Vet World Vol.17 December-2024 Article - 18
Research Article
Veterinary World, 17(12): 2889-2898
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2024.2889-2898
Investigation into the causes of mortality in cetaceans and sirenian populations in the Andaman Sea, Thailand: A retrospective analysis spanning 2018–2023
2. Dugong and Seagrass Research Station, Prince of Songkla University, Songkla, Thailand.
3. Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center (Lower Andaman Sea), Trang, Thailand.
4. Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center (Upper Andaman Sea), Phuket, Thailand.
5. Department of Aquatic Animal Health Research and Clinic Center, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya, Nakhonsithammrat, Thailand.
Background and Aim: Cetaceans and sirenians are endangered marine mammals that are threatened by stranding and mortality. In Thailand’s Andaman Sea, limited data exist on the causes and patterns of these events. This retrospective study investigated the characterization and underlying causes of cetacean and sirenian mortality events in the Andaman Sea from 2018 to 2023 using information from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Thailand.
Materials and Methods: Data on 363 stranded marine mammals, including both live and dead strandings, species types, carcass condition, and necropsy findings and diagnoses, were gathered and analyzed to classify and determine the main factors contributing to mortality, encompassing both direct human-related and non-direct human-related causes.
Results: From 2018 to 2023, 231 cetaceans and 132 sirenians were documented, representing six families and 19 species. Of these animals, 18.18% (66/363) were stranded alive and 81.81% (297/363) were found dead. The most common species were dugong (Dugong dugon) and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis). Detailed postmortem analyses of 107 specimens showed that 17.76% (19/107) of deaths were anthropogenic, affecting 8 sirenians and 11 cetaceans. The majority of deaths were non-anthropogenic, involving 34 sirenians and 54 cetaceans. In addition, 223 stranded animals could not be fully assessed due to carcass condition.
Conclusion: A high cetacean and sirenian mortality rate in the Andaman Sea can be attributed to non-anthropogenic factors. The dugong and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin were the most frequently encountered species. This report enhances our understanding of marine mammal mortality in Thailand and underscores the need for improved health management and diagnostic responses.
Keywords: dolphin, dugong, marine mammal, necropsy, stranding whale.
How to cite this article: Daochai C, Sornying P, Keawchana N, Manmoo S, Khumraksa P, Kaewmong P, Ninwat S, Upanoi T, Sukkarun P, and Suyapoh W (2024) Investigation into the causes of mortality in cetaceans and sirenian populations in the Andaman Sea, Thailand: A retrospective analysis spanning 2018–2023, Veterinary World, 17(12): 2889-2898.
Received: 2024-09-04 Accepted: 2024-11-19 Published online: 2024-12-19
Corresponding author: E-mail:
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.2889-2898
Copyright: Daochai, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
