MASS BIRD DIE-OFFS: "This Is An EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT,... We're ALARMED,..." - 35 Brown Pelicans Found Dead On Grand Isle, Louisiana?!

The brown pelican, Louisiana's state bird.
© Times-Picayune

February 7, 2016 - LOUISIANA, UNITED STATES - As many as 35 brown pelicans have been found dead on Grand Isle in the past two weeks, prompting an investigation by scientists with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. They've dismissed suspicions that the birds were shot but have yet to determine the cause of death.

The dead pelicans were first reported to the Grand Isle Police Department, which asked state officials to investigate. "In the wintertime, we always get some calls about dead pelicans, but this seems to be an extraordinary amount," said Cheryl McCormack, secretary to Police Chief Euris DuBois. "We're alarmed about the number of them."

The brown pelican, Louisiana's state bird, was removed from the federal list of endangered and threatened species in 2009, but it is still protected under federal law. The birds had largely vanished from Louisiana's coast by the mid-1960s, after exposure to the pesticide DDT resulted in too-fragile eggshells.

More than 1,200 pelicans were imported from Florida in 1968. But the time of delisting, there were more than 12,000 breeding pairs in Texas and Louisiana.

Several dead brown pelicans collected by the Grand Isle Police Department in recent days have been turned over to wildlife officials, and others were being collected on Wednesday (Feb. 3) for testing, said Michael Seymour, a non-game ornithologist with Wildlife and Fisheries.

He said there have been several estimates of the number of dead birds, including 14 along several miles of beaches and 20 in a single mile of beach. A survey by a Wildlife and Fisheries employee found 15 or more birds over several miles.

Seymour said officials already have dismissed early reports that some of the pelicans might have been shot. A veterinarian with the department will conduct a necropsy, an animal version of an autopsy, on better-preserved carcasses, he said.

"Hopefully, we'll have an answer in the next few days, but we're not entirely sure," Seymour said. If the necropsies are unsuccessful, bird carcasses might be sent to a federal wildlife disease research center out of state for a more comprehensive review.

Seymour said it's not unusual to find dead pelicans washing up on beaches or elsewhere during cold, winter months, especially juvenile birds that starved to death before learning the best hunting skills. Some winter pelican deaths are the result of parasites, he said. Still others can die in the aftermath of winter storms, the result of being caught in cold rain, having their feathers become waterlogged then succumbing to hypothermia.

"It's not necessarily unusual to see pelicans dying in the winter," he said. "What may or may not be unusual is the number of dead birds. We don't have a baseline of what to expect each year; we don't have anybody counting dead birds every year." - NOLA.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR: "We're Now Seeing At Least Double The Amount Of Pelicans Than Normal This Time Of Year" - Young Pelicans Found Starving In The Florida Keys In Disturbing Numbers?!

January 19, 2014 - UNITED STATES - Dozens of young pelicans in the Florida Keys have been found starving and The Florida Keys Wild Bird Center has stepped in to help.

According to wildlife rehabilitator Amanda Margraves, the bird sanctuary, which is located in Tavernier, has seen a large influx of pelicans which are very thin and weak.

“We’re seeing at least double the amount of pelicans than normal this time of year,” Margraves told CBSMiami.com. “They’re all juveniles, very young coming in very emaciated.”

There is no official reason why the birds are starving but there is a theory.

“We think it has to do with the lack of food in Florida Bay,” said Margraves. She explained that fishermen have been complaining recently that there’s a lack of food such as bait fish and other small fish that pelicans feed on.

“We get a lot of calls about the birds, a lot of local marinas call about birds beaching themselves, things like that,” explained Margraves.


WATCH: Young Pelicans Found Starving in Florida Keys in Disturbing Numbers.

Once the hungry brown pelicans arrive at the center, they are warmed up and fed. The birds, only about a year old, usually stay for a couple of weeks to be fattened up before being released back into the wild.

The Florida Keys Wild Bird Center currently has taken in 20 young pelicans since January 1st and currently has 25 on its property.

Due to the high number of birds, the center is in desperate need of towels, laundry detergent, bleach and heat lamps.

If you’d like to donate or volunteer, click here for the website.  - CBS Miami.

MASS ANIMAL DIE-OFF: Catastrophic Mortality - Florida Manatees Dying At Record Rates; 769 Dead In 2013; The Deadliest Year Ever?!

November 01, 2013 - UNITED STATES - Toxic algae blooms that deplete the water of essential oxygen are killing a record number of manatees in Florida this year, biologists say.

A total of 769 manatees have died trough Tuesday, making 2013 the deadliest year ever for the blubbery denizens of the deep found off the Florida coast, Save the Manatee Club announced.

A pair of manatees swim near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on May 13, 2010.

With more than two months left this year, nearly twice the number of manatees have already died compared to all of 2012, which saw 392 confirmed manatee deaths.

The last record—766 dead manatees—was set in 2010, when an unusually cold winter and spring killed hundreds of the delicate creatures, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Manatees live near the coastline, and when the weather turns cold, they often shelter near springs or in warmer discharge canals at power plants to avoid the condition known as "cold stress," which can weaken and eventually kill the aquatic mammals.

"With 2013's catastrophic loss of manatee lives coming so close on the heels of the mass mortality suffered during 2010, the already difficult job to ensure the survival of these gentle and defenseless marine mammals has been made all the more challenging, and it's not over yet," said the club's executive director Patrick Rose.

"What we put into our waters, how much we pump from our aquifer and draw from our springs and rivers, together with how we use our waterways, all has an impact on our own lives and the lives of every aquatic species."

The club's director of science and conservation blamed two "unusual mortality events" for this year's major losses.

