http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Dead-birds-found-in-Marabella-2...

Dead birds found in Marabella

EMA puzzled

MORE DEAD: Marabella resident Junior Calliste turns over one of several dead birds which were found in Bayshore, Marabella yesterday.

Dead birds found in Marabella
Trinidad & Tobago Express
TWO DAYS after more than 100 dead and sick corbeaux were found at the heliport in Chaguaramas, dead birds have turned up near the shoreline at Marabella. Judith Lewis, of Bayshore, said several dead doves, pigeons and blackbirds were found ...

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130411/news/304119981/d...

Dead salmon found along muddy Elwha River after hatchery release

Mike McHenry

The habitat manager for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe took this photo of dead chinook salmon near the mouth of the Elwha River.

PORT ANGELES — Piles of dead year-old chinook salmon, numbering at least in the hundreds, were found along the Elwha River's lower banks and mouth after hatchery smolts were released last week.

State Fish and Wildlife Department officials will consider alternatives for future releases of fish, said Mike Gross, Fish and Wildlife fish biologist for Clallam County and West Jefferson County, who called the release “a mistake.”

Sediment from the river clogged the gills of most he examined, said Mike McHenry, a fish biologist and habitat manager for the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe, who saw the dead fish at the river's mouth and on sandbars Monday and Tuesday.

Staff at the department's Elwha Channel hatchery released 196,575 juvenile fish, ranging from 4 inches to 8 inches in length April 5, about 3½ miles from the mouth of the river, said Randy Aho, hatchery operations manager for the Fish and Wildlife region that stretches from the Long Beach Peninsula to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

“We feel that these” — the dead fish — “are fish released from our facility,” Aho said.

Silt in the river increased rapidly after the fish were released, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.

The cause of death had not been confirmed as of Thursday, though Mike Gross, Fish and Wildlife fish biologist for Clallam County and west Jefferson County, said he suspected the fish died of suffocation.

“Suffocation from the inability to uptake oxygen would be the expected diagnosis for the cause of death,” Gross said.

McHenry, after finding dirt in the fish gills, said he expected few smolts made it out of the river and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

“I'm guessing the survival for this release is going to be very low,” McHenry said. continued.....

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865578300/Thousands-of-bird-cras... Thousands of bird crash land at Dugway Proving Ground

Published: Monday, April 15 2013 3:14 p.m

DUGWAY PROVING GROUND — Wildlife biologists are on the scene of an unusual natural disaster.

A huge flock of birds thought they were making a splash-down in water Monday morning, but instead crash landed on hard ground at Dugway Proving Ground.

As many as 5,000 birds hit the ground, and about a third of them died from the impact.

A group of Eared Grebes, a kind of migratory water fowl also known as Black-necked Grebes, stage at the Great Salt Lake. They are currently at the peak of their migration season. These waterfowl were looking for water and were fooled by the snowstorm. Because of the birds’ body structure, they cannot take off without water.

The challenge has not only been to clean up the area, but to rescue whatever birds can be rescued. Many have broken wings and legs. So far, approximately 2,000 birds have been rescued.

"We want to save as many as we can, responsibly collect them, handle them and release them,” said Robbie Knight with Dugway Proving Ground. The surviving birds are being transported as quickly as possible to the nearest water, which is a smaller pond on base.

From there, biologists say it'll take the birds, which still got soaked in the ordeal, about 24 to 48 hours to dry off to their normal state, preen and take flight again.

Dugway’s Environmental Programs Office, along with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. are working together to save the birds.

"Whether they want to land on a wet asphalt surface that looks a lot like a lake, or the weather just pushes them to the ground, whatever pushes them down, they end up in large numbers on the ground,” Knight said.

The birds that did not survive will be picked and transported later. To report sightings of birds, call 435-831-3448. 

Experts said such an incident is not that unusual Scientists say it happens perhaps every couple of years somewhere in the state.

