Toxic chemicals are accumulating in the bodies of dolphins and whales, according to two new studies, and concentrations tend to be highest in the most populated and developed areas.

The findings are not necessarily surprising. Scientists have known for years that the blubber of marine predators harbors pollutants. Still, the new studies offer the most extensive evidence yet that dolphins and whales can be sentinels for environmental contamination. By documenting levels of chemicals in blubber, scientists can now start to gauge the effects of those chemicals on the animals' health and behavior.

via Dolphin, Whale Blubber Harbors Chemicals : Discovery News (Discovery News deleted this article from their archive).