Marine mammals are affected by smoke too

Marine mammals are affected by smoke too


The wildfires in the western states have had devastating impacts on people and animals. But did you know that marine mammals were likely affected, too?

In fact, the anatomy of whales, dolphins and porpoises makes them even more vulnerable to smoke exposure. Rapid inhalation and exhalation of large volumes of air through their blowholes draws in pollutants, too. And because marine mammals don’t have sinuses or other nasal structures to trap particles, they can’t sneeze or cough them out.

Years after oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill was burned off the ocean’s surface, researchers found severe lung disease, increased rates of infection and reproductive problems in bottlenose dolphins exposed to the smoke.

Now, scientists are bracing themselves for what they might find in marine mammals who inhaled smoke during the recent wildfires.

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