MONUMENTAL SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: "Very Strange" - White Dwarf Star With 99.9% Oxygen Atmosphere Puzzles Scientists?!

© NASA, ESA, H. Bond (STScI) and M. Barstow (University of Leicester)

April 2, 2016 - SPACE - A white dwarf discovered in the constellation of Draco is unique in having an atmosphere dominated by oxygen rather than hydrogen and helium, astronomers reported. The scientists are not sure how this could have happened.

“We only found one, so it is a rare event,” Kepler de Souza Oliveira Filho, an astronomer at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil, told science.com.

Kepler and other authors of a paper about the unusual star, which was published on April 1 in the magazine Science, combed through data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS).A white dwarf is what is left behind by almost any star but the heaviest ones, when it sheds off its outer layers and leaves only the exposed core. Heavier elements like oxygen or carbon sink to the core’s center while the remaining lighter hydrogen and helium floats on the surface. This is for some reason not what happened to the star described in the study.

Located about 1,200 light-years away, its surface is 99.9 percent pure oxygen – a record for oxygen richness – with neon and magnesium coming as distant second and third. The composition of elements is what would be expected to be inside the core of a star with a mass between six and 10 times that of the sun.

But such a star would leave behind a white dwarf about as heavy as the sun, while the newly-discovered dwarf is about 60 percent as heavy. And a star corresponding to the size of the freak dwarf would not have been big enough to fuse its fuel into oxygen.

“You have to wonder where this oxygen even came from," said Kepler.

The scientists consider several theories of how the misfit, which they dubbed Dox, could come into existence. One is that it’s part of a binary system and that its companion had siphoned lighter elements off. Another is that the interaction went the other direction and Dox siphoned matter from its companion and it triggered a thermonuclear explosion, which expelled the outer layers of the dwarf.

“That’s very strange,” said Patrick Dufour, an astrophysicist at the University of Montreal. “It could work, but I doubt it would leave a low-mass white dwarf.”

“There are lots of open questions before we can say that this changes our view of white dwarf evolution,” Dufour added. “This white dwarf might only be a freak… Although often in science, it’s the exception that makes you understand a great deal later on.” - RT.

MASS FISH DIE-OFF: Disaster Precursors - THOUSANDS Of Dead Fish Wash Ashore At Lake Alalay, Bolivia?!

March 12, 2016 - BOLIVIA - Thousands of small sardine-like fish have been found dead in lake Alalay, but no one is completely sure what caused oxygen levels in the lake to drop so dramatically

Thousands of dead fish have washed up onto the shores of a lake in Bolivia.

Just before they died, some of the fish had just hatched from their eggs in lake Alalay, in the central Bolivian city of Cochabamba.

No one yet knows the number of dead fish, but they have stockpiled five cubic metres (177 cubic feet) so far, so it's possible there is over a tonne of dead fish in the lake.

According to local media reports, the most affected species was the "platincho" fish which is similar in appearance to sardines.

The fish carcasses were taken to a local dump.

Authorities believe low oxygen levels in the waters of Lake Alalay, due to the the highly polluted water, in addition to the last heatwave in 2015, led to the massive fish kill, but the exact cause of the conditions were unclear.


WATCH: Mysteriously massive fish kill in Bolivia.

Oxygen levels dropped from 5 millimetres per litre to 2.8 millimetres, according to a preliminary laboratory report, released by local authorities.

Results will be compared with reports from SEMAPA, Cochabamba's municipal water company and the University of San Simon.

Environmentalists have said the lake is constantly threatened by fires, namely one last year, as well as discharge of sewage.

Authorities are analysing an immediate measure to oxygenate the lake to prevent more fish from dying. Nevertheless, local media reported equipment to help oxygenate the lake was not working.

"It is an environmental disaster. Thousands of fish are already dead, or millions of dead fish. You can see wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow and mechanical shovels full of unfortunately dead fish," said an unidentified natural resources worker.

In 2015, local authorities allocated a budget of 9 million bolivians (£900,000) for the recovery of the lake to no avail.

"They are small fish that were just hatching, or just coming out of the eggs, they were growing and as they were weak, they have not been able to resist this kind of change and that is why they have died," said an environmentalist from the municipality of Cochabamba.

Alalay is the last urban lake that lies within the city of Cochabamba.

The lagoon was created around 1930 to prevent flooding of the city with the swelling of River Rocha but it also helps to absorb moisture and organic matter. - Telegraph.

WAR ON MOTHER NATURE: Beneath The Waves - Haunting Photos From Scuba Divers Across The World Show DEVASTATING IMPACT Of Ocean Plastic!

© baretnewswire.org

March 5, 2016 - OCEAN - Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke is once quoted saying, "How inappropriate to call this planet earth when it is quite clearly Ocean." Well, perhaps if it were called ocean, people would be a lot more concerned about what is happening to our marine environments, which are in terrible trouble.

According to NOAA, the world's oceans hold more than 97 percent of the planet's water and may be home to as much as 80 percent of the world's plant and animal species. Without our oceans, life as we know it would cease to exist. These vast bodies of water help regulate weather patterns, they absorb almost one-third of the carbon dioxide we emit, provide many people with vital sources of protein, and most importantly, nearly 70 percent of the oxygen in our atmosphere is produced by marine plants. Without healthy, thriving ocean ecosystems, we would be cooked!

