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Veterinary Sciences
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Pathology of Marine Large Vertebrates
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Pathology of Marine Large Vertebrates

A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2025 | Viewed by 933

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cinzia Centelleghe

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Interests: marine mammal pathology and diseases; new techniques; cell culture techniques
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Guido Pietroluongo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Interests: marine animal pathology; anthropic threats; conservation policy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine animals play a vital role in maintaining ecosystems and are essential indicators of environmental health. However, they face numerous threats, including pollution, climate change, habitat degradation, and emerging infectious diseases. This Special Issue, entitled “Pathology of Marine Large Vertebrates”, focuses on advancing our understanding of the diseases, disorders, and pathological conditions affecting marine species, including mammals, reptiles, and elasmobranchs. The aim is to explore the intricate relationships between aquatic animal health, environmental factors, and anthropogenic stressors under a One Health perspective. Submissions addressing pathological findings, disease diagnostics, host-pathogen interactions, toxicological impacts, physiological changes, and the effects of climate change on marine large vertebrate health are highly encouraged. Contributions to innovative diagnostic techniques, epidemiological studies, and case reports shedding light on rare or novel conditions are also welcome. By compiling the latest research, this Special Issue seeks to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and provide valuable insights for veterinarians, marine biologists, ecologists, and policymakers. These contributions can enhance policy and conservation efforts, improve disease management strategies, and protect the health of marine species in a rapidly changing world. We invite researchers to contribute original articles, reviews, and case studies that highlight advances in the pathology of aquatic animals and their implications for ecosystem health.

Dr. Cinzia Centelleghe
Dr. Guido Pietroluongo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Veterinary Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • marine animals
  • pathology
  • veterinary histology
  • health surveillance
  • marine disease

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 1262 KiB  
Article
Bycatch in Cetaceans from the North-Western Mediterranean Sea: Retrospective Study of Lesions and Utility of Bycatch Criteria
by Laura Martino, Mariona Leiva Forns, Marina Cid Cañete, Lola Pérez, Cèlia Pradas and Mariano Domingo
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(8), 711; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12080711 - 29 Jul 2025
Viewed by 722
Abstract
Bycatch is the most common cause of death of small delphinids worldwide, including the Mediterranean Sea. The diagnosis of bycatch as cause of death in stranded cetaceans depends on the cumulative presence of multiple findings, termed bycatch criteria. In this study, we retrospectively [...] Read more.
Bycatch is the most common cause of death of small delphinids worldwide, including the Mediterranean Sea. The diagnosis of bycatch as cause of death in stranded cetaceans depends on the cumulative presence of multiple findings, termed bycatch criteria. In this study, we retrospectively evaluated the presence of bycatch criteria in 138 necropsied cetaceans, 136 stranded and 2 confirmed bycaught, in the Catalan Mediterranean Sea across a 13-year period. With the aim of identifying the most specific and reliable bycatch criteria, the animals’ cause of death was classified as either bycaught or other causes. Animals were necropsied according to standard procedures with complete histopathological examination and ancillary diagnostic techniques. We reviewed the necropsy reports and photographs of 138 cetaceans of seven species. Bycatch had been determined as the cause of death/stranding in 40 (29%) necropsied cetaceans. Both sexes were equally represented in the bycatch group. Bycatch was diagnosed in the Mediterranean common bottlenose dolphin (10/14; 71.4%), striped dolphin (29/108; 26.9%), and Risso’s dolphin (1/11; 9.1%). Sixty-seven out of 98 (68.3%) cetaceans that had been classified as non-bycatch had one or two bycatch criteria. Cetaceans with two and three major criteria had an overlap of causes of death, as some animals were diagnosed with bycatch and others with other causes of mortality. Animals with four criteria were invariably diagnosed as being bycaught. Recent feeding, absence of disease, good nutritional status, marks of fishing gear, multiorgan intravascular gas bubbles, hyphema and amputations or sharp incisions presumably inflicted by humans were significantly more likely to result in a diagnosis of bycatch, while loss of teeth and cranial fractures were not. None of the dolphins diagnosed as bycatch had ingested fishing gear. Our results highlight the relevance of bycatch as the cause of death of dolphins in the Mediterranean and suggest that some criteria traditionally linked to bycatch are not specific for bycatch in our region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathology of Marine Large Vertebrates)
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