Whales as bioindicators of oceans ́ health using non-lethal techniques [Las ballenas como bioindicadoras de la salud de los océanos utilizando técnicas no-letales]

The main objective of this work is to present the development and implementation of a biomarker multi-test, with a multidisciplinary approach using whale skin biopsies to diagnose " toxicological stress syndromes " related to various factors of anthropogenic origin. This chapter is divided into four sections: the first part describes the sampling technique and the use of different markers; in the second, we describe the sensitivity of the diagnostic tool of biomarkers multi-test in cetacean's skin biopsies; in the third, we present a case study of this tool and finally in the fourth undertake the case of the microplastics. The data presented confirm that whale skin biopsies are a biological material suitable for the evaluation of the risk of cetaceans in free-living and show cetaceans as adequate bio-indicators, on the other hand it shows that the use of the skin biopsies as non-lethal biological material for the assessment of risk, it is an appropriate procedure to obtain a large number of samples, with a minimum of discomfort for animals. In this way, we propose to biopsy of integument as an efficient tool for the comprehensive diagnosis of multiple stressors, health and population genetic variability. The proposed methods could be used to: document the levels of threat to populations and species of cetaceans, as well as an operational tool, suitable for scientific purposes, both as supporting the identification of appropriate mitigation measures and the implementation of public policies and legal norms appropriate for healthy conservation of our oceans.