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TEHRAN, Jun 17 -Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are investigating why bottlenose dolphins are stranding themselves at an unusually high rate in the Northern Gulf of Mexico this year
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) -Excessive freshwater in the gulf from the Mississippi River flooding could be to blame.
More than 260 dolphins have stranded themselves across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida panhandle since the beginning of February, which is approximately three-times higher than the historical average, NOAA said.
A Mississippi scientist said the spillway opening is at least partly to blame for 126 dolphin deaths across Mississippi's coastline, CBS News reports.
These strandings prompted the declaration of an unusual mortality event. or UME. Unusual mortality events are defined as "a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate response."
Some report this is worse than the 2010 BP oil spill when 91 dead dolphins were found in Mississippi.
NOAA scientists said it is too early to determine any potential causes of the unusually high stranding rate this year, but they're investigating whether lingering effects from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and salinity changes from high rivers and a Louisiana spillway opening contributed.
Source: upi
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