Fish-eating birds and mammals, or manatees grazing on seagrasses, may accidentally swallow fishing hooks. A fishing hook lodged in the throat or digestive tract may cause discomfort and make eating difficult. The hook may puncture the gastrointestinal tract, causing infection that can be fatal. G. Traumatic injuries 1 . During storms, strong winds and waves may thrash seabirds along rocky shorelines, sometimes resulting in concussions or fractured limbs.
Injuries also occur when birds are hit by cars or when chicks fall from nests.
Predators such as sharks or killer whales may severely injure pinnipeds or dolphins. Some pinnipeds incur wounds from fights that erupt over territorial disputes during the mating season. In spite of regulations to protect them, marine mammals are sometimes shot because of conflicts over food between the mammals and fishermen. Head injuries seen on some sea turtles suggest blows to the head with blunt objects. Motor boats and other watercraft can cause substantial wounds to slow-swimming manatees and sea turtles.