Unfortunately, as we continue to dump more and more plastic into the oceans, this essential ecosystem is starting to collapse. Every year, around 8.8 million tons of plastic trash end up in the oceans. The majority of this trash ends up sinking to the bottom of the oceans or getting swept up in massive gyres, so it can be easy to overlook this problem from the vantage point of land. Scuba divers, who spend their time beneath the surface, however, are constantly faced with the reality of this plastic problem.

In an effort to bring the sights that these divers see and raise awareness for the sake of the oceans, the good folks at Project Aware have
launched a stunning photo campaign called, Beneath The Waves.

While it might just look like this is a mound of trash, this is actually a photo of a sea crab.

We have a tendency to think that when we throw out trash it just "goes away!" Well ... this is where "away" is.

Plants, animals, and trash all float in a tangled mass on the surface.

Many marine animals, some which have never even seen a human, are now finding themselves the victims of human behavior, many miles away.

Even creatures like coral, which are an essential nursery for ocean life, are coming under threat. This large piece was sliced off by a discarded fishing line.

It is estimated that around 700 marine species are in danger of extinction due to plastic pollution.

Lucky for those animals, these divers are here to help.

Discarded piles of rope and fishing nets like these are a hazard to aquatic life.

By working hard to clear out some of the trash accumulating on the ocean floor, the amazing people working with
Project Aware are making a difference, one trash bag at a time.

Hopefully, by documenting this problem and garnering clean up efforts, Project Aware will inspire others to help, in whatever way that they can. Cleaning up at your nearest river, lake or beach is a great way to help, but prevention is the best cure. - One Green Planet.

PLAGUES & PESTILENCES: The Number Of Turtles With Body Tumors Dramatically Increasing In Florida - Half Of The Green Sea Turtles Are Affected, Scientists Unclear As To The Exact Cause?!

The tumors are thought to be caused by a herpes virus, and can blind the reptiles. © Peter Bennett & Ursula Keuper-Bennett/Wikimedia

February 11, 2016 - FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - Off the coast of Florida, the population of green sea turtles has dramatically rebounded. From fewer than 500 nests recorded on the beaches nearly 30 years ago, last year saw a record 28,000 clutches of eggs laid. But despite this impressive recovery, they now seem to be facing another problem.

More and more of the reptiles are being found infected with a potentially deadly disease, which causes tumors to grow all over their bodies.

The disease, known as fibropapillomatosis, is thought to be caused by a herpes virus and is specific to sea turtles. Despite looking harmful, the tumors that develop on the surface are mainly benign, but problems arise when they grow over the turtles' eyes, which prevents them from seeing and therefore feeding. Around 20 years ago, vets at the Turtle Hospital in the Florida Keys were seeing around eight turtles a month with the tumors, but recently they have seen a massive increase, now seeing around eight a week.

While the disease is predominantly found in green sea turtles, the hospital has also found it in Kemp's ridley turtles, as well as the larger loggerheads. They have found that around half of the green sea turtles in the area are affected, and treat them by surgically removing the bulbous tumors from their bodies. Sometimes this takes multiple operations due to the severe conditions some of them are in. After this, they are held for about a year to aid in their recovery, but if the disease has spread to their liver and kidneys, nothing can be done to save them. Unfortunately, only around one in five of the turtles recover to a state in which they can be returned to the wild.

The cause of the disease, and why it has suddenly increased in incidence, is still not 100 percent clear.

One report looking into fibropapillomatosis in turtles living off Hawaii claims that certain areas around the coast had a disproportionately large number affected due to nitrogen runoff from cities and farms. They purport that an increase in nitrogen in the water leads to the algae converting more of it into an amino acid called arginine. The turtles feed on the algae, and therefore take in elevated levels of arginine, which has been found to support the growth of the herpes virus responsible for fibropapillomatosis. - IFL Science.

MASS FISH DIE-OFFS: "This Is Very Uncommon" - Thousands Of Dead Fish Wash Ashore In Hancock County, Mississippi?!

Land servicing crews picked up thousands of dead fish that washed ashore along the beach in Bay St. Louis and Waveland on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015. © Jennifer Lenain/Sun Herald

December 31, 2015 - MISSISSIPPI, UNITED STATES - Thousands of dead fish were picked up by land servicing crews in Hancock County on Sunday, and officials say it may be associated with the red tide algae that spread through South Mississippi waters earlier this month.

A dump truck driver told the Sun Herald that he began loading dead fish on the beach near Washington Street early Sunday morning. By 1 p.m., he had made his way to the shoreline in Waveland near Buccaneer State park. He said crews picked up about 15,000 fish.

Hancock County Chief Deputy Don Bass said most of the fish washing ashore have been black drum. Bass said Hancock County Emergency Management received calls about the fish early on Sunday, and the agency has been working with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to remove the fish.

Bass said the county has received some phone calls over the past two weeks about dead fish washing ashore, and those instances were associated with the red tide algae blooms as it moved westward into Louisiana.

