ABSTRACT
Assessing the health of populations of marine mammals has advanced from relying predominantly on estimation of abundance and vital rates to including information gained during assessment of individual animals. Using data on individual animal health to extrapolate to population-level assessments requires an understanding of epidemiology and statistics to design appropriate studies and sampling strategies to allow for broader interpretation of results beyond individual animal health. Comprehensive health evaluations, analysis of biomarkers for contaminant exposure and/or effects, and testing for infectious disease, once included only opportunistically as part of biology field studies, are now routinely the impetus and primary focus of many marine mammal capture–release and remote sampling studies. Investigation of stranded marine mammals has expanded from basic taxonomy and life history data collection to determining cause of death and assessing underlying health status including exposure to infectious disease, biological toxins, and chemical contaminants. The shift to a more comprehensive health focus, with epidemiology as the underlying foundation, is now providing an understanding of the patterns of disease in wild marine mammals and the factors (e.g., demographic, ecological, or anthropogenic) that contribute to disease susceptibility. This additional insight into the drivers for population health and anticipated patterns of disease helps managers to effectively allocate resources, but even more importantly, can aid in designing effective conservation strategies to address anthropogenic factors that can act as health risks to marine mammal populations.
