Endangered Killer Whales Suffer From a Mysterious Skin Condition

In a study titled, "Epidemiology of skin changes in endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca)," published in PLOS ONE, researchers document a steady increase in the occurrence of highly correlated gray patches and gray targets on the whales' skin from 2004 to 2016. Despite not knowing the underlying cause, the study's authors are concerned.