The red tide algae that swept through South Mississippi waters earlier this month was responsible for the deaths of thousands of fish that washed ashore in Harrison and Hancock counties. On Dec. 11, the algae blooms shut down oyster reefs across the Coast, and they may remain closed until March.

Land servicing crews picked up thousands of dead fish that washed ashore along the beach in Bay St. Louis and Waveland on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015.© Jennifer Lenain/Sun Herald

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/counties/hancock-county/article51784535.html#storylink=cpy

© Jennifer Lenain/Sun Herald

© Jennifer Lenain/Sun Herald

The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources suspects the deaths are related to red tide algae that moved through the Mississippi Sound in early December. © Jennifer Lenain/Sun Herald

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/counties/hancock-county/article51784535.html#storylink=cpy

Melissa Scallan, spokeswoman for the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, said the agency believes the red tide is responsible for the fish deaths in Hancock County. She said dead crabs may have washed ashore as well. DMR will sample the water Monday to be certain.

Scallan said the red tide algae has been moving west and should be in Texas waters, but the effects can still be lingering in South Mississippi.

Officials told the Sun Herald this string of algae blooms is one of the worst in South Mississippi history.


WATCH: More dead marine life washing ashore in Hancock County.

Algal concentrations, measured in cells per liter of water, must reach 5,000 cells per liter to cause oyster reef closures. Water samples taken Dec. 12 in some areas in Mississippi held concentrations of more than 1 million cells per liter, DMR Chief Scientific Officer Kelly Lucas said.

"This is very uncommon," she said. "We have had a bloom before, in the 1990s, but I don't think we've ever had cell counts that high." - Sun Herald.

MASS FISH DIE-OFF: Thousands Of Dead Fish Wash Up To The Surface Of A Lake Near Jakarta In Indonesia - Leaving Scientists And Officials Baffled?! [PHOTOS]

Staggering: Thousands of fish lie floating on the top of the water near the Citra Lake in Jakarta, -Indonesia

December 24, 2015 - JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Fishermen have been left struggling in Indonesia after thousands of fish died near the Citra Lake, leaving scientists and officials baffled by the cause of their dramatic deaths.

Hundreds of tons of dead fish were found floating in waters near Jakarta with torrential rains around the area being blamed for their deaths. The department of fishery have suggested that the heavy rainfall may have caused a sudden rise in the water temperature.

The change in conditions is thought to have been behind the decimation of the fish population in the local water, leaving fishermen and local volunteers forced to clean up the waters in order to ward off further deaths.

Devastating loss of life: One fisherman holds up one of the larger fish which died in the water recently

Mysterious circumstance: It is unclear what caused the fish deaths, with the department of fishery suggesting it could be due to a change in the temperature of the water

Helping hand: One helper uses a basic net to slowly fish the animals out of the water in a bid to clear the lake of the dead fish

Needing plenty of help: A small team of volunteers dressed in matching orange tops begin to remove some of the dead fish

Shocking scenes: Some of the boats struggle against the sheer volume of dead animals in the water near Citra Lake

Worrying: One Greenpeace campaigner said the deaths were related to a rise in water from contaminated rivers

Dirty work: Wearing a pair of wellington boats, the workers have been wading through the sticky mud and removing the dead fish

Tough work on the water: One of the boats struggles to manage the vast quantity of dead fish flowing in the water near Citra Lake

Tragedy down by the lake: A sample of the dead fish are bagged up

A long day ahead: The workers have been struggling to deal with the vast amount of fish which have died in the water

A lack of oxygen for the fish may have caused the massacre and experts are taking samples of the dead fish to determine their cause of death.

'In the morning, I found just a few dozen dead fish [floating on the water] but as hours went by, the number grew to hundreds and it created a foul stench,' Bambang, a 47-year-old fisherman at Muara Angke port told the Jakarta Globe.

'It is not unusual that many fish die, like this. But this year, there has been an increase both in the frequency and the volume,' he said. - Daily Mail.

MASS FISH DIE-OFF: Disaster Precursors - Thousands Of Dead Fish Continue To Wash Up On Florida Beaches!

Dead fish. © Chuck Coker

December 23, 2015 - FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - Thousands of dead herring provided an odious distraction Monday from otherwise hospitable beach conditions, dotting the shoreline from south of Patrick Air Force Base through Melbourne Beach.

They appear to be the same species of fish — thread herring — found washed up along other beaches along the Space Coast last week. Countless thread herring washed up dead Thursday along beaches in Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach.

"There was nothing out here yesterday," said Ron Van Kempen, a seasonal resident from Minnesota, fishing just south of Patrick AFB Monday. He cast his fishing line among floating herring corpses, which also speckled the beach where he stood.

The cause of the fish kill remains unknown.


WATCH: Massive fish kill on Florida beaches.

State wildlife officials took water samples but don't expect results back until next week, said Frank McCloy, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

While state tests last week found moderate levels of red tide in Southwest Florida, there have been no harmful algae blooms reported in eastern Florida.

The fish lack any marks that would indicate they were discarded from a fishing net.

People should avoid contact with the fish, officials said.

"Stay away from it, don't touch it, don't eat it," McCloy warned.