In December 2011, thousands of migratory birds were killed or injured after apparently mistaking a Wal-Mart parking lot in Cedar City, a football field and other snow-covered areas in southern Utah as bodies of water. They plummeted to the ground and crashed. More than 3,000 birds were rescued, but as many as 1,500 died.

Thousands of dead fish found in SW Australia Estuary (Apr 16)

It is not yet known why thousands of fish died on the weekend in the Vasse estuary at Wonnerup in the South West.

It is the third time in the last five years that a fish kill has happened in the area but the latest is believed to be the worst.

The City of Busselton says the 7,000 fish deaths have been caused by a lack of oxygen in the water.

Wonnerup resident Barry Edwards told the ABC there were signs something unusual was happening over the weekend.

"On the Saturday morning when I got up and had a look down on the river because there were still fish jumping everywhere," he said.

"Half of what is now dead were beaching themselves on the edge of the river and obviously in distress because they were almost jumping out of the river."

The Department of Water has received test results that confirm a lack of oxygen killed the thousands of fish.

Residents say the water level in the estuary has dropped after a dry summer and the floodgates do not let in enough sea water.

While some blame insufficient sea water being let into the estuary, the department's Kath Lynch says it is a sensitive ecosystem to manage.

"They're called a floodgate and they have actually been put in to actually stop the storm water coming into Busselton," she said.

"So, in the past we have experimented with opening the floodgates longer and that's caused more salt water to actually come in and kill vegetation and impact on farmers' property so it's a really difficult one to be able to balance."

The City of Busselton says poor water quality in the estuary has been a problem for some time.

The city's environmental services manager, Greg Simpson, says a taskforce has been set up to find a way to improve it.

"It's been a particularly difficult issue, there's a number of agencies all with different responsibilities," he said.

A clean up of the dead fish has begun.

Source

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-15/thousands-of-dead-fish-found-...

SOURCE

Scientists still don't know why nearly 1,300 sickly sea lions have beached themselves on the shores of southern California since the beginning of the year. However, they think some weird oceanic phenomenon may be blocking off the sea lion pups' source of food, scientists reported today (April 17).

The stranded sea lions — mostly pups born last summer — are typically turning up alive, but severely emaciated, some weighing less than 20 pounds (9 kg) when they should be well over 50 pounds (22 kg), marine officials say.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared an "unusual mortality event" last month in light of the spike in strandings. Since the beginning of the year, 1,293 sea lions have washed ashore from San Diego County to Santa Barbara County. That's more than five times higher than the region's historical average of 236, averaged from the same period of time (January through April) from 2008 to 2012, said Sarah Wilkin, NOAA's marine mammal stranding coordinator for California. [Marine Marvels: Spectacular Photos of Sea Creatures]

The problem is most pronounced in Los Angeles County, where 459 strandings have been reported this year as of April 14. During the same period last year, 60 strandings were reported.

238 Pigs And 89 Dogs “Suddenly Dead” In Chinese Village

This is alarming.

According to Nandu.com, 238 dead pigs and 89 dead dogs were found in Dongtun village in Luoyang, Henan province yesterday. By all accounts, they died suddenly and at the same time.

Initial tests have ruled out the H7N9 virus as a cause. Thank goodness for that and all, to know the zombie apocalypse has not yet arrived, but the question still remains: why are pigs and dogs dropping dead?

Some are speculating that a nearby chemical plant’s gas emissions may have poisoned the animals. “Usually there’s a smell,” a villager said, “today it was especially bad, really big.”

People have also complained about dizziness in the gas’s presence.

“Overnight, all the dogs in the village had basically died off,” one villager said. “Those that hadn’t died were in their last gasps.”

Dozens of canines were apparently dumped by the side of the road, which may or may not be better than a river.

An official from Shanhua, the town where Dongtun is based, said the exact cause of this incident is currently under investigation.

