Anthropic Pressure on Cetaceans Stranded Along the Ligurian Coast Within the Pelagos Sanctuary: A Case Series

In recent decades, environmental changes consequent to human activities have become more important factors in the conservation of wild species. Despite the Ligurian sea being part of the Pelagos Sanctuary, which has been a Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI) and a Marine Protected Area (MPA) since 1999, several anthropogenic threats affecting the health of cetacean populations living in this area are known to be present. In particular, interaction with fishing activities, contamination with chemical compounds such as organochlorine compounds (OCs), interaction with marine debris (especially, plastic debris), and the emergence of infectious agents, many of which are of terrestrial origin as a result of contamination of the marine environment by agricultural, animal, and human waste, are just some of the threats. In this regard, cetaceans stranded along the Ligurian coast between 2020 and 2022 were evaluated by means of a comprehensive post mortem examination an...