FWC also received report last Wednesday of about 100 dead fish in the Port St. John area of the lagoon. That species has yet to be identified. - USA Today.

MASS FISH DIE-OFF: Disaster Precursors - Thousands Of Dead Fish Found On Brevard County Beaches, Florida?!

Dead fish on Brevard County beach

December 19, 2015 - FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - Thousands of dead fish have washed ashore on Brevard County beaches.

The fish were first seen at daybreak on Wednesday in Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, but have spread further along Brevard County and continue to wash ashore on Thursday.

The fish appear to be American Shad which are typically found offshore except during late winter spawning run into east coast rivers, especially the St. Johns River.


WATCH: Thousands of dead fish wash up on Brevard County beach.

A Herring species, Shad typically die after spawning in warm Florida waters, but survive after spawning in colder waters in northern states.

Although onlookers have suspected a bout of red tide as the cause of the fish kill, no other fish species except Shad have washed ashore. - Brevard Times.

MASS FISH DIE-OFFS: Disaster Precursors - Widespread Fish Kill Reported In Mobile Bay, Alabama?!

Fish kill Mobile Bay

December 13, 2015 - ALABAMA, UNITED STATES - A widespread fish kill is underway across Mobile Bay. It appears to be affecting primarily filter-feeding fish such as menhaden, sardines, alewives and shad.

Dead fish are present in the shallows and on beaches on both sides of the bay, from Point Clear to Daphne on the eastern shore and from Arlington Point south to Fowl River on the western shore. Dead and dying fish also dot the surface of the bay, from one side to the other.

The kill does not appear to be related to a red tide bloom occurring in the Gulf of Mexico and around Dauphin Island. Instead, the bloom in the upper bay appears to be another species of algae with a similar neurotoxic effect on fish.

Fish affected by the algae swim in a markedly erratic fashion, zipping straight ahead for a time, then falling into lazy circles, often swimming on their side or even upside down.


WATCH: Fish kill in Mobile Bay.

AL.com collected samples of sick fish and the water where they were found during trips across the bay, from Fairhope to the mouth of Fowl River, on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Those fish were provided to the Dauphin Island Sea Lab for analysis. In addition, AL.com measured oxygen levels and salinity where the samples were collected using a YSI meter, a standard tool for environmental sampling.

"There does not appear to be a correlation with oxygen or salinity," said Andy Depaola, a microbiologist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lab on Dauphin Island. Depaola participated in the AL.com sampling trip. "Those oxygen levels were not low enough to kill fish."

Alison Robertson, who specializes in harmful algal blooms with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, said she had ruled out red tide, which is caused by an organism called Karenia brevis, in the bay. The red tide algae prefers the high salinity found in the Gulf of Mexico. It does not do well in lower salinity, particularly the low levels of salt measured in the AL.com sampling.

Robertson said she had received numerous reports of dead fish from locations all around the bay. She is working to isolate the algae causing the problem.

"Along the Gulf coast, Destin to Dauphin Island, we have had many fish kills over the past 7 weeks that we have shown were associated with Karenia (red tide) blooms offshore," Robertson said.The toxins associated with red tide were found in the guts and flesh of fish from those kills.

"The fish kills being seen in and around Mobile Bay at the moment are inconsistent with that, and there are in many cases none or at least very low numbers of Karenia in the Bay waters that we have tested alongside affected fish," Robertson said. "Lots of small menhaden are being reported in many areas -- from Weeks Bay to Fairhope, to Fowl River -- exhibiting spiraled swimming or swimming sideways. We tested dissolved oxygen in over 26 sites over the past 2 days and everything looks great, levels between 7-10 mg/L which is exactly what we would expect based on the water temperature."

Robertson said her lab was investigating whether there was another phytoplankton species affecting the fish. She said that other most other algal species do not pose a human health concern.

"We are following those leads right now," Robertson said. "A few fish collected were dissected and examined under microscope but there are no overt signs of problems and the gills look healthy."
She noted that all of the samples provided to her by AL.com were small juveniles.

"While this is concerning and we will continue to look at the cause of the kills, we are really only seeing the very small planktivores being affected at the moment," Robertson said. "And fish such as menhaden are particularly sensitive to changes in their environment."

Dead or dying fish were visible at all times during the AL.com trips across the bay. Pelicans were seen swimming around on the surface of the bay scooping the dead fish out of the water. Likewise, pods of dolphins were seen gorging on the stricken fish.

Algal blooms in the bay typically peter out after a few days. This bloom has been particularly long-lived, and is already into its second week.

While only filter feeding fish have been affected, fishermen around the bay have reported that both speckled trout and redfish appear to have vacated the areas where the sick fish are visible. - AL.

MONUMENTAL MASS ANIMAL DIE-OFFS: 337 Whales Beached In Patagonia, Chile - The BIGGEST STRANDING KNOWN TO SCIENCE!

This dead sei whale was found in Patagonia in May.  © Vreni Häussermann

November 21, 2015 - CHILE - The cause of the massive die-off, discovered in remote waters off Patagonia, Chile, is being investigated. Scientists say they are most likely sei whales, which are endangered.

