Region²

N³

Minimum⁴

Maximum

Mean

Standard Error

Sea of Cortez

13 (6)

0.2

1.0

0.3

0.1

Galapagos

6 (0)

ND

ND

0.1

0.0

Pacific Crossing

17 (4)

0.2

0.5

0.1

0.0

Kiribati

0

NA

NA

NA

0.0

Papua New Guinea

12 (1)

0.3

0.3

0.1

0.0

Australia

8 (1)

0.3

0.3

0.1

0.0

Cocos

8 (1)

0.2

0.2

0.1

0.0

Indian Ocean Crossing

4 (0)

ND

ND

0.1

0.0

Chagos

12 (0)

ND

ND

0.1

0.0

Seychelles

27 (7)

0.2

0.9

0.2

0.0

Maldives

25 (7)

0.1

0.6

0.2

0.0

Sri Lanka

14 (3)

0.2

1.2

0.2

0.1

Mauritius

19 (14)

0.2

2.3

0.5

0.1

Mediterranean

16 (6)

0.3

0.9

0.3

0.1

Canary Islands

13 (0)

ND

ND

0.1

0.0

¹90 adult female sperm whales and 104 male sperm whales were sampled; ²Specific regions are named for the nearest land body or ocean region; ³Whales with detectable levels in parentheses; ⁴All data are presented in ug total Au/g tissue wet weight. Regions that differ: Mauritius with Australia, Canary Islands, Chagos, Cocos, Galapagos, Indian Ocean Crossing, Pacific Ocean Crossing, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka; Canary Islands with Maldives, Mauritius, Mediterranean, and Sea of Cortez; and Chagos with Mauritius, Mediterranean and Sea of Cortez..