Toxic red-tide bloom killed 276 manatees this winter and spring in southwestern Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Most of the deaths took place in the Cape Cora-Fort Myers region off the Gulf coast.

The second event remains unexplained, but saw more than 100 manatees die of undetermined causes in Brevard County off the Atlantic coast.

Tripp said those deaths were linked to various algal blooms and the loss of 47,000 acres (19,000 hectares) of seagrass since 2010.

Of the total number of deaths this year, 123 were stillborn, newborn or young calves, in another record for that mortality category.

Manatees are a protected species in Florida, highly affected by urban development in recent years along the coast in the central and southern parts of the state.

In the bay of Miami, where families of three or four manatees are commonly spotted along the shore, many of the animals are killed after being struck by boats. - PHYSORG.

MASS ANIMAL DIE-OFF: Catastrophic Mortality - Government Declares Mass Dolphin Die-Off In Florida An Unusual Mortality Event!

July 25, 2013 - UNITED STATES - At least 54 bottlenose dolphins have died mysteriously in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon since January. Today, the federal government is stepping in to help find out what’s killing them.

Dolphins are dying in the Indian River Lagoon. Today, the federal government announced that it will help
investigate the cause. (Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute)

In a normal year, that number would be closer to 22. On July 24, NOAA declared the mass die-off an “Unusual Mortality Event” — a declaration that will send federal resources and scientists to help teams already on the ground in Florida. It’s the lagoon’s worst dolphin die-off on record, and the cause is mysterious.

“This has become a national investigation, instead of a local investigation,” said Megan Stolen, a marine biologist with Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, the nonprofit organization that has been investigating and keeping track of the dolphin deaths so far. ”This will definitely help us.”

Map by Greg Miller.

It’s the second time this year that NOAA has declared an Unusual Mortality Event for marine mammals in the lagoon, a 156-mile-long estuary that runs along Florida’s Atlantic coast. In April, a mass manatee die-off received the same designation. This is the third time a UME has been declared for dolphins in the lagoon. What caused the others, in 2001 and 2008, is still a mystery.

The lagoon is a treasured but troubled ecosystem, and has been besieged by a combination of nutrient run-off, pollution, and algal blooms — ingredients that have created a lethal situation for 112 manatees, roughly 300 pelicans, and 54 dolphins since last July. Scientists don’t yet know if the die-offs are linked, or if there are multiple killers on the loose in the estuary. Multiple investigations are ongoing, with teams trying to find out whether algal toxins, or pollution, or something else is to blame.

Stolen became concerned about the dolphin deaths in January. But it wasn’t until late spring that the carcasses really began to pile up; at one point, scientists were retrieving a dolphin a day from the northern and central lagoon. The die-off is affecting dolphins of all age classes and sexes. Some of the bodies are intact, others have been scavenged by sharks. Unlike the dead manatees, which appear normal except for being dead, the dolphins are emaciated — thin and bony. But whether they’re starving because of disease, or a toxin, or a lack of food is still unknown. Clues are scarce, and only one sick dolphin has been found alive.

Elevated numbers of dead dolphins, casualties of a mysterious killer, prompted the UME declaration. (NOAA)

Now, Stolen says, the die-off has slowed a bit. In July, five dolphins have been pulled from the lagoon’s brackish water.

“The last few dolphins have been calves,” she said. “Newborn babies.”

It’s not clear yet whether the calves, three of them, are casualties of the mysterious scourge. But, Stolen says, “We would expect that if moms are getting hit by the UME cause, that we would start seeing dead calves as well.”

Map by Greg Miller.

She and her colleagues will continue to monitor and respond to situation as NOAA’s team determines which direction to take the investigation in. ”We are starting to look in [the dolphins'] stomachs now,” she said. “Normally when we do a necropsy, we kind of scoop everything out of their stomachs and put it in a bag. What we’ll do now is we’ll separate the liquid from the solid.”

The liquids are good for toxin analyses, and the solids will tell researchers what, exactly, the dolphins have been eating — and if there are any clues to be found in their last meals. - WIRED.

MASS ANIMAL DIE-OFF: Catastrophic Mortality - 46 Dolphins, 111 Manatees And 300 Pelicans Have Died Since Last Summer In Indian River Lagoon, Florida; One Dolphin Turning Up Dead Everyday Last Week?!

June 18, 2013 - UNITED STATES - The Indian River Lagoon on Florida's east coast has long been known as the most diverse ecosystem in North America.

A kayaker spotted a sick dolphin stranded in shallow water in Indian River Lagoon this week and stayed with it for two hours until rescuers could capture it. Because it was suffering some from sunburn, they draped it in a sheet until they could take it to rehab. After finding 46 dead dolphins in the lagoon, this is the first live one and could provide clues to what’s been killing them off. Teresa Mazza with Hubbs-SeaWorld.

Its 156 miles of water boast more than 600 species of fish and more than 300 kinds of birds.

The lagoon is not just an ecological treasure. To the towns along its edge — Titusville, Cocoa, Melbourne, Vero Beach and Stuart, among others — it accounts for hundreds of millions in revenue from angling, boating, bird-watching, tourism and other waterfront activities.

But these days the Indian River Lagoon has become known as a killing zone.

Algae blooms wiped out more than 47,000 acres of its sea grass beds, which one scientist compared to losing an entire rainforest in one fell swoop.

Then, beginning last summer, manatees began dying. As of last week, 111 manatees from Indian River Lagoon had died under mysterious circumstances. Soon pelicans and dolphins began showing up dead too — more than 300 pelicans and 46 dolphins so far.

A dolphin swims near Round Island in the southern portion of the Indian River Lagoon on Thursday. At least 46 dolphins have died under mysterious circumstances — one a day in the past week. CHRIS ZUPPA | Times

How bad is it? In the past week, a dolphin a day has turned up dead in the lagoon, said Megan Stolen, a research scientist at Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute.