Scientists made a startling discovery on an observation flight over a remote fjord in southern Chile's Patagonia: 337 dead whales. That is the biggest single whale stranding event known to science.

Because of the remoteness of the area and the roughness of the seas, scientists have not been able to examine the whales directly, but aerial and satellite photography identified 305 bodies and 32 skeletons in an area between the Gulf of Penas and Puerto Natales, toward the southern tip of the continent.

Many of the remains were in advanced states of decay so it's unclear what species they are, says lead scientist Carolina Simon Gutstein of the Universidad de Chile and Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales in Santiago. But based on their size and location, they are probably sei whales, she says.

Endangered throughout its range, sei whales are large, bluish-gray baleen whales that filter the water to feed on krill and other small creatures. They can reach 64 feet (19.5 meters) long and 50 tons. Considered the fastest cetacean, sei whales can swim at speeds up to 31 miles (50 kilometers) per hour. Their lifespan is 50 to 70 years, and they are usually found in deep waters far from coastlines. The worldwide population is estimated at about 80,000.

The dead whales were first observed in Patagonia in June from the air, but now scientists are trying to figure out what killed them.  © Carolina Simon Gutstein

Gutstein and colleagues actually made the discovery on June 23, with support for the observation flights provided by the National Geographic Society Waitt Grants Program. The team is analyzing its findings for publication in a scientific journal, but the story leaked Friday in the Chilean press. "We are planning on going back there in the summer to try to study them more closely," says Gutstein. Thirty sei whales were seen stranded in the same general area in April by Vreni Häussermann of the Huinay Scientific Field Station. That prompted Gutstein and Häussermann to team up, pool resources, and to look further with flights and remote imagery (the pair made the discovery jointly on June 23, with the Institut de Ecologia y Biodiversidad). (Learn how people can help stranded whales.)

The scientists are still trying to figure out what caused the die-off, and the Chilean government has launched an investigation since whales are protected there. Gutstein did not want to speculate on the cause of death but in the past red tides (blooms of toxic microorganisms) have been blamed for whale deaths in the region. Red tides can be caused or exacerbated by nutrients from sewage and fertilizer, although it's often "very difficult to find one person or corporation culpable," says Gutstein.

The status of whales off Chile is poorly known, she adds. "We know some about how many have died now but how many are alive? We don't know," she says. "We don't have much data."

Toxic blooms may have been the culprit in mass death of marine mammals off Chile three to five million years ago, according to another National Geographic explorer. That evidence was found by Nicholas Pyenson of the Smithsonian in a fossil bed in Chile's Atacama Desert.

About fifteen years ago, some 600 gray whales were stranded on the North American Pacific Coast from Alaska to Mexico, but that occurred over a vast area and over a longer span. In Patagonia, the whales were found close together. Nearly 200 whales were stranded in New Zealand in February. - National Geographic.

MASS FISH DIE-OFF: "It's A Little Fishy" - Massive Fish Kill On Sanibel Beach, Florida?!

Fish kill on Sanibel Island

November 20, 2015 - FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - A massive fish kill on Sanibel Island could keep beachgoers out of the water and off of the sand.

Before walking out on the beach at Gulfside City Park Wednesday night, you could certainly smell that something fishy was going on as thousands of dead fish have washed ashore.

When Erin Neitzlt and her friend Joyce Nardo made their way to the Gulfside Beach, they were looking for a little getaway.

"I just like the sea air. It smells good out here, listening to the waves. It's a good way to relax out here and beat some stress," said Neitzlt. "To relax, hear the waves, I love it here."

They likely didn't expect to find thousands of dead fish strewn across the beach, which could likely be the result of red tide.

The latest reports released Wednesday by Florida Fish and Wildlife indicate the algae bloom, which is common in November, has made its way to Southwest Florida.


WATCH: Sanibel crews begin clearing fish kill carnage.

"It's a little fishy, but it's refreshing," said Joice Nardo.

Fish kills can also be caused by sudden increase or decrease in water temperatures, as some fish species are sensitive to these types of environmental changes.

Erin and Joyce aren't letting a few fish kill their moonlit relaxation time on the beach.

"When I heard what was going on, it didn't make a difference. I still put my chair right here in the sand so I can listen to the waves," said Neitzlt.

"It doesn't matter what's on the beach, I'm just going to listen to the waves and smell the ocean air."

NBC2 has made calls in to several local marine life experts to confirm exactly what caused all these fish to wash up dead here on the beach. - NBC.

 

MASS PRAWN DIE-OFFS: Is This An Apocalyptic Sign Of An Upcoming Mega-Quake - Millions Of Dead Shrimps Found On The Shores Of Playa Brava, Chile?!

Dead prawns on Playa Brava in Iquique

April 14, 2015 - CHILE - Playa Brava in Iquique has now turned red... Prawn red! A sign of the next big one?

Scientists are baffled by this apocalyptic mass die-off and will conduct various tests - water and shellfish - to determine the cause of this kill!

Yesterday morning the entire coast of Playa Brava in Iquique was blanketed by millions of dead or dying prawns.

The reason for this mass die-off is still unknown.

The apocalyptic event started at around 07:00.

WATCH: Massive prawn die-off in Chile.

