SEATTLE — Amid human-made barriers to finding adequate food, hearing or communicating with each other, the endangered southern resident orcas may have seen an increase in the prevalence of skin disease, according to a new study.
The peer-reviewed research published this week in the Public Library of Science suggests that 99% of the orcas studied had photographic evidence of skin lesions. Researchers evaluated photos from nearly 20,000 orca sightings from 2004 to 2016, finding that lesions — often gray patches and gray targets on the orcas' skin — generally became more prevalent over time.
Scientists aren't sure of the cause or the health implications of the lesions but are concerned about the potential relationship between the lesions, declining body condition, health and immune system strength in a struggling population.