Source

http://www.12newsnow.com/story/22093806/dead-birds-falling-from-the...

PORT ARTHUR -

12 News KBMT and K-JAC. News, Weather and Sports for SE Texas

Port Arthur resident Lara Comeaux says over the course of just two days she and her neighbors have found at least 7 dead birds in their yards along Shady Cove Lane.

http://wnep.com/2013/04/30/mysterious-dead-fish-at-eagles-mere-lake/

Mysterious Dead Fish at Eagles Mere Lake

Posted on: 6:57 pm, April 30, 2013

EAGLES MERE — Dead fish found at one of our area’s most pristine lakes has caught the attention of state officials. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat commission is trying to find out what caused the dead fish to wash ashore at Eagles Mere Lake in Sullivan County.

In these clear blue waters in Sullivan County, dozens and dozens of dead fish have been floating to the surface. Mostly sunfish, trout and bass have been found dead. Some people who work in the Eagles Mere lake community say it’s more than fishy.

“It`s scary because people fish out of there, there`s kids in here in the summertime,” said Brittany Mapes of Forksville.

Doug Rider is a realtor in Eagles Mere and says he walked by the lake just this past week and didn’t notice the dead fish. He isn’t too concerned just yet.

“When I heard about it it was surprising to me, but I have heard in the past that after the lake turns, the ice melts that the oxygen level is a little low for the fish,” said Rider.

Maintenance crews have been combing the beach and shallow waters for the dead fish and burying them a short distance away in the woods. They contacted the Fish and Boat Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Officials with the Fish and Boat Commission say they can`t say for certain what`s causing all of these dead fish to turn up here at Eagles Mere Lake, but they will be investigating.

DEP officials told Newswatch 16 “The department has been told that there were about 40 dead fish found today, many of which were sunfish, in Eagles Mere Lake. At this point, we have no reason to believe the kill was caused by any pollution entering the lake.”

The Fish and Boat Commission does not think the dead fish were caused by low oxygen levels in the lake. The commission is now asking to do more tests on the lake water.

“Hopefully it is something that can be fixed very soon and that it is just the fish and not anything else,” said Mapes.

Whatever the cause, residents are sure this lake-based community will move quick to fix any problems.

“And it`s something that we would definitely look at and move forward and rectify if there is any situation,” said Rider.

Officials with the Fish and Boat Commission say they’ll be having one of the dead fish from Eagles Mere Lake analyzed to help determine the cause

Massive Fish Kill in Florida Lagoon (May 2)

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.

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.

Source

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2013/may/02/thousands-of-dead-fish-repor...

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2013/05/06/Tons-of-dead-fish-floati...

Tons of dead fish floating on German lake is a puzzle for experts

http://www.thelocal.de/sci-tech/20130506-49549.html#.UYhXdsqzcoM

For the second time in two weeks, fish have been found dead in an eastern Kentucky creek, and state regulators aren’t sure what factors are to blame for the fish kill.

This time, hundreds of dead fish were found in Catrons Creek, in Harlan County. The dead fish range from more than a foot long to minnows.

But no one knows what caused the fish kill yet. People living near the creek reported seeing black water, and the culprit could be some kind of discharge of chemicals upstream from a coal mine or other industry.

"It’s looking like there’s something discharging, some kind of contaminant in the water," Division of Fish and Wildlife officer Steve Combs said. "We don’t have any evidence of that, because by the time people call us and we get people there to take samples, a lot of time it’s flushed out."

There was also no sign of a toxic algae bloom, which can be caused by excess nutrients in the water.

Now, regulators are waiting for the results of water tests to try to determine what’s to blame for the fish kill. They’ve tested for volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, dissolved oxygen and pH, and should have the results in about two weeks.

http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2013/05/06/delaware-lake-dead-f...

