Khristina Ermak

1 Introduction Mass mortality and stranding of pelagic organisms are well documented worldwide, notably in cetaceans (Clarke et al. 2021), sea turtles (Vélez-Rubio et al. 2022), fish (Hernández-Miranda et al. 2010), jellyfish, and other cnidarians (Flux 2008; Baliarsingh et al. 2023). Natural and anthropogenic drivers of mass die-offs and the consequent stranding events include infectious diseases (Arbelo et al. 2013), chemical or algal toxin exposure (Karlson et al.