This study investigated unusual mortality events (UME) of marine mammals using harbor porpoises as a model. An unusually high number of porpoise strandings within the Pacific Northwest, later classified as a UME, occurred in the years 2007-2008. Upon investigation of the stranded carcasses, location data was taken (lat/long) and a spatiotemporal cluster detection test (Knox test) was performed. The study found interesting patterns when investigating the age class, as there were a higher proportion of stranded calves relative to more mature individuals. This study exemplifies the use of spatiotemporal analyses on marine mammals to study stranding events and tracking of disease and other health related metrics.
Using location data to investigate stranding events can help researchers perform impact assessments of events such as oil spills. With events such as Deepwater Horizon, we may be interested in investigating the spatial patterns of stranded individuals and the populations from which they originate. The ability to analyze location data along with data such as sex and age class could help to understand the geographic patterns in strandings.
Norman, Stephanie A., et al. “The Application of GIS and Spatiotemporal Analyses to Investigations of Unusual Marine Mammal Strandings and Mortality Events.” Marine Mammal Science, vol. 28, no. 3, July 2012, pp. E251–66. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00507.x.