"When you lose the manatees, pelicans and dolphins, you know something is going on," said Marty Baum of Indian Riverkeeper, a nonprofit environmental group that tries to act as a steward for the lagoon and the Indian River that flows into it.

Yet so far nobody can name the killer. Biologists have some suspicions but are baffled about any connection among the species' problems. The diets are different: Manatees are vegetarians, while pelicans and dolphins eat fish. The symptoms are different: The manatees' stomachs are stuffed, while the pelicans and dolphins are emaciated.

Baum's family has lived around the lagoon since the 1860s, but he can't remember anything like this ever happening.

The lagoon has had algae blooms before. None of them were like the one that hit it in 2011. Experts called the explosion of the greenish Resultor species a "superbloom" because it covered nearly 131,000 acres and lasted from early spring to late fall.

Algae coats sea grass in the Indian River Lagoon on Thursday. Already, 47,000 acres of sea grass beds have died from algae blooms. CHRIS ZUPPA | Times

Then came the "brown tide" algae bloom last summer, tinting the water a chocolate brown. The algae, Aureoumbra lagunensis, have been a recurring problem in Texas. Why it suddenly showed up in Florida is another mystery.

The algae blooms shade out sunlight needed by sea grass. By the time the algae was done, the lagoon had lost more than half its sea grass, essential to nurturing fish and other marine species.

Then came what Pat Rose of the Save the Manatee Club called "a cascade of events."

The mysterious manatee die-off began in the northern part of the lagoon last July, hit its peak around March and now produces another dead manatee about every two weeks, said Martine DeWit of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Biologists at a state laboratory in St. Petersburg examine every dead manatee that's found in Florida for a cause of death. But the Indian River Lagoon manatees have them stumped. The manatees appeared to have abruptly sickened and drowned.

Algae coats sea grass in the Indian River Lagoon on Thursday. Already, 47,000 acres of sea grass beds have died from algae blooms. CHRIS ZUPPA | Times

Normally manatees eat sea grass. With much of the sea grass gone, the manatees turned to eating a red sea weed called gracilaria. But so far there is no sign that played any role in their deaths, DeWit said. The lab is continuing to test for viruses, pollutants or something else.

Similar tests are being run on the dead pelicans and dolphins. Stolen of Hubbs-SeaWorld said the dolphin die-off first became evident in January and has not let up since.

And the lagoon's 700 dolphins are already somewhat beleaguered. They tend to suffer from high levels of mercury. In fact, research by the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution at Florida Atlantic University has found that there's so much mercury in the lagoon's fish that people who eat them have higher mercury concentrations in their tissues than those who eat imported fish.

Scientists caught a break Friday when a kayaker discovered an ailing, sunburned, underweight dolphin stranded in the shallows, Stolen said. Rescuers were able to capture it for rehabilitation, and they hope it offers clues to what killed the others.


WATCH: Indian River Lagoon mystery ailment killing dolphins, manatees, pelicans.

When it comes to naming the cause, the list of suspects rivals a game of Clue. Stormwater runoff filled with fertilizer and other nutrient pollution has been blamed for fueling the algae blooms. Other theories point to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dumping polluted water from Lake Okeechobee, changes in water temperature or salt levels, overflow from contaminated mosquito-control ditches, even climate change, which is boosting the acidity of the world's oceans.

The Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute had hoped for $2 million in state money this year for a study of the lagoon's water chemistry, but Gov. Rick Scott vetoed the appropriation.

There are a few hopeful signs. The pelican die-off appears to have ended. As for the sea grass, "we're starting to see some regrowth in certain areas, but not as much as we'd hoped," said Tony Rice of the Indian River Lagoon Estuary Program, a government-sponsored partnership among local and state agencies.

Meanwhile, a new brown tide bloom was spotted last month. If the lagoon hasn't hit a point where it's sliding toward oblivion, said Rose, of the Save the Manatee Club, a return to normal is a long way off. "I'm thinking it's seven, eight, nine years," he said. "We could be looking at a decade before it recovers." - Tampa Bay Times.

MASS ANIMAL DIE-OFF: "Catastrophic Mortality" - Manatees Are Dying In Droves In Florida, 582 Have Died So Far This Year?!

May 19, 2013 - UNITED STATES - A record number of endangered manatees are dying in Florida's algae-choked waterways. So far this year, 582 manatees have died, more than any year on record, according to preliminary numbers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Pat Rose is an aquatic biologist and the executive director of the Save the Manatee Club, an organization devoted to preserving the animal. In his interview with TakePart, Rose reports the estimated minimum population of these gentle beasts is only 3,100 adults. That means their population has decreased by more than 10 percent in just four months.

A total of 247 of these have died in the southwest of the state due to an explosion of a red-hued algae called Karenia brevis, also known as a red tide.

This pesky microorganism produces neurotoxins that can kill manatees by causing them to seize to the point where they can't make it to the surface—or even lift their head out of the water—to breathe.

The NOAA is launching a study to investigate the factors behind the recent rash of manatee deaths.
(Photo: Kallista/Getty Images)

The large marine mammals are also dying in the eastern part of the state, in Brevard County near Orlando. Rose says a gradual die-out of sea grass, upon which the manatees feed, has combined with blooms of brown algae and likely other unknown factors to kill nearly 150 more manatees. Since 2010, about 30,000 acres of sea grass have been wiped out.

Luckily, it appears that both events are winding down, and the rate of manatee deaths appears to be slowing. But that's cold comfort for Rose, since the number of threats to manatees appears to be growing, and little is being done to address the problem.

