Do whales need sunscreen?

I had to blog for my Biology 101 lab today. 
This is what I blogged:

Research published in the "Proceedings of the Royal Society B" this week shows that whales exhibit skin damage that is the same as acute sunburn in humans. The research also shows that this skin damage from the sun is getting worse over time.

Scientists from Britain have been studying the effects of the sun on blue whales, fin whales and sperm whales in the Gulf of California. They are trying to determine how rising levels of Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR) arer affecting the whales.

It is possible that the depletion of the ozone levels, or a change in cloud cover is to blame for the rising UVR index, and the blisters that are appearing on the skin of the whales.

The scientists also found that sun damage was worse in the paler skinned blue whales, compared to that of the darker skinned whales.

The next phase of their research will examine the genes, and see if the whales genetic makeup is evolving to respond to the sun damage by increasing their natural sun protection mechanisms.

I think this research is important because as with humans, sun damage can lead to skin cancer, most of which is not lethal, however it can be unsightly and painful. Melanoma of course is a deadly form of skin cancer caused by sun damage to the skin. Whales are an important part of the Earth's Ecosystem, and protecting them in all ways is important.