Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Blog 7000 Known Marine Animal Deaths So Far
7000 Known Marine Animal Deaths So Far
Dead Dolphins
Baby dolphin die-off in Gulf: Cold water, not oil spill, the culprit?
Runoff from unusual snowfall in Alabama caused water temperatures in Mobile Bay to drop suddenly, possibly leading to stillbirths of baby dolphins, researchers say. Poisoning as a result last year’s oil spill is another possible culprit.By Patrik Jonsson
The cause of death has not yet been determined for baby dolphins that have washed up by the dozen on beaches in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana during the past two months. But cold water shock, which may have caused a spate of stillbirths, is one new theory to place alongside suspicions that the die-off is related to last year’s Gulf oil spill.
Researchers at the independent Dauphin Island Sea Lab, in Alabama, have noted two instances of dramatic drops in water temperature that correspond to unusual snow runoff into Mobile Bay in January and February, and they suggest the sudden change may have caused calving dolphin females to abort.
dead dolphin
Water temperatures fell quickly from 60 degrees F. to 45 degrees as flood volumes of water surged into the Gulf, the researchers say. Already, the infant mortality rate for the area’s 5,000 bottlenose dolphins is 10 times the yearly average. This is the female dolphins’ calving season.
Read more here:http://gulfofmexicooilspillblog.com/2011/03/04/gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill-blog-7000-known-marine-animal-deaths-so-far/
1 comment:
We received the following information from one of our members. Perhaps this is the real reason why they don't think they will have results. At one point, researchers indicated the dolphins were 'badly decomposed'...come to find out, their internal organs and tissues have melted:
"Heard from a friend whose friend works at Dauphin... Island sea lab. She said they are finding that the dolphins are liquified when they cut them open! All cells broken down into liquids. Hmmm, isn't that what Corexit does? Break down cell membranes?by Coastal Warriors on Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 10:27pmhttp://www.facebook.com/rhonda.f.black#!/note.php?note_id=167664393282341&id=138042086209818
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