Dead Fish Discovered In Ohio Lake Result Of Temperature Change

Monday May 6, 2013 4:41 PM
UPDATED: Monday May 6, 2013 4:47 PM

DELAWARE, Ohio - There have been several reports concerning dead fish that have been found along Delaware Lake.

Officials have now provided an explanation as to why they are dying.

A photo was taken earlier on Monday, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said there is no need to worry about the water quality being a cause for the fish kill.

It is not unusual for the fish, which are called Gizzard Shad, to die when the water temperature quickly changes from cold to warm.

The ODNR says that not all the fish die, but many of them do during this time of year.

 ‘Mystery fish’ turns out to be 125-pound opah, a rare catch aboard Southern California half-day boat

Anglers and crew aboard a Southern California half-day boat were astonished last week to see what the captain had reeled from the depths: a stunningly gorgeous moon-shaped denizen with a speckled body and bright-red fins.

It was an opah, a species more commonly found in tropical and sub-tropical waters much farther offshore. Opah catches are rare off California, and extremely rare in coastal waters. To have landed one of these pelagic beauties from a half-day boat, within view of the shore, might be unprecedented.

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/excursions/post/mystery-fish-turns-o...   

HUNDREDS OF DEAD FISH WASH UP ON BEAVER LAKE

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) –

The spring weather brought with it something pretty unsightly near St. Paul. Hundreds of fish recently died in Beaver Lake, and many of them ended up all along the shoreline.

Fish kills are not unusual this time of year, but this one has Ramsey County officials worried. The fish died even though there is an aeration system in Beaver Lake.

Ruth Klabunde walks her dogs around the lake about three times a week. The first thing she noticed was the smell.

“This is a really fun little lake to walk around,” Klabunde said. “And the stench was kind of bad.”

And then Klabunde says she saw the source.

“This whole little bay area here was thick with dead fish,” she said.

When the ice finally went out on Beaver Lake a week and a half ago, it left behind schools upon schools of dead fish.

It’s estimated that more than 7,000 pounds of dead fish – mostly catfish, sunfish and bass – have been taken out of Beaver Lake. But what caused this unusually large fish kill is still a mystery.

Beaver Lake has an aeration pump that can be turned on when oxygen levels get low. Ramsey County turned the pump on in February, but it only reaches a small part of the lake.

Terry Noonan is a water resources manager for Ramsey County public works. He said the DNR stocks the lake with fish. But instead of reeling in panfish, they had to hire someone to pull them out by the truckload.

“For whatever reason this year the aeration system did not perform as we’d hoped,” Noonan said.

He thinks the cold spring and too many fish seeking oxygen caused Beaver Lake to go belly up.

“It could be that just so many fish accumulated in that relatively small area, that that’s a stresser in and of itself,” said Noonan.

The extent of the fish kill won’t be known until the DNR can get out and do some sampling. There are still fish in the lake, but Noonan said there is little doubt that this could temporarily hurt recreational fishing.

It’s possible the DNR may have to restock the lake if fish numbers get too low.

Source:   http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/05/06/hundreds-of-dead-wash-up-o...

http://www.wset.com/story/22197818/dead-birds-found-in-danville-pit...

 

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/05/winter-honeybee-losses/

One-Third of U.S. Honeybee Colonies Died Last Winter, Threatening Food Supply

Image: Jennifer C./Flickr

Nearly one in three commercial honeybee colonies in the United States died or disappeared last winter, an unsustainable decline that threatens the nation’s food supply.

Multiple factors — pesticides, fungicides, parasites, viruses and malnutrition — are believed to cause the losses, which were officially announced today by a consortium of academic researchers, beekeepers and Department of Agriculture scientists.

“We’re getting closer and closer to the point where we don’t have enough bees in this country to meet pollination demands,” said entomologist Dennis vanEngelstorp of the University of Maryland, who led the survey documenting the declines.