Traditionally, boat collisions have been the biggest killer of manatees; they're vulnerable since they're large, slow-moving and often hang out on the surface. Until this year, at least 41 percent of all manatee deaths resulted from these collisions, and likely more, because not all of these deaths are reported or detected.

The threat of algal blooms could be reduced if Floridians and others throughout the country could reduce nutrient runoff.  These nutrients, from fertilizers and wastewater, feed algae blooms like red tide. When these proliferations of algae die, they also consume massive amounts of oxygen, creating dead zones that kill fish, coral and just about anything that happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Unfortunately, the Florida State Senate is considering a bill that would prevent local governments from water quality laws that are stricter than that of the state—which aren't strict enough, according to Rose. "The Legislature is doing everything it can to further pair down our water-quality laws," he says.

Called HB 999, the bill will be voted on by the Senate this week. According to an editorial in the Tampa Bay Times, this legislature "would make it easier to pollute waterways, destroy flood protection areas, squander the drinking water supply and extend even more leverage to developers over when and where they build."

Rose says it's unclear exactly why this red-tide event killed more manatees than any on record. It certainly didn't help that the bloom persisted through the winter months. But this has happened before; there was a persistent bloom of Karenia brevis that lasted from June 2002 until February 2004, for example, but far fewer manatees were killed, according to the FWC. - Take Part.

MASS FISH DIE-OFF: Catastrophic Mortality - Thousands And Thousands Of Dead Fish Reported In Indian River Lagoon In Southern St. Lucie County, Florida?!

May 05, 2013 - UNITED STATES - Thousands of dead fish were reported Thursday afternoon on the west bank of the Indian River Lagoon about a mile north of the Martin-St. Lucie county line near Indian River Drive and Mockingbird Lane.

Thousands of dead fish were reported Thursday afternoon on the west bank of the Indian River Lagoon about a mile north of the Martin-St. Lucie county line near Indian River Drive and Mockingbird Lane.
Photographer: Ed Killer/Treasure Coast Newspapers, Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc.

Tony DiChristofaro of Stuart, said he saw "thousands and thousands of dead fish coming ashore" about 2 p.m. Thursday as he was walking along the lagoon beach.

DiChristofaro said the dead fish extended along the shoreline for about a mile.
"They were still coming in," he said, "but some of them looked like they'd been there for several hours."

Kevin Baxter, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission lab in St. Petersburg Baxter said samples of the dead fish will be collected Friday.

At this point we don't know what could be the cause," Baxter said. "We should be able to have the samples analyzed early next week. We won't know more until then."

At high tide early Thursday evening, hundreds of dead fish - all silver mullet, each 4 to 5 inches long - could be seen along the west lagoon shoreline.

The spring south-to-north mullet migration is under way, and many more of the fish were churning up the lagoon water just offshore.

To report dead fish, call the commission's fish kill hotline: 800-636-0511. - WPTV.

WATCH: Thousands of dead fish reported in Indian River Lagoon.

MASS ANIMAL DIE-OFF: "Catastrophic Mortality" - Questions Abound In Mysterious Deaths Of Manatees And Pelicans At Indian River Lagoon, Florida?!

April 26, 2013 - UNITED STATES - Whatever is killing manatees and pelicans northern Indian River Lagoon remains unknown, but apparently wildlife along the Treasure Coast won't become victims.

Since July and 2012, a total of 220 manatees have died in the lagoon in Brevard County, about 100 of them under mysterious circumstances; and since February, between 250 and 300 dead pelicans have been found in the same area.

Since July and 2012, a total of 220 manatees have died in the lagoon in Brevard County, about 100 of them under mysterious circumstances; and since February, between 250 and 300 dead pelicans have been found in the same area.
Photographer: CHRISTOPHER ARNOLD, Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers
Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Thomas R. "Tom" Reinert, a research administrator with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, told members of the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program Advisory Board on Wednesday that researchers have been stumped in their efforts to find the cause - or causes.

Asked if the mysterious deaths could migrate south into the lagoon along the Treasure Coast, Reinert replied, "I can't answer that. The cases seem to be localized, with the zone in Brevard County from Sebastian to Titusville being where the deaths are concentrated. And it appears it will remain that way."

In March alone, Reinert said, 56 sea cows died from unknown causes in Brevard County, where the annual manatee death count from all causes averages 111.

Reinert said dead manatees have been reported "here and there" along the Treasure Coast, but the numbers are within the usual mortality rate.

According to the commission's website, six manatees have died in Indian River County, four in St. Lucie County and three in Martin County from Jan. 1 to April 19.

Statewide, 566 manatees have died over the same period. A record 766 manatees died in Florida in 2010.

"We're on a trajectory to eclipse that," Reinert said.

Reinert said the deaths of the manatees and the pelicans "could be completely unrelated. At least they're not directly related. They don't show the same symptoms at all. Of course, they could be tangentially related. There could be some ultimate cause that effects manatees and pelicans differently."

Reinert said the manatees that died mysteriously appeared to be healthy but drowned due to toxic shock-like symptoms similar to the hundreds of sea cows on Florida's West Coast that have died from toxins in the so-called "red tide" algae blooms.

"We've tested for (the toxin found in) red tide," Reinert said, "but there's no red tide present (in the lagoon manatees). There's no evidence of disease or viruses, or of any known toxins. We're not finding anything special that would explain the toxic shock."

The dead pelicans, on the other hand, have been emaciated and parasite-ridden.

"The parasites may be a coincident of the pelicans being sick and then getting the parasites rather than the parasites causing the sickness," Reinert said. "Whatever they had made them stop eating."

Necropsies of the dead pelicans didn't show signs of diseases such as avian flu or West Nile virus.

Researchers believe the manatee deaths are the result of a dietary shift, he added, "but that's not been confirmed."

