Unprecedented December red tide - Mass Fish die off followed by birds in Mississippi

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Dead birds wash up on MS beaches

Posted: Dec 13, 2015 4:29 PM CST Updated: Dec 14, 2015 7:16 AM CST 

By WLOX Staff

 

 Fish were the first organisms to wash ashore dead after the algal bloom was announced. (Image Source: Missy Dubuisson)

SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) - 

It's a frightening sight along the coastline. First fish, now dozens of birds found dead on beaches in several coast cities.

“We got reports of several birds in the Gulfport area and after speaking with DEQ they got several more birds in the Biloxi area,” said Missy Dubuisson with Wild at Heart Rescue.

Even in Long Beach, many species of birds have been found lifeless or clinging to life. Experts saying it all goes back to the unprecedented December red tide.

Dead seagull found lying on beach in Pass Christian. (Image Source: Missy Dubuisson)

“Of course there probably has been this issue before on a smaller scale and we might have just had a bird or two that maybe came in and didn't make it, but we weren't seeing what we're seeing now,” said Dubuisson.

Caretakers at Wild at Heart Rescue are currently rehabilitating a pelican who started with a hook injury, but is now battling respiratory distress due to the algal bloom.




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Alabama - A widespread fish kill is underway on Mobile Bay. Dead fish litter the bottom in the shallows surrounding a Fairhope boat ramp.

al.com

 

A widespread fish kill is underway on Mobile Bay. Dead fish litter the bottom in the shallows surrounding a Fairhope boat ramp.

 

The fish kill on Mobile Bay appears to be affecting primarily filter-feeding fish such as menhaden, sardines, alewives and shad.

Widespread fish kill underway in Mobile Bay

The fish kill on Mobile Bay appears to be affecting primarily filter-feeding fish such as menhaden, sardines, alewives and shad.

 

 

Ike Morgan | imorgan@al.com

 

 By Ben Raines | braines@al.com 
 

on December 11, 2015 at 6:55 AM, updated December 11, 2015 at 7:32 AM

 

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.

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Over 15,000 baby sea lions estimated dead as Pacific sea life dies off

NaturalNews

Monday, December 14, 2015 by: L.J. Devon, Staff Writer






(NaturalNews) The Marine Mammal Center rescued over a hundred sea lions in a 10-day period off the West Coast of California in the winter of 2015. The influx of stranded sea lions is a sign that the health of the ocean is deteriorating. From January 1 to February 12, 2015, National Geographic counted nearly 500 rescued sea lions, an amount that is alarming scientists. Something has gone awry in the West Coast waters.

The sea lions are not finding food, they are losing strength, and many are starting to wash ashore. The startling trend didn't start in 2015. The number of stranded sea lions began rising in the winter of 2013, when scientists started noticing waves of sea lion pups washing ashore. Scientists believe the ocean's temperatures have shifted. Warmer currents may be affecting food sources that the sea lions depend on. Others see problems in ocean water acidity. The animals are being forced to go on longer quests to find food. Many of the pups are being left behind, stranded, while their parents search for food.

One-third of sea lions born last summer wiped out

 

The death of this sentinel species is an indication of changes in ocean climate and ecosystem. Sea lion prey, which include sardines and crayfish, are reportedly disappearing in numbers as well, forcing the starving sea lions to go on longer quests in search of food. Scientists are concerned about ocean pH and rising acidity of the waters. According to San Jose Mercury News, marine biologists warn that, if the trend continues, an entire generation of California sea lions could be wiped out.
When speaking to NBC News, Sea World San Diego senior veterinarian Hendrick Nollens reported, "We had rescued 19 California sea lions in January [2013]. This year we already rescued 87 pups in that same month. So this event seems to be much larger."

According to the Daily Breeze, the "unusual mortality event" wiped out two-thirds of the sea lion pup population off the West Coast in 2013.

Rehabilitation centers are taking several hundred pups in this year to save the species from total extinction.

NOAA wildlife biologist Sharon Melin confirmed that most pups captured in the wild in 2013 were only half their weight. After they are released back into the wild, they are expected to maintain their weight. When Melin went on a research trip in September 2013, she reported that the weight of the pups was still low. She brought back the bad news: "We've told the centers to prepare for the worst."
The U-T San Diego concurred, reporting that pups in the Channel Island rookeries continued to struggle despite rehabilitation efforts. On average, pups were 19% below their average weight, even after rehabilitation.