Rescue was launched directly after.

But rough sea hampered the work of the rescuers, whose efforts were unsuccessful. - Strange Sounds.

MASS FISH DIE-OFFS: Scores Of Dead Fish Appear In The Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon In Brazil - Deepening Concerns Ahead Of The 2016 Olympics In Rio de Janeiro?!

April 14, 2015 - BRAZIL - The bad news for Rio de Janeiro ahead of the 2016 Olympics keeps coming after scores of dead fish appeared in the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon.

With just over a year to go before the city hosts the Games' rowing and canoe competitions, officials with the legislative assembly of Rio de Janeiro Monday launched an investigation into the causes of death both in the lagoon and in other lakes and bays in the state in which this phenomenon has occurred.

The group will work in partnership with the State Environmental Institute (INEA) and the Secretariat of State for the Environment.

Officials defended the belief that the latest rains caused a temperature change of the water and the excess of decaying organic matter, which would have led to lack of oxygen killing the fish.

The note released by officials highlighted that the amount of dead fish has generated a bad smell and inconvenience to those who live near the lagoon and all the tourists that flock to the area.

Last week newly obtained footage from newspaper O Globo showed a sailor crashing into trash floating on Guanabara Bay.

The incident took place on February 14 and involved professional sailors Breno Osthoff, 20, and Rafael de Almeida Sampaio, 35.

According to Osthoff, the impact was so great the boat was forced onto its side.

Rio de Janeiro has pledged to reduce pollution in the notoriously fetid bay, but last month in an interview with the country's largest sports channel SporTV, Mayor Eduardo Paes admitted that the bay will remain mostly polluted for the games.

"The Olympics are also in a time that has very little rain, then this amount of debris that comes from five municipalities in the metropolitan region, with poor sanitation, is also controllable...I do not see as a problem for the Olympics," said Paes.

Last year biologists said rivers leading into the bay contained a superbacteria that is resistant to antibiotics and can cause urinary, gastrointestinal and pulmonary infections. - CNN.

MASS FISH DIE-OFF: What's Causing This - Thousands Of Dead Fish Washing Up On A Beach In Milwaukee, United States?! [VIDEO]

June 25, 2014 - MILWAUKEE, UNITED STATES - Dead fish are washing up on Bradford Beach by the thousands! So what’s causing it?

FOX6 News spoke with Baylee and Brooklyn Bates. They’re sisters, and they were amazed by the amount of dead fish on Bradford Beach on Tuesday afternoon, June 24th.

So what, exactly is happening here?

FOX6 News spoke with John Janssen at the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences.

He says the fish are “alewives” — coming to shore to spawn.

Janssen says the fish are dying because they are starving.

Mussels in Lake Michigan are apparently stealing food in the food chain.

Janssen says a big temperature drop can trigger these massive “die-offs.”


WATCH: Dead fish washing up on Bradford Beach by the thousands.

”This is a saltwater fish, and they have difficulty living in fresh water. It just weakens them a bit,” Janssen said.

Janssen says we’ve seen this before, but this die-off is occurring a little later than we’re used to.

Lake Michigan is warming up slowly this year.

Meanwhile, the seagulls are fat and happy. When they see dead fish, it’s like a buffet for them! - FOX6NOW. 

MONUMENTAL MASS FISH DIE-OFFS: Disaster Precursors - Millions Have Been Found Dead All Over The World In The Past Month?!

May 22, 2014 - EARTH - Millions of fish are suddenly dying all over the planet.  In fact, there have been dozens of mass fish death events reported in the past month alone.  So why is this happening?  Why are fish dying in unprecedented numbers all over the world?  When more than six tons of fish died in Marina Del Ray over the weekend, it made headlines all over the United States.  But the truth is that what just happened off the southern California coast is just the tip of the iceberg.

A sheriff's deputy said that this incident is nowhere near the scale of a massive die-off at King Harbor
in Redondo Beach in 2011. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

In 2014, mass fish die-offs have pretty much become a daily event globally.  Individually, each event could perhaps be dismissed as an anomaly, but as you will see below when they are all put together into one list it truly is rather stunning.  So is there a reason why so many fish are dying?  Is there something that connects these mass fish death events?  Has something about our environment changed?

The following are just a few examples of the mass fish death reports that have been coming in day after day from all over the globe…

*In April, 500,000 carp were found "floating belly-up in Kentucky’s Cumberland River".

*Over the weekend, thousands upon thousands of fish died just off the southern California coastline…

California Fish and Wildlife workers are still scooping dead sea life from the surface of the harbor Monday after thousands of dead anchovies, stingrays and even an octopus died and floated up over the weekend.

So far officials have cleaned up 6 tons of dead fish, and they still have a long way to go.

*The death of approximately 35,000 fish up in Minnesota is being blamed on a "lack of oxygen".

*The recent die-off of thousands of fish in the Shark River near Belmar, New Jersey is also being blamed on "oxygen depletion".

*Officials in Menifee, California are still trying to figure out what caused the death of thousands of fish in Menifee Lake a few weeks ago…

Authorities continued testing the water in Menifee Lake Friday after thousands of dead fish have been seen floating since last weekend.