Beekeepers lost 31 percent of their colonies in late 2012 and early 2013, roughly double what’s considered acceptable attrition through natural causes. The losses are in keeping with rates documented since 2006, when beekeeper concerns prompted the first nationwide survey of honeybee health. Hopes raised by drop in rates of loss to 22 percent in 2011-2012 were wiped out by the new numbers.

Honeybee colony losses over the last seven years. Image: Engelstorp et al.

The honeybee shortage nearly came to a head in March in California, when there were barely enough bees to pollinate the almond crop.

Had the weather not been ideal, the almonds would have gone unpollinated — a taste, as it were, of a future in which honeybee problems are not solved.

“If we want to grow fruits and nuts and berries, this is important,” said vanEngelstorp. “One in every three bites [of food consumed in the U.S.] is directly or indirectly pollinated by bees.”

Scientists have raced to explain the losses, which fall into different categories. Some result from what’s called colony collapse disorder, a malady first reported in 2006 in which honeybees abandon their hives and vanish. Colony collapse disorder, or CCD, subsequently became a public shorthand for describing bee calamities.

Most losses reported in the latest survey, however, don’t actually fit the CCD profile. And though CCD is largely undocumented in western Europe, honeybee losses there have also been dramatic. In fact, CCD seems to be declining, even as total losses mount. The honeybees are simply dying.

“Even if CCD went away, we’d still have tremendous losses,” said entomologist Diana Cox-Foster at Pennsylvania State University. “CCD losses are like the straw that breaks the camel’s back. The system has many other issues.”

Studying these issues isn’t easy. In real-world agricultural settings, it’s hard to run the rigorous, every-last-variable-controlled experiments on which definitive conclusions are founded. These experiments can be run in labs and small-scale test fields, but whether those accurately reflect real-world complexity is debated.

Amidst the uncertainties, scientific attention has settled on a group of culprits, the most high-profile of which is a class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids. These were developed in the 1990s, rushed to market with minimal studies of potential harms, and subsequently became the world’s most-used pesticides.

In the last several years, it’s become evident that neonicotinoids are extremely toxic to honeybees and, even in small, sub-lethal doses, make bees more vulnerable to disease. The European Union recently limited neonicotinoid use, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing their use.

Pesticide companies have fought the restrictions, arguing that neonicotinoids are unfairly blamed. Most non-industry scientists say the question isn’t whether neonicotinoids are a problem, but where they fit into a constellation of problems.

“Different studies indicate that this class of pesticide is rather harmful to the bees,” said honeybee pathologist Cédric Alaux of the French National Institute for Agricultural Research, who said the E.U.’s restrictions are sensible. “However, we should not be too naive and think that it will solve the bee problem.”

Just as important as neonicotinoids, and perhaps more so, are Varroa destructor mites. First detected in the United States in 1987, the mites weaken bees by sucking their hemolyph, the insect analogue of blood, and also transmit viruses and other parasites. A recent USDA report called Varroa “the single most detrimental pest of honey bees.”

The report also noted that neonicotinoid exposure alters immune system function in Varroa-infected bees and makes bees more vulnerable to infection by Nosema ceranae, another parasite implicated in honeybee losses. It’s possible that neonicotinoids used on crops don’t usually kill bees outright, but weaken them enough for other stresses to become lethal.

Agricultural entomologist Christian Krupke of Purdue University likened the effects to “living in an area with extreme levels of smog, causing your body and immune system to become overtaxed so that a common cold progresses to pneumonia.”

Krupke noted that although neonicotinoids are the most common poisonous chemicals in honeybee environments, they’re far from the only chemicals. Cox-Foster and vanEngelstorp stressed that point, referencing research that found 121 different pesticides in honeybee hives. On average, each hive contained traces of 6 pesticides, and sometimes several dozen.

Research on pesticide interactions is in its infancy, but combinations may be extremely harmful to bees, amplifying what the chemicals would do alone. “I worry that the neonicotinoid attention is distracting from the other pesticides that have clear effects, and might even have stronger effects. Things like fungicides are completely unregulated for bees,” said vanEngelstorp. “I think we need to keep the pesticide investigation broader.”