WATCH: Mystery deaths at Indian River Lagoon.

Over the last few years, Reinert noted, the northern lagoon "has gotten hammered" by a series of algae blooms. The blooms have resulted in the loss of massive areas of seagrass, the manatees' primary food, while the amount of macroalgae, seaweed known as "the tumbleweeds of the Indian River Lagoon," has expanded.

Reinert said researchers initially focused on the fact that the first manatees to die mysteriously had lots of red macroalgae in their stomachs.

"But in the later deaths, we didn't find the same species of macroalgae," he said.

Whatever is killing manatees and pelicans, Reinert said, doesn't seem to pose a danger to humans.

"Well," he said, "I'm not testing anybody." - WPTV.

MASS BIRD DIE-OFF: 100 Pelicans Mysteriously Found Dead In Brevard County, Florida - Cause Unknown; Birds Emaciated, Filled With Parasites!

March 24, 2013 - UNITED STATES - About 100 brown pelicans have been found dead in Brevard County in the past two months and officials are not sure why, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

flickr | Dallas Krentzel.

The birds are found emaciated and filled with parasites.

"The pelicans are emaciated and have heavy parasite counts, and, to our knowledge, other bird species have not been affected," said FWC researcher Dan Wolf in a press release.

Researchers are assessing the birds to figure out what is going on. They sent samples to the National Wildlife Health Center for testing but have not yet heard back.

Additional testing will tell researchers whether botulism is the cause. According to officials, botulism is sometimes the cause of die-offs like this.

But botulism usually kills birds too quickly for them to become emaciated.

People should report any dead or sick pelicans online at MyFWC.com/Bird or by calling the FWC's Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. - WESH.

MASS ANIMAL DIE-OFF: Animapocalypse Continues In Peru - Dolphins, Fish, Pelicans Found Dead?!

January 22, 2013 - PERU - It would seem the animapocalypse in Peru has continued into 2013.

Throughout January various animals have been washing up along the shores of Peru’s northern coast.

Photo: Animapocalypse Continues in Peru - Dolphins, Fish, Pelicans Found Dead.

According to the Sea Institute of Peru 12 dolphins, 35 sea lions, and 13 pelicans have been found dead along the shores of San Jose, Lambayeque.

It appears that many of the dolphins found had died several weeks prior to their discovery, but the government says it have confirmed all the animals died from natural causes.

The pelicans specifically, appeared to have died from starvation, as the anchovy population has dropped significantly due to the increase in water temperature.

In 2012, the Peruvian government also claimed “natural causes” were responsible for the deaths of about 900 dolphins that had washed up on its shores. In May, Peruvian authorities said warm waters off its coast were to blame for the deaths of more than 5,000 marine birds.

Conservationists not within the government however, have continued to question the government’s reasoning, saying “natural causes” does not explain everything. - HSN.

MASS ANIMAL DIE-OFF: The Mysterious Mortality Phenomenon in Peru Continues - Thousands of Crustaceans Found Dead Off the Coast of Lima?!

Thousands of crustaceans were found dead off the coast of Lima following the mystery mass death of dolphins and pelicans, the Peruvian Navy said Friday.

A dead dolphin lying on a beach on the northern coast of Peru, close to Chiclayo, some 750 km north of Lima, in
March 2012. Thousands of crustaceans were found dead off the coast of Lima following the mystery mass death
of dolphins and pelicans, the Peruvian Navy said Friday

The cause of death is under investigation, said Industry and Fishing Minister Gladys Triveno, warning that "it would be premature to give a reason for this phenomenon."  The Navy said it presented a report on the find to the Agency of Environmental Evaluation and Control to determine the cause.  Biologist Yuri Hooker of Cayetano Heredia University said the species found on Pucusana Beach, 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Lima, was a type of red krill about three centimeters (1.2 inches) long.  "They live mostly along the coast of Chile up to the coast of northern Peru.

What is happening is that these crustaceans are being affected by the warming of Pacific waters in the north of the country," he said, adding that the phenomenon occurs "with some frequency."  Hooker explained that the warmer temperatures led the shrimp-like creatures that usually live far away from the coast to move in closer to land, where they died.  Nearly 900 dolphins washed up along Peru's northern coast between February and April. A government study said the marine mammals died of natural causes, while environmental groups insist the massive toll was linked to offshore oil exploration in the area.  Peruvian officials have suggested that the dolphins, along with 5,000 dead sea birds -- mostly pelicans -- died due to the effects of rising temperatures in Pacific waters, including the southern migration of fish eaten by the birds. - Yahoo.

THE HAPPENING: Mass Dolphin Deaths in Peru - The Mystery Deepens as Government Declares Human Activity Was Not to Blame?!

The mystery surrounding the deaths of at least 877 dolphins in Peru deepened on Wednesday as the government said human activity was not to blame but failed to pinpoint a natural cause for the massive die-off.  A final report from the Peruvian government's Ocean Institute, which manages one of the world's richest marine ecosystems, said the dolphins did not die from a lack of food, hunting by fishermen, poison from pesticides, heavy metal contamination, an infection or a virus.

Two men measure the carcass of a dead dolphin on a beach near Chiclayo, Peru.

It also said there was no conclusive evidence that linked seismic offshore exploration by oil companies to the deaths of the long-beaked common dolphins along the Andean country's northern coast.  But it did leave open the possibility that abnormally warm surface water temperatures and high levels of algae may have played a role, saying further analysis would be needed to determine if any red and brown plankton species in the sea were toxic.  "The dolphins were killed by natural causes and not due to any human activity - that is what you might say is the major conclusion," said Minister of Production Gladys Triveno, who oversees the government's Ocean Institute.  However, ORCA, a local NGO, says the deaths occurred after seismic events - which locals attribute to exploration by oil companies - damaged the ears of the sound-sensitive mammals and caused them to surface too rapidly.  "We found cells that had injuries due to bubbles that are associated with decompression sickness," said Carlos Yaipén-Llanos, director of ORCA.  The government and many independent scientists say it is impossible to prove the bubbles were caused by decompression sickness, known by divers as the bends.  Houston-based BPZ Resources Inc has said it conducted seismic surveys starting on February 8 in part of the area but that it adheres to strict environmental standards and that the first deaths happened before it began exploration work. 

