#CSIoftheSea examination of the whale yesterday- 9.7m juvenile female sei whale and relatively unusual species for the UK. This is only the seventh sei whale to be recorded stranded in the UK since the inception of the UK strandings programme in 1990. 
@Perkins16Matt @RosieSWilliams1 @kathaseilern @thatmicrobegirl @ZSLScience @ZSLMarine @OfficialZSL #CSIoftheSea sei whale in moderate nutritional condition, no evidence of recent prey ingestion, with a largely empty gastrointestinal tract. No evidence of previous entanglement, shipstrike or other traumatic injury found. No macroplastics found in the stomachs or intestines.
@Perkins16Matt @RosieSWilliams1 @kathaseilern @thatmicrobegirl @ZSLScience @ZSLMarine @OfficialZSL #CSIoftheSea Heavy burden of parasites (possibly Bolbosoma turbinella) found within intestinal tract. Significance of this burden is unclear, as often observed in other stranded sei whales- certainly possible this was linked to the nutritional loss observed in the whale.
@Perkins16Matt @RosieSWilliams1 @kathaseilern @thatmicrobegirl @ZSLScience @ZSLMarine @OfficialZSL #CSIoftheSea Evidence of live stranding also found during necropsy. Gross necropsy therefore largely consistent with live stranding of an out of habitat and potentially compromised individual. Follow up microbiology and histopathology analyses pending- may shed further light.
@Perkins16Matt @RosieSWilliams1 @kathaseilern @thatmicrobegirl @ZSLScience @ZSLMarine @OfficialZSL #CSIoftheSea Large number of samples and data also collected and will provide unique opportunity to learn more about the animal’s life as well as its death. Many thanks to our friends at the @LondonPortAuth and to my great @ZSLScience colleagues for all their help and hard work.
