Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2025
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster V8
Höfundar / Authors: Sverrir Daníel Halldórsson, Guðjón Már Sigurðsson
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: Marine and Freshwater Research Institute/Hafrannsóknastofnun
Kynnir / Presenter: Sverrir Daníel Halldórsson
Since 1980, the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (MFRI) has recorded cetacean strandings in Iceland, creating a long-term database that offers key insights into ecosystem change. Between 1980 and 2024, 480 stranding events involving 714 animals from 19 species were registered. Long-finned pilot whales accounted for the most individuals (256, including six mass strandings), while sperm whales were the most often stranded species (86 events, 98 animals). Records also include three species not previously known from Icelandic waters—striped dolphin, Sowerby’s beaked whale, and Risso’s dolphin—suggesting shifts in distribution. Strandings peaked in 2018 (42 events) before declining, likely influenced by improved reporting after 2007 because of increased tourism, and then later decline caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. These data highlight the value of strandings for monitoring species trends and potential effects of environmental change.