'We’re getting closer and closer to the point where we don’t have enough bees.'

Another, less-appreciated aspect of honeybee life also gained attention in the winter survey and new USDA report: what they eat. Though commercial bees are trucked on pollination circuits around the United States, most beekeepers have home bases in the upper Midwest, an area that’s undergone significant changes in recent years.

Rising food prices led farmers to plant crops in fields previously considered marginal or set aside as grasslands. Honeybees forage in those grasslands, and can’t get the nutrition they need from flowering crops alone.

Add the record-setting drought of summer 2012, and bees were hard-pressed for nourishment. Malnourishment could in turn make bees more vulnerable to pests and infections, or exacerbate the effects of pesticides.

“The drought, the possible combination of factors that went with it, was clearly a big problem for a lot of beekeepers,” vanEngelstorp said. “In some cases, it was a combination of Varroa and these malnourished, pesticide-exposed bees.”

Commercial bees pollinate dozens of crops, and though colonies can be replaced, continuing losses could soon render beekeeping economically unviable. Researchers are trying to breed more resilient bees,  but the combination of chemicals, nutrition and disease will likely prove insurmountable by genetic improvements alone, said Cox-Foster.

She said native pollinator habitat needs to be left intact or re-established; a field that goes unplanted, or a roadside left unmowed, can be thought of as insurance against commercial honeybee loss. Dennis vanEngelstorp recommended that, as a rule of thumb, 10 percent of land mass should be managed as pollinator havens.

Pesticides can also be used more carefully. Rather than being applied broadly, across entire fields and locales, they can be precisely targeted to outbreaks. Other unnecessary uses can be averted.

“Many entomologists and pest management professionals have been saying for years that there is no pest management justification for using these insecticides on virtually every crop grown in North America,” said Krupke. “Yet, the opposite trend is occurring.”

The honeybee catastrophe could also signal problems in other pollinator species, such as bumblebees and butterflies, that are not often studied.

“Thinking of honeybees as our canary in the coal mine, a monitor for environmental conditions, is very appropriate,” Cox-Foster said. “With honeybee colonies, you have the ability to open them up and see what’s going on. There are many other species needed for pollination, but with most of those, we don’t have the ability to see what’s happening.”

Gray whale photographed off Namibia is first-ever documentation of species in Southern Hemisphere

Lost and lonely whale could have entered Atlantic via Northwest Passage

May 14, 2013 by Pete Thomas

A gray whale has been spotted and photographed off Namibia, marking the first-ever documentation of the species (Eschrichtius robustus) in the Southern Hemisphere.

It’s also only the second-known gray whale to have been documented in the Atlantic Ocean in modern times. The other was spotted in 2010 off Spain and Israel.

The 2010 sighting was described by one scientist as “the most amazing sighting in the history of whales,” so imagine the buzz this latest sighting—in an area that has no history or fossils of gray whales—will create among marine mammal enthusiasts once the news is widely reported.

It’s possible that both animals entered the Atlantic via the Northwest Passage, which has been partially free of ice for brief periods during the past four years—a phenomenon attributed to climate change.

Gray whales used to inhabit the North Atlantic, but the population became extinct hundreds of years ago.

The whale off Namibia, photographed by the Albatross Task Force and Walvis Bay Strandings Network, is not believed to be the same whale spotted off Spain and Israel.

“It’s tantalizing because it’s a mystery,” said Alisa Schulman-Janiger, a researcher with the American Cetacean Society. “We don’t know how this whale got so far from where gray whales are supposed to be.”

There are only two existing gray whale populations. There’s a recovered population of about 22,000 in the eastern Pacific; those mammals range from Arctic waters (Alaska region) to Baja California.

There’s also a critically endangered population of about 130 animals in the western Pacific. They range from Russia to the Korean Peninsula.