Another company, Savia Peru, has said it was not working on its concessions in the area at the time of the deaths.  Both companies have said seismic exploration technology is used widely around the world and has never been linked to massive die-offs.  Large-scale dolphin deaths are relatively common globally and often go unexplained, though algae has at times been cited as a cause.  Between 1987 and 1988 as many as a thousand bottlenose dolphins died off the East Coast of the United States. Experts said the deaths occurred after the dolphins ate fish that had been contaminated by an algae rarely found in those waters.  Dolphins were not the only animal to have died in Peru's rich coastal waters in recent weeks. This month, warmer surface waters sent anchovies lower down into cooler waters where pelicans could not dive deep enough to reach them. Some 5,000 birds starved to death as a result.  The government says there is no link between the pelican and dolphin deaths.  Peru's northern coast is often hit by temperature oscillations between warm equatorial waters and the frigid Humboldt current the runs north from Chile. The Humboldt current is considered one of the world's most productive fisheries.  The region is in a transition phase from the La Nina to El Nino weather phenomenon that occur in the southeastern Pacific, said Bill Patzert, an oceanographer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in California.  He said the warmer temperatures do not yet signal the arrival of El Nino, which has been linked to extreme weather globally.  But he did say that warm surface waters often bring foreign plankton to coastal areas.  "When you see a massive die-off of bird species and marine mammals, often it's some kind of weird toxic bloom," said Patzert. - Scientific American.

MASS BIRD DIE-OFF: Thousands of Dead Pelicans Wash Up Along Peru's Shores - Locals Hand-Feeding the Birds in an Effort to Save Them!

A group of local chefs and restaurant owners gathered on the pier to feed pelicans in their efforts to save them from starvation. Scientists studying a mass die-off of thousands of pelicans on northern Peru's beaches say they think hotter than usual ocean temperatures have driven a type of anchovy deeper into the sea, beyond the reach of many young pelicans.

A Peruvian chef tosses a fish to a pelican at a pier in Chorrillos, Peru, on May 18.

A Peruvian chef hand-feeds a fish to a young pelican at a pier in Chorrillos, Peru, on May 18.

SOURCE: MSNBC's PhotoBlog.

MASS ANIMAL DIE-OFF: Mystery off the Pacific Coast of South America - What's Killing the Dolphins and the Pelicans?

Just what is killing all the dolphins? And the pelicans? And what has chased all the fish away?  It's been a mystery for months on the Pacific coast of Peru, where the local government says it has found 900 dolphin carcasses and something like 4,500 pelicans. It's been bad enough that the country's health ministry ordered 1,500 miles of beaches closed. 

Two men measure the carcass of a dead dolphin on a beach near Chiclayo, Peru.

And while it may all seem very far away from the United States, scientists from around the world have been watching. People in the area say the government has been slow to take up the bodies, and slower to solve the puzzle.  Which leaves a lot of room for finger-pointing. Every group has its own explanation for the animal deaths:  The government has said the dolphins died of disease: "The most probable hypothesis is the possibility of an infection with a virus," Deputy Environment Minister Gabriel Quijandria told The Associated Press.  Environmental groups say dolphins' inner ears were literally fractured by seismic blasts set off by U.S. oil prospectors: "The ears were soaked in blood. That's not normal when you examine a bone," said Dr. Carlos Yaipen-Llanos, president of the activist group Orca.  Other scientists wondered about agricultural runoff or heavy metals from mining near rivers, though the Peruvian Sea Institute said it did not find unusual chemical concentrations in animals it autopsied.  Actually, more than one argument may be right; some biologists say the dolphins and the birds probably died for different reasons. But the theory that's been gaining the most traction in recent days involves the global climate. And if it's accurate, then Peru seems a little less far away. 

Remember the El Nino phenomenon? An El Nino is a giant patch of warm water, thousands of miles long, that periodically appears along the equator in the Pacific. It alternates with a La Nina -- a patch of unusually cold water. They are large enough to alter weather patterns around the world; during El Nino periods, for instance, jet streams, picking up energy from the steamy Pacific, can tear apart hurricanes in the Atlantic -- good news if you live on the coast between Texas and the Carolinas.  The Pacific has just moved from a La Nina period -- cold water on the equator -- to a relatively neutral phase, but it did it unusually quickly, and that got meteorologists thinking.  "It's pretty warm out there," said Jim Andrews, an operational meteorologist at AccuWeather, the Pennsylvania-based private weather forecasting service. "I'm not a biologist, so I can't draw a straight line from the ocean temperature to the birds' deaths. But I wanted to offer the possibility that there's a connection."  Off the Peruvian coast, where it is now autumn, ocean temperatures have been reported to be 10 degrees Fahrenheit above normal for this time of year. Sea animals can survive that -- but some have trouble adjusting. 

