Blog Post Image: Scientists Identify Core Skin Bacterial Community in Humpback Whales

This humpback whale was entangled in fishing gear during its entire migration from the Bering Sea (off Alaska) to Hawaii, and the bacteria residing on skin of this and other entangled or deceased whales were found to contain fewer core members and more potential pathogens than the healthy animals. Image and sample taken courtesy of Edward Lyman, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and NOAA’s Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program, Permit #932-1489. (Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary)