at 53 post mortem in the UK in 2018 Table 9 Marine litter ingestion or entanglement in cetacean and marine turtle strandings 76 examined at post-mortem in the UK during 2018 1.2 Figures Figure 1 Organisational structure of the CSIP 9 Figure 2 Outline process in strandings reporting and post-mortem examinations 11 in the UK by the CSIP consortium Figure 3 Annual numbers of reported strandings of