Several biologists have suggested that because of the temperature change, anchovetas (a type of anchovy) have been moving into deeper water to stay cool. That's fine for them -- but they're a dietary staple of pelicans, which can no longer dive down far enough to reach them for food. Carlos Bocanegra, a biologist at the National University of Trujillo, said he did analyses of 10 young dying pelicans, and found their digestive tracts were either empty or contained fish the pelicans don't normally eat.  The theory holds water because pelican die-offs have happened before. AccuWeather's Andrews said that in 1997, just as an El Nino period began, there was a major die-off.  "It's not rare that this occurs," said Patricia Majluf, a former deputy fisheries minister. "It looks ugly because this has occurred at the same time and place [as the dolphin deaths]."  The Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service in the U.S. says that by the end of summer in the northern hemisphere, El Nino should return full-force to the Pacific. No saying yet what it could mean for the dolphins and the birds of the South American coast. - ABC News.

MASS BIRD DIE-OFF: 2,300 Birds Found Mysteriously Dead Along Chilean Beaches?!

Chilean officials are asking fishermen to help save birds caught in nets after thousands of dead fowl appeared along coastal Chile this week.  At least 2,300 dead birds were found along beaches between Cartagena and Playa de Santo Domingo, Chile, said Jose Luis Britos, and environment professor and director of the Museum of Natural History of San Antonio, Chile. 

Wildlife engineer Guillermo Boigorria, left, and regional prosecutor Lev Castro inspect sea bird in Peru,
which along with Chile has seen a rash of water bird deaths.

Many of the birds, which come from several species, had broken wings and bruising on the outside of their bodies -- injuries consistent with getting trapped in fishing nets, Britos said.  He said bird deaths from fishing nets occur every year, but never at this level. In a typical year, about 15 to 20 dead birds are found, Britos said.   One hypothesis for the increase this year involves climate. As Chilean weather gets colder this time of year, migrating birds that would normally travel north for warmth are instead lingering to feast on an influx of anchovies and sardines that had fled the coast of Peru in search of cooler waters.  Earlier this week, Peruvian authorities say warm waters off that country's coast are to blame for the deaths of more than 5,000 marine birds.  The Peruvian National Center for the Study of El Nino said that since February, the Peruvian coast has had an abundance of warm water as a result of marine currents throughout the world's oceans. The warm water has altered the marine ecosystem, it said. 

The warm water has led fish such as anchovies and other species that live in surface waters to migrate to deeper water toward the south. As a result, pelicans and other birds that feed from the surface of the water died of starvation.  "If these oceanographic conditions persist, it is likely that its impact will spread to other areas of the (Peruvian) coast even during the fall, which could make the numbers increase and affect other marine species," the report stated.  The Peruvian ministry of environment said seafood is still safe to eat, and encouraged everyone to continue to support local fishermen, according to state-run Andina news agency.  Officials in Peru continue to search for the cause of death of almost 900 dolphins since the beginning of the year. The health ministry is awaiting final results from molecular analysis looking for the morbillivirus, which previously has been linked to dolphin deaths.  The Chilean agriculture and livestock ministry and staff from Britos' center have called for a meeting with fishermen for Monday. They are asking fishermen to try to save trapped birds before closing their nets.  Britos said he worries that until Monday, the number of dead birds could rise significantly. - CNN.

WATCH: 7300 Birds Found Mysteriously Dead in Chile and Peru.

MASS ANIMAL DIE-OFF: 5,000 Birds, Mostly Pelicans and Nearly 900 Dolphins Dead Off Peru's North Coast - Authorities Expect the Phenomenon to "Extend to Other Coastal Areas"?!

The Peruvian government said Wednesday that 5,000 birds, mostly pelicans, and nearly 900 dolphins have died off the country's northern coast, possibly due to rising temperatures in Pacific waters.

A dead dead dolphin lies on a beach on the northern coast of Peru, close to Chiclayo, some 750 km
north of Lima, as experts continue taking samples and registering data on April 11, 2012.

The country's northern beaches were earlier this week declared off-limits as scientists scrambled to pin down what was causing such a massive toll, with non-government organizations blaming oil exploration work.  But Peru's deputy environment minister Gabriel Quijandria, disputed this and said warming waters, which disturbs species' food supplies, was a possible cause.  He said that although tests conducted on 877 dolphins found dead on the coast had not been completed, contamination from heavy metals or the presence of bacterial infections was not responsible.  It is probable that the phenomenon "will extend to other coastal areas," Quijandria said, noting that there could be a resulting increase in the numbers of birds and other sea life killed.

A dying pelican crawls away from the surf to die on the beach of Paita, in Tumbes province,
1,100 kilometres north of Lima and close to the border with Ecuador on May 2.

The South American nation's health ministry declared an alert at the weekend, urging the public to stay away from the beaches around Lima and on the northern coast until the cause of death of marine life is known.  One non-government conservation organization, known as ORCA, has blamed the dolphin deaths on oil exploration activities in the area, which it claims produces noises which are having an acoustic impact on the mammals.  A representative from the group, Carlos Yaipen, said Wednesday it had tested 30 dead specimens and found broken ears and damaged organs consistent with the victims suffering "the bends," also known as decompression sickness.  Weather expert Abraham Levy told AFP on Tuesday that the warming of the Pacific waters due to El Nino could be to blame. - Yahoo.

MASS ANIMAL DIE-OFF: Peru Marine Animal Die-Offs A Herald of El Nino?

Hundreds of birds and dolphins have been washing up dead along the Peru coast, and this has government officials looking for causes.  The mass deaths have taken place against the backdrop of oceanic warming in the region.  At least 1,200 birds, mostly pelicans, have been found dead in recent weeks along a stretch of Pacific coast in northern Peru, the Reuters website said on Sunday. 

Anomalously warm sea-surface temperatures are shown over the eastern Pacific Ocean on May 7, 2012.

