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

Simple Summary: 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 and thorough specific diagnostic investigations to assess the level of anthropic pressure in this area by the Italian National Reference Center for Diagnosis of stranded Marine Mammals (C. Re. Di. Ma). Abstract: Data collected by C. Re. Di. Ma over a 3-year period (2020–2022) were considered to assess anthropic pressure on cetaceans living in the Ligurian sea. Out of a total of 37 stranded cetaceans, a complete post mortem examination was performed on 23 cases. Of these, 14 were further selected considering at least one of these conditions: (i) confirmed, probable, or suspected interaction with fishing activities through the application of a standardized diagnostic framework (7/14; 50%), (ii) toxicological stress through the evaluation of OCs hazardous levels (14/14; 100%), and (iii) terrestrial pathogen-associated disease (systemic infection and/or associated lesions) (7/14; 50%). For 9 animals out of a total of 14 selected, the cause of death was classified as natural (6/14; 42,8%), anthropic (3/14; 21,4%), or not determined (5/14; 35,7%) based on gross and histological pathology and ancillary testing. These findings extend our knowledge of the anthropic pressure to which cetaceans stranded along the Ligurian coastline are subjected from a multidisciplinary point of view.