Chemical Pollution and the Population Crisis of Hector’s and Māui Dolphins. A Critical Research Bibliography, 1970–2026.
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Background and objective. Hector’s dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori hectori) and the critically endangered Māui dolphin (C. h. maui) have declined amid documented bycatch, disease, habitat pressures, and chemical contamination. This study completes the bibliographic-reconstruction phase of a broader investigation into whether chemical exposure has been under-recognised as a causal, contributory, or synergistic threat. Methods. A maximum-coverage bibliography for 1970–22 June 2026 was compiled from official Department of Conservation bibliographies, the 2024 NOAA/NMFS review, primary and grey literature, New Zealand contaminant monitoring, the Paritutu/New Plymouth exposure corpus, comparative marine-mammal toxicology, pathology, demography, bycatch research, and risk-governance studies. Records were deduplicated, classified into five thematic layers, and 50 key sources were analytically annotated. Results. The corpus contains 388 unique records. Evidence confirms exposure to persistent organic pollutants and PFAS, trophic biomagnification, maternal transfer, and plausible immunotoxic and reproductive mechanisms. However, Māui-specific samples remain extremely small, modern PCDD/F coverage is limited, and no study links a defined source through internal dose and individual health effects to a quantified population outcome.
Source: Pollution and Diseases
DOI: 10.66659/ybmw2c82
Authors: Andrew Gibbs, Dmitry Nikolaenko
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7165739974