Recent months have also seen an estimated 800 dolphins die in the same area, Reuters said.  Officials have recommended that people keep away from the beaches.  According to the agricultural ministry, preliminary tests on some dead pelicans indicate malnourishment may be a factor.  "We're starting from the hypothesis that it's because the birds are young and unable to find enough food for themselves, and also because the sea temperature has risen and anchovies have moved elsewhere," Reuters quoted Deputy Agriculture Minister Juan Rheineck as saying.  A mass die off of pelicans happened along the northern Peru coast in 1997 at a time when the "El Nino" warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean was under way. This mass death was attributed to the lack of anchovies, a key link in the region's marine food chain. 

Although "El Nino" has not happened officially since early 2010, significant changes to sea-surface temperatures have been happening since the start of 2012.  After months of "La Nina", El Nino's opposite, the equatorial Pacific Ocean has returned to "neutral" status, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) website said on Monday. The CPC report also cited current above-average sea-surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean, which borders Peru and northern South America.  A NOAA analysis of sea-surface temperatures, posted on May 3, showed readings about 2 to 6 degrees F above normal off the northern half of Peru, along with Ecuador and the Galapagos, Colombia and Panama.  NOAA/CPC statistical forecasts have called for "neutral" status through the Northern Hemisphere summer followed by nearly equal odds of "El Nino" versus neutral conditions during the fall and winter.  Long-range forecasters at AccuWeather.com expect a shift to El Nino status by the end of summer. - Accu Weather.

MASS BIRD DIE-OFF: Mystery Surrounds Dead Pelicans Found Along Indian River, Florida?!

A mystery is unfolding in Brevard County as several dead pelicans have been found along the Indian River over the past few weeks.

A mystery is unfolding as several dead pelicans have been found along the Indian River over the past few weeks.

Florida Fish and Wildlife biologists collected two of the dead pelicans after at least eleven of the birds have been found along the bank in Palm Shores near Melbourne, and people are puzzled as to why they died.  Wildlife officials said there have been no reports of fish kills, algae blooms or other factors that could have contributed to the deaths.  Meantime, the mystery remains.  "I might see one once in a blue moon,” said Tim Carlisle of Palm Shores Public Works. “But for this many popping up on the shore, it's unexplained."  Palm Shores Public Works says they've gotten many calls lately from resident complaining about the problem. 

Another resident who contacted News 13 said they found more than a dozen just a couple miles along the river north.  Florida Fish and Wildlife officials say tests are being done on the animals to try and determine the cause of death.  "We were thinking maybe it's the fish, or somebody doing something to them.  But it's in a lot of different place," said Carlisle.  Meanwhile overseas, Peru's health ministry is asking people to avoid beaches in Lima and north of the capital until officials can determine what is killing hundreds of pelicans.  Last month, the country's production ministry said the authorities were investigating the deaths of more than 538 pelicans, and other birds, on the northern coast. - 13 News.

MASS ANIMAL DIE-OFF: Peru Government Issues Alert Along its North Coast - Following the Mysterious Deaths of 1,400 Birds and 800 Dolphins!

The Peruvian government has issued a health alert after more than 1,400 birds are washed up along with 800 dolphins, with the cause unknown.  The health alert  has been declared along its northern coastline and urges residents and tourists to stay away from long stretches of beach as it investigates the unexplained deaths of hundreds of dolphins and pelicans. 

Peruvian officials examine a pelican carcass on the beach of Port Eten.

At least 1,200 birds, mostly pelicans, have washed up dead along a stretch of Peru's northern Pacific coastline in recent weeks, according to health officials, and an estimated 800 dolphins have died in the same area in recent months.  The health ministry recommended staying away from beaches, although it stopped short of a ban, and called on health officials to use gloves, masks and other protective gear when collecting dead birds.  The peak tourism season around Lima's beaches is over but many surfers are still venturing into the waters near the capital.  The agriculture ministry said preliminary tests on some dead pelicans pointed to malnourishment. Oscar Dominguez, head of the ministry's health department, said experts had ruled out bird flu. 

"The health ministry ... calls on the population to abstain from going to the beaches until the health alert is lifted," said a statement accompanied by a photograph of a dead pelican.  The ministry said officials had so far checked 18 beaches in and around Lima for dead birds but gave no details of any findings.  "We're starting from the hypothesis that it's because the birds are young and unable to find enough food for themselves, and also because the sea temperature has risen and anchovies have moved elsewhere," said Juan Rheineck, the deputy agriculture minister.  A mass pelican death along Peru's northern coast in 1997 was blamed at the time on a shortage of their anchovy staple diet due to the El Niño weather pattern.  Some were undeterred by the mysterious deaths. "We eat fresh fish on the quay of Chorrillos every day and no fisherman has died yet, so don't worry, it's nothing," said Gloria Rivera, a seafood restaurant owner. - Guardian.

MASS BIRD DIE-OFF: More Than 1,200 Pelican Found Mysteriously Dead in Northern Peru - Same Region as the Mass Dolphin Die-Off?!

According to Francisco Nique, president of the Association of Fishermen of Puerto Eten, for about 10 or 12 days have found more than 1,200 dead pelicans along 160 kilometers, between Punta Negra, in Piura , and San Jose creek in Lambayeque.

The birds began to appear dead on the northern coast of the country for more than 10 days.
Neither the Peruvian Sea Institute or Service of Protected Areas could explain the phenomenon.

He reported that seven dolphins were found stranded, which add up to more than 3,000 fish dead in northern Peru so far this year.  The Peruvian Sea Institute (IMARPE) has not yet determined the cause of death of the birds and said the dolphins may have been killed by a virus, while Nique said the cause could be the paucity of species that function as food or seismic waves for exploration activities in the area. 

The National Service of Protected Areas by the State (Sernanp) also failed to explain the phenomenon, but has ruled that the reasons respond to sound waves that are carried out seismic exploration at sea. Implemented a contingency plan to investigate. - Peru 21 [Translated].