Jim Milbury of NOAA Fisheries says that West Coast sea lions have a birth rate of about 50,000 a year, and San Diego 6 reported on Jan. 28, 2015, that nearly 1 of 3 pups born the previous summer have already died.

If 33% of pups born in 2014 have already died, then based on the average birth rate, over 15,000 have passed away in that short time frame. 

Ocean water acidity on the rise, subjecting aquatic life to disease

 

According to Jennifer Palma of Global News, ocean health is deteriorating, indicated by a die off of scallops and oysters. "Getting pacific oysters and scallops is next to impossible; the industry is in crisis. ... So what's killing the Pacific oysters and scallops? A possible combination of factors including warmer oceans, decreasing acidity levels and potentially disease," she said in a report.
University of British Columbia marine microbiology professor Curtis Suttle is concerned about changes in the pH of ocean waters. "The hypothesis -- there's a working hypothesis --w is that these changes, these excursions in pH, are making the shellfish vulnerable to infection by diseases that they would normally be resistant to."


Sources for this article include:


http://enenews.com
http://enenews.com
http://enenews.com
http://www.dailybreeze.com

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Authorities are investigating after 80 birds, mostly magpie geese, were found dead at Hasties Swamp near Atherton, Australia.

Cairns Post

State authorities investigate deaths of 80 birds at Tablelands swamp

• Kimberley Vlasic
• The Cairns Post
• December 05, 2015 6:30AM

 

 

Authorities are investigating after 80 birds, mostly magpie geese, were found dead at Hasties Swamp near Atherton.'

AUTHORITIES  are investigating after about 80 birds were found dead at Hasties Swamp near Atherton. 

Tully man David Clarke was showing friends around the Tablelands on Wednesday when they came across the gruesome scene.

“We could see a big flock of birds on the edge of the lagoon,” he said.

“When we were driving out, we discovered a sick bird on the road.
“There was no injury to it, so we released it back into the water.

“Then we saw the dead bodies of dozens of birds and ­others in a dying state, that’s when we realised something drastic was going on.

“It was distressing to see birds flapping around dying.”

Mr Clarke reported the deaths and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, and Biosecurity Queensland are now investigating.

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337 dead whales. The biggest single whale stranding event known to science.

337 Whales Beached in Largest Stranding Ever

 

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.

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

By Brian Clark Howard, National Geographic

PUBLISHED November 20, 2015

 

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.



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Australia - carcass of a young humpback whale has washed up at Levy’s Point.

Whale washes up at Warrnambool beach | photos

By MADELEINE McNEIL & JONO PECH

Nov. 12, 2015, 1:17 p.m.

 

 

• 
• 
• 

 

Whale washes up at Warrnambool beach

THE carcass of a young humpback whale has washed up at Levy’s Point.

Two Warrnambool residents walking their dog made the discovery on Tuesday evening and reported it to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning on Wednesday afternoon.
Their father, who contacted The Standard, said the whale washed up at the eastern end of the beach, near the rocks.

“It’s in a reasonable condition at the moment and is washed fairly high on the sand,” he said.
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning confirmed the reports on Wednesday night.

Senior biodiversity officer Mandy Watson said the animal had been identified as an 11-metre humpback whale, suggesting it was a young animal.

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Biological Hazard - State of California, [Clear Lake] : Mass Fish Die Off

Hundreds of fish dying in Clear Lake

• Hundreds of dead fish were found in two south Clear Lake locations in early October. Pictured is one in Baylis Cove. Photo provided by Terry Knight, taken by resident Jon Braden.

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Biological Hazard

USA

State of California, [Clear Lake]

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Biological Hazard in USA on Wednesday, 14 October, 2015 at 11:47 (11:47 AM) UTC.