Menifee city officials first heard reports Saturday of floating fish at the lake, which is located on private property about a half-mile east of the 215 Freeway.

*In the Gulf of Mexico, dolphins and sea turtles are dying "in record numbers".

*Maryland officials are still puzzled by the death of 7,000 Atlantic menhaden last month…

State environmental scientists are investigating the cause of a fish kill that left about 7,000 dead Atlantic menhaden in waters that include the Inner Harbor and Fells Point.

Jay Apperson, spokesman for the Maryland Department of the Environment, said that biologists went by boat on Tuesday to the area of Monday’s fish kill. He says the area extended from the mouth of the Patapsco River, up the Baltimore Harbor to Fells Point and Fort McHenry.

*Mass fish die-offs in Lake Champlain up in Vermont are being called “the new normal” by government officials.

*Along the coast of northern California, seals and young sea lions are dying "in record numbers".

*Three months ago, farmers in Singapore lost 160 tons of fish to a mass die-off event.

*Back in September, approximately 40 kilometers of the Fuhe River in China "was covered with dead fish".

*Also during last September, close to ten tons of dead fish were found floating on a lake near the town of Komotini, Greece.

The following are some more examples of mass fish death events from just the past several weeks:

17th May 2014 – Masses of fish turn up dead in a marina in Pultneyville, New York, America. Link

16th May 2014 – Mass die off of fish in a river in Aragatsotn, Armenia. Link

15th May 2014 – Hundreds of fish dying off ‘due to pollution’ in the wetlands of Rewalsar, India. Link

14th May 2014 – Thousands of dead fish washing ashore in Cootes Paradise, Hamilton, Canada. Link

13th May 2014 – Tens of thousands of dead fish wash up along coast of Tasmania, Australia. Link

12th May 2014 – Mass death of fish in the river Eden ‘is a mystery’ in Cumbria, England. Link

11th May 2014 – Thousands of dead Puffer Fish, also dead turtles washing up on various beaches in Colombia and Costa Rica. Link and here

11th May 2014 – Hundreds of dead fish found in a pond is ‘a mystery’ in Southborough, England. Link

10th May 2014 – Thousands of fish dead due to pollution in spring in Sikkim, India. Link

9th May 2014 – Die off of Fish ’causes panic’ in the Luda Yana River in Bulgaria. Link

8th May 2014 – Thousands of dead fish appear in a lake ‘shock residents’ in Mangalore, India. Link

8th May 2014 – 12 TONS of dead fish removed from lakes in Chisago County, Minnesota, America. Link

7th May 2014 – Massive die off of fish in reservoirs in Quanzhou, China. Link

7th May 2014 – Thousands of fish found dead on the shores of Roatan, Honduras. Link

5th May 2014 – Hundreds of dead fish wash up on a beach ‘a mystery’ in San Antonio Oeste, Argentina. Link

5th May 2014 – Mass death of fish found in lakes in Almindingen, Denmark. Link

4th May 2014 – Mass die off of fish in a river in Fujian, China. Link

3rd May 2014 – 1,000+ dead fish wash ashore along a lake in Ontario, Canada. Link

2nd May 2014 – 40,000 fish die suddenly in a dam in Piaui, Brazil. Link

30th April 2014 – Mass fish kill ‘worst I’ve seen in 26 years of working here’ in Iowa, America. Link

30th April 2014 – Large amount of dead fish found floating along a river in Xiasha District, China. Link

29th April 2014 – Dozens of sea turtles are washing up dead in South Mississippi, America. Link

29th April 2014 – Thousands of dead fish washing up along the shores of Lakes in Wisconsin, America. Link

28th April 2014 – Turtles and other marine life continue to wash up dead in Bari, Italy. Link

28th April 2014 – Large fish kill found in the Mogi River in Brazil. Link

25th April 2014 – Large fish kill found in a reservoir in Nanchong, China. Link

24th April 2014 – Large amount of fish wash up dead along a river in La Chorrera, Panama. Link

23rd April 2014 – 2 Million fish found dead in a dam in Tehran, Iran. Link

23rd April 2014 – Mass die off of fish in Island lake in Ontario, Canada. Link

23rd April 2014 – Thousands of dead fish appear in a lake in Mudanjiang, China. Link

22nd April 2014 – 1,000 fish found dead in Oona River, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Link

21st April 2014 – Large amounts of fish washing up dead along the Panchganga River in India. Link

19th April 2014 – MILLIONS of dead fish found floating in Thondamanaru Lagoon, Sri Lanka. Link

And remember, this list represents events that have happened in just a little over the past month.

So what is causing all of these mass fish death events? - Activist Post.

MASS FISH DIE-OFF: "Scientists Are Puzzled" - Early Fish Die-Off In Maryland Waters Centered On Baltimore Remains A Mystery?!

May 04, 2014 - MARYLAND, UNITED STATES -  As quickly as it started, a fish kill in Baltimore's Inner Harbor appears to be easing.

A skim boat filled with dead fish from Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

Alex DeMetrick reports what triggered the sudden die-off is still guesswork.

