Whales suffer sunburn as ozone layer thins
It's not only pale tourists who face the wrath of the sun, new research shows that whales and other sea mammals are also at risk of being burnt to a crisp as the ozone layer becomes thinner.
The findings come from a study of 156 blue, fin and sperm whales swimming in the Gulf of California.
By taking photographs and skin samples, the US and Mexico-based team which included British researchers, found the whales had blisters that were caused by sun damage.
Researchers have long known that whales suffer blisters on their backs. However the reason why they have lesions has been a mystery - until now.
After analysing the blisters and sores on high resolution photographs and studying whale skin samples in the laboratory, researchers now believe they are caused by acute sunburn.
Dr Laura Martinez-Levasseur, from the Zoological Society of London and Queen Mary University of London, who led the study said: 'Whales need to come to the surface to breathe air, to socialise and to feed their young, meaning that they are frequently exposed to the full force of the sun.'
Like in humans, darker skinned whales have more cells that produce of a dark brown pigment called melanin. Therefore blue whales, who have fairer skin than most whales, suffered more than the darker fin whales.
Scientists predict that whales will experience more severe sun damage if ultraviolet radiation continues to increase.
This study showed no signs of skin cancer in the whales, but the team are going on to find out how the whales respond to sun damage at a genetic level in the future.
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- groups:
- News and Politics, Green
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- tags:
- Environment, Whales, Ozone Layer, Sunburn, 1 more