Description Fish die-offs are not uncommon in Clear Lake. Sometimes fish suffocate when oxygen-depleting algal blooms explode. Other times, koi herpes virus attacks carp, causing their carcasses to litter the shoreline. But two early October incidents, about 3 miles apart at the south end of the lake, are believed to have been caused by a less natural killer, capturing the attention of state Fish and Wildlife officials. "It's under investigation," said Fish and Wildlife spokesman Steve Gonzalez. He did not divulge any other information. Environmental scientists working for area tribes suspect a chemical spill, possibly petroleum based, killed the fish, estimated in the hundreds. Witnesses reported a chemical odor and oily sheen on the water, said Sarah Ryan, environmental director for the Big Valley Rancheria. Clear Lake tribes' environmental agencies work closely with state and local government agencies in monitoring the health of the lake, she said. "We sent (water samples) to a local lab for analysis" of petroleum components, she said. "We're thinking it's some sort of chemical spill." The results of the tests are expected later this week, she said. Carcasses of some of the dead fish were sent to Fish and Wildlife officials, who are conducting their own analysis, Ryan said. Two otters reportedly also were found dead in the area but the person who discovered them disposed of the carcasses, so they have not been verified or examined, Ryan said. Besides the oily sheen and odor, there are a number of other reasons to suspect a toxic spill or release into the lake. Ryan said her counterpart who works for the Elem Pomo tribe conducted tests at one location on Oct. 2, the day the dead fish were reported. She found that oxygen levels were more than adequate to sustain fish. "The oxygen level was fine," Ryan said. There also were many different species and ages of fish killed. Normally, larger fish simply swim away from oxygen-depleted or fouled areas, so mostly smaller, shore-hugging fish are found dead. That wasn't the case with the recent incident. "Something overwhelmed them very quickly," said Greg Giusti, a UC Extension ecologist who has studied the lake for 20 years. He said he has received multiple phone calls about the event. "I'm of the opinion it was some kind of pollutant," Giusti said. Lake County resident Terry Knight, an environmental and outdoor writer who has been keeping close tabs on Clear Lake for 28 years, said he has never seen an event that affected so many species in such a short time. There have been no additional reports of dead fish since then, he said. "It was not a normal die-off," he said. Fish and Wildlife officials suspect something was dumped into storm drains, which empty into the lake, Giusti said. Ryan said it could be a fuel spill, possibly from a fueling dock, or chemicals dumped into storm drains. Some people are careless about fueling their boats, allowing gasoline to spill into the water, she said. Others seem unaware that anything dumped into a storm drain will end up in the lake. Everyone involved in the case has their suspicions of what caused the fish to die, but no one will know for sure unless tests produce revelations. Biohazard name: Mass die-off (fishes) Biohazard level: 2/4 Medium Biohazard desc.: Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. "Routine diagnostic work with clinical specimens can be done safely at Biosafety Level 2, using Biosafety Level 2 practices and procedures. Research work (including co-cultivation, virus replication studies, or manipulations involving concentrated virus) can be done in a BSL-2 (P2) facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures. Virus production activities, including virus concentrations, require a BSL-3 (P3) facility and use of BSL-3 practices and procedures", see Recommended Biosafety Levels for Infectious Agents. Symptoms:   Status: suspected

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Mystery fish deaths in Clear Lake trigger investigations

• 

  Hundreds of dead fish were found in two south Clear Lake locations in early October. Pictured is one in Baylis Cove. Photo provided by Terry Knight, taken by resident Jon Braden.

BY GLENDA ANDERSON

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

October 13, 2015, 5:29PM

Fish die-offs are not uncommon in Clear Lake. Sometimes fish suffocate when oxygen-depleting algal blooms explode. Other times, koi herpes virus attacks carp, causing their carcasses to litter the shoreline.

But two early October incidents, about 3 miles apart at the south end of the lake, are believed to have been caused by a less natural killer, capturing the attention of state Fish and Wildlife officials.

“It’s under investigation,” said Fish and Wildlife spokesman Steve Gonzalez. He did not divulge any other information.

Environmental scientists working for area tribes suspect a chemical spill, possibly petroleum based, killed the fish, estimated in the hundreds. Witnesses reported a chemical odor and oily sheen on the water, said Sarah Ryan, environmental director for the Big Valley Rancheria. Clear Lake tribes’ environmental agencies work closely with state and local government agencies in monitoring the health of the lake, she said.

“We sent (water samples) to a local lab for analysis” of petroleum components, she said. “We’re thinking it’s some sort of chemical spill.”

The results of the tests are expected later this week, she said.

Carcasses of some of the dead fish were sent to Fish and Wildlife officials, who are conducting their own analysis, Ryan said. Two otters reportedly also were found dead in the area but the person who discovered them disposed of the carcasses, so they have not been verified or examined, Ryan said.

 Read More Here

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Biological Hazard - State of Alaska, Homer [Kachemak Bay] : Mass die-off (sea otters)

Sea otter  via Wikipedia,org

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October 09 2015 09:03 AM

Biological Hazard

USA

State of Alaska, Homer [Kachemak Bay]

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RSOE EDIS  Event Report

Biological Hazard in USA on Friday, 09 October, 2015 at 09:03 (09:03 AM) UTC.

