Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1992, Page 13

THE INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ...
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ture of pilot whales revealed by analytical DNA proftl-
ing. Science 260:670-672.
Schlotterer, C., Amos, W. and Tautz, D. 1991.
Conservation of polymorphic simple sequence loci in
cetacean species. Nature 354: 63-65.
Schlotterer, C., Amos, W. and Tautz, D. in prep. Cloning
and characterisation of 6 simple sequence loci ffom the
long-ftnned pilot whale, Globicephala melas.
Organochlorine contamination (DDT and
PCBs)
The levels of organochlorines were at an
intermediary level in the range found in
cetaceans in the North Atlantic, mysticetes
having lower concentrations and smaller
odontocetes higher. Concentrations were
cumulative with age in males but decreased
in sexually mature females, suggesting a
transfer from mother to offspring during
pregnancy and lactation.
PCBs and total DDT levels found in the
blubber were relatively low when com-
pared with those found in pilot whales off
the coast of Rhode Island and Maine (US A)
and off the coast of France, but higher than
those found off the coast of Newfoundland.
The analysis of organochlorine loads in
females from five schools (230387;
100487; 020887; 200887; 081087)showed
significant differences between some of
these schools. Two schools (Miðvágur,
020887; Tórshavn, 081087) exhibited
organochlorine concentrations significant-
ly different from each other and from the
remaining schools. These differences could
not be explained by any seasonal or geo-
graphical pattem. This refutes the possibil-
ity of a geographical segregation of the
schools and suggests that different popula-
tions may coexist in Faroese waters at any
time of the year.
Current investigations emphasize the
variations of organochlorine pollutant lev-
els in relation to life-history data (Aguilar,
pers. comm.).
Aguilar, A. and Borrell, A. 1989. Preliminary results on the
DDT and PCB concentrations in the muscle and blubber
of long-finned pilot whales from the Faroe Islands.
Paper SC/41/SM22 presented to the IWC Scientific
Committee, May 1989 (unpublished). 1-10.
Aguilar, A., Borrell, A., Bloch, D. and Lockyer, C. in prep.
Age and sex related variations of organochlorine pollu-
tant levels in the Faroese long-finned pilot whale.
Aguilar, A., Jover, L. and Borrell, A. In press. Hetero-
geneities in school composition of Faroese long-finned
pilot whales as indicated by organochlorine profile
analysis of females. Rep.int.Whal.Commn (Special
Issue 14).
Borrell, A. and Aguilar, A. In press. Pollution by DDT and
PCB in blubber and muscle of long-finned pilot whales
from the Faroe Islands. Rep.int. Whal.Commn (Special
Issue 14).
Borrell, A. 1993. Dinámica de los compuestos organochlo-
rados en la ballena de aleta y el calderon del Atlántico
Norte. Thesis Doctoral, Universitat de Barcelona.
Borell, A. 1993. PCB and DDTs in blubber of cetaceans
from the northeastern North Atlantic. Marine Pollution
Bulletine 26(3): 146-151.
Heavy metal contamination
Arsenic, copper, selenium, zinc, mercury
(Hg) and cadmium (Cd) levels were
analysed in eight schools (300786; 150986;
241186; 231286;100487; 220787; 240787;
081087).
Total-Hg concentrations were high but
within the range encountered in most dol-
phin species elsewhere. They were much
lower than the concentrations found in
Stenella off Japan. Total-Hg was cumula-
tive with age. The average percentage of
organic mercury with respect to total-Hg