In the case of the stranded porpoise being dissected in the lab, chemical pollution may well have played a part. In a few months" time, toxicology reports will show more about its specific chemical burden. Ultimately, for Deaville and Williams, it"s about noticing changing trends, which could then inform policy and change how pollutants are managed. Plastics are high up on the agenda too – a 2019 study by the University of Exeter found microplastics within all 50 marine mammals sampled that had stranded on UK shores. As yet, the actual impacts of those plastic particles on cetacean survival remains inconclusive.