Description
An unusually high number of dead and dying sea otters have been found in the Kachemak Bay area near Homer this year. Staff from the Alaska SeaLife Center and experts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working to figure out what's killing off the otters at such a rapid rate. "More recently, animals have appeared otherwise healthy and seemed to have died very quickly," said Dr. Carrie Goertz, the staff veterinarian at the SeaLife Center in Seward. "They are in good body condition, they have good weight, they have food in their stomach but they wind up dead on the shores." According to Goertz, they've received four times as many reports of sick otters in the past month than they had the same time last year, bringing the 2015 total to more than 200. She said it's typical to see a few die every year from a bacterial infection or trauma. Fish and Wildlife is waiting for test results from necropsies. One cause experts are looking into is the possibility of a toxic algal bloom that's impacted some of the state's shellfish farms. "Otters eat similar things that people eat, and so it's a good idea to investigate that so we understand if it is a harmful algal bloom, if it might be affecting human food resources," Goertz explained. The SeaLife Center's newest sea otter pup is keeping stranding supervisor Halley Werner busy. Without his mom, he needs around-the-clock care. "They literally need to learn every single life skill from mom," Werner explained. "Anything she hasn't taught them before they come to us we need to teach them and make sure they're able to take care of themselves." The still-to-be-named pup is about five to six months old. He came to the facility three weeks ago after he was found with his dying mom on a beach near Homer. "It was really a sad scene. He was more or less guarding her, very fearful of what was going on," Werner said. While experts work to determine a cause, Werner said her staff will be there to help save any otters they can. "We need to do our part of what we can here, caring for the live ones that we can help to recover and do well in an aquarium setting," Werner said. "But it's scary to know there's something out there in the wild that we may or may not be able to do anything about."
Biohazard name:	Mass die-off (sea otters)
Biohazard level:	0/4 ---
Biohazard desc.:	This does not included biological hazard category.
Symptoms:
Status:

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Friday, 9 October 2015

Their silence is deafening! Experts are neither confirming or denying Fukushima as responsible for catastrophic deaths as sea otters are the latest species dying in record numbers

Sea otters are the latest species to add to the list of dying marine life and birds along the massive north American coastline stretching all the way from Mexico to Alaska.
Sea otters can now be counted along side fur seals, wales, walrus, dolphins, birds, fish, mussels and starfish dying in catastrophic numbers and the experts don't know why......Or they do and they are not telling us!
It is very interesting experts are neither confirming or denying Fukushima as responsible for the catastrophic deaths!
 An unusually high number of dead and dying sea otters have been found in the Kachemak Bay area near Homer this year.
Staff from the Alaska Sea Life Center and experts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working to figure out what's killing off the otters at such a rapid rate.

Read More Here

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Unusually high number of sea otter deaths reported in Kachemak Bay

By Heather Hintze 3:56 PM October 8, 2015

SEWARD –
An unusually high number of dead and dying sea otters have been found in the Kachemak Bay area near Homer this year.
Staff from the Alaska SeaLife Center and experts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working to figure out what’s killing off the otters at such a rapid rate.
“More recently, animals have appeared otherwise healthy and seemed to have died very quickly,” said Dr. Carrie Goertz, the staff veterinarian at the SeaLife Center in Seward. ”They are in good body condition, they have good weight, they have food in their stomach but they wind up dead on the shores.”
According to Goertz, they’ve received four times as many reports of sick otters in the past month than they had the same time last year, bringing the 2015 total to more than 200.


Read More Here
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A Record Number of Mexico-Based Seals Are Washing Up Dead in California

Guadalupe fur seal

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October 2, 2015

The threatened Guadalupe fur seal could be the latest victim of the unusually warm waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Oct 1, 2015

Taylor Hill

is an associate editor at TakePart covering environment and wildlife.

The threatened Guadalupe fur seal is getting stranded on California’s coastline in record numbers, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Total number of Guadalupe fur seal strandings in California. (Chart: Courtesy NOAA)

The marine mammals typically spend their time off Mexico’s coast, but at least 80 of the pinnipeds have ended up on California’s shore emaciated, dehydrated, or dead. That’s a rate eight times higher than what’s documented in a typical year.

Of the 80 fur seals, 42 were found dead, and only 16 of the 38 found alive survived.
The unprecedented occurrence has led NOAA to declare an unusual mortality event for the seals, meaning its scientists will devote more time to studying the species, and more samples from rescued animals will be evaluated.

The fur seal’s struggles come during the same year that a record 3,500 California sea lions have washed ashore along California’s coast.

Read More Here