The city moved fast to remove the die-off, with skim boats collecting hauls more commonly seen on commercial fishing boats and as menhaden and shad died from the Inner Harbor out to the Key Bridge.

"And some of them were struggling at the surface, looking like they were trying to catch their breath. It was sad to see; it was just so widespread," said John Tapscott, Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Tapscott captains the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's educational boat in the harbor. Tuesday's trip spotted far fewer dead fish but none of the usual triggers of die-offs, which normally happen later in the year in far warmer weather.

"We didn't really see any classic sign and even the oxygen yesterday, there was enough oxygen in the water for the fish to breathe," Tapscott said.

"I think it's pretty certain some kind of combination of nutrients, runoff and organic matter," said Dr. Donald Boesch, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

Which takes rain to move off the hard surfaces of urban areas into the harbor and bay.

"People fertilizing lawns and gardens, animal waste," Boesch said.

Causing algae blooms that turn water brown during hot weather, choking off oxygen other life needs. But that's not happening - at least on the surface.

But wind could churn up dead water from below.

"So if you get a wind condition, it will take that material that consumes a lot of oxygen up to the surface," Boesch said.

But it's not clear if that happened this time.

"I think scientists are puzzled as to why. Everyone wants to know. I'd love to know why," Tapscott said.

Maryland's Department of the Environment says there are no signs of a toxic spill or a classic algae bloom. Answers from water tests will take at least a week.  - WJZ.

POLE SHIFT: More Signs Of Earth's Magnetic Polar Migration - Most Unusual BLUE Auroras Seen Over Norway?!

March 04, 2014 - SPACE - Northern Lights are usually green, and sometimes red. Those are the colors produced by oxygen when it is excited by electrons raining down from space. On Feb. 22nd, Micha Bäuml of Straumfjord, Norway, witnessed an appariton of aurora-blue:

"All of a sudden the sky exploded," says Micha. "The aurora looked like a giant flame."

In auroras, blue is a sign of nitrogen. Energetic particles striking ionized molecular nitrogen (N₂⁺) at very high altitudes produces a cold azure glow of the type captured in Micha's photo. Why it overwhelmed the usual hues of oxygen on Feb 22nd is unknown. Auroras still have the capacity to surprise.

Any auroras tonight, blue or otherwise, will be a bit of a surprise. Geomagnetic conditions are quiet. NOAA forecasters estimate a scant 5% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on March 3rd. - Space Weather.

MASS CRUSTACEAN DIE-OFF: "Great Concern" - Thousands Of Dead Crabs Plus Other Marine Species Found On Chacaya Beach In Antofagasta, Chile; Extending For About Two Miles!

February 27, 2014 - CHILE - Great concern exists among the inhabitants of Antofagasta by the strange death of thousands of crabs on the beach Chacaya, located 30 minutes north of Mejillones.

The situation is recorded since last Saturday, when these animals along with other marine species and even birds were found dead on the coast, extending for about two miles.

According to witnesses say, the death of these individuals began after the arrival of a boat, for now the authorities have not identified.

Experts, meanwhile, say it is not natural causes. - 24 Horas. [Translated]

MASS FISH DIE-OFF: Over 10,000 Fish Found Dead In Vasse Estuary, Australia!

February 07, 2014 - AUSTRALIA - The number of fish killed in the Vasse-Wonnerup Estuary this week has been revised to more than 10,000.

Thousands of fish have been found dead in the Vasse Estuary near Busselton. (ABC News: Roxanne Taylor)

City of Busselton workers spent yesterday cleaning up the dead fish, mostly mullet, around the Vasse floodgate area.

The Department of Water says high levels of toxic algae are present in the waterway, which is likely to have caused the fish deaths.

The department says the oxygen levels, which were blamed for the fish kill of the same size last year, all appeared normal this time.

Findings of an independent review into the waterway's management are set to be handed down this month. - ABC Australia.

MASS FISH DIE-OFF: Thousands Of Dead Fish Found Near River Thames In Oxfordshire, England?!

February 05, 2014 - ENGLAND - Thousands of dead fish have been found near the River Thames in Goring, Oxfordshire.

Thousands of dead fish found in Oxfordshire (Picture: Environment Agency)

The recent bad weather and flooding has caused higher-than-usual river flows over an extended period of time, which has caused some fish to seek refuge in flooded fields and meadows.

A mixture of perch, roach, dace, ruffe and minnow fish were found on Goring farmland.

Fish become trapped in the long grass and suffocate (Picture: Environment Agency)

The Environmental Agency (EA) said the incident was down to the ‘severity and longevity’ of the floods.

Fish can easily become trapped in long grass and meadows and as a result many of them die due to suffocation as water quality deteriorates and levels drop.

EA Fisheries officer Tom Sherwood said when rivers burst their banks ‘fish find their way into reeds and ditches but there is no easy access back to the river’.

A flooding hotspot where dead fish are usually found (Picture: Environment Agency)

The 30m stretch of dead fish found in Goring is the first of its kind to be reported in the West Thames area during the recent floods.

Despite the large numbers of dead fish, Mr Sherwood said the incident would not affect fish levels in the river.

He said: ‘As much as we don’t like to see it, it’s not going to cause a cataclysmic decline.’ - Metro.