The gray whale off Namibia was first spotted May 4 by crews aboard dolphin tour boats in the Pelican Point area in Walvis Bay. They were not sure what type of whale it was until a week later (May 12) when a member of the strandings network confirmed it was a gray whale.

“The question now is, ‘What is the origin of this whale?’ ” John Paterson wrote on the strandings network website. “Is it another individual that has traversed the Northwest Passage or perhaps traveled around the southern tip of South America and across the Atlantic?

Schulman-Janiger, who runs the ACS-LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project in Southern California, said it’s more likely that the whale traversed the Northwest Passage.

“It just makes more sense because there are so many gray whales up in that area during the summer, and that if there was a path through the ice it could just swim right through into the Atlantic,” she said. “It makes less sense that a whale that’s supposed to travel only as far as Baja would keep going and swim all the way down to the tip of South America, near the Antarctic, and enter the Atlantic that way.”

Said Wayne Perryman, a gray whale expert with NOAA Fisheries: “I think it’s just blind luck for a whale to get through. It’s like a maze up there. My guess is that it was feeding and looking for food, and when ice formed behind it the whale probably just kept going. These animals are ranging farther north and east to find food so that makes the most sense.”

Scientists have discounted the Panama Canal as a possible passage route.

Schulman-Janiger said that this sighting and the 2010 sighting could be a sign of the times in this era of climate change, and that if gray whales can make it into the Atlantic, other species in the Atlantic can make it into the Pacific.

Meanwhile, the Walvis Bay Strandings Network is trying to keep tabs on the lost and lonely gray whale and is asking locals to share sightings information.

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/gray-whale-photographed-...    

Pelicans in Marquette, Lake Superior

http://www.pasty.com/discus/messages/8345/8645.html

http://www.luminanews.com/article.asp?aid=12000

Three wildlife conservationists have noticed increases in the amount of dead and sick birds found on local beaches.

While scouting the beach for sea turtle nests, Wrightsville Beach Sea Turtle Project coordinator Nancy Fahey noticed several dead birds along the beach strand.

These reports appear to be part of a larger trend of an increase of dead and sick birds along the North Carolina coast.

On May 1, Fahey reported 13 dead dovekies, three dead common loons and one dead green heron found along the Wrightsville Beach strand to the Wildlife Health Event Reporter website, www.whmn.org/wher

“I have found more dead birds during these two weeks of monitoring than I’ve ever noticed on Wrightsville Beach,” Fahey said. “And I think primarily those little dovekies added to that number or that observation, because it is a rare event for them to be down here.”

Typically dovekies are found in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Fahey also found three live common loons from May 3 to May 9.

“I’ve never found three live loons in a two-week timeframe before, ever,” said Fahey, who has been a WBSTP volunteer since 1995 and coordinator since 2004. 

WBSTP volunteers are aware of Fahey’s findings and what to watch out for when they scout the beach from mid-May through the end of August.

The sick birds Fahey found were transported to the SkyWatch Bird Rescue facility in Wilmington, where birds are rehabilitated.

“I definitely have noticed an increase in dead birds, not just Wrightsville Beach, all of the beaches locally, especially loons,” said SkyWatch director Amelia Mason. “We’ve received a lot more loons than usual. And of course, until recently when the weather was cooler, we received all of those dovekies. Almost daily dovekies were coming in. … I usually receive one or two dovekies a year, which is pretty normal. But this past year I’ve received nearly 30, so definitely a huge increase than the last five years I would say.”

Lindsay Addison, Audubon North Carolina coastal biologist, said specimens from the local beaches have been collected and sent to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for testing to determine why there seems to be an increase in birds washing up dead or sick.

“Since there is no monitoring of Wrightsville Beach for dead birds, there’s no way to say if there’s been an increase or not,” Addison said. “People have been noticing more dead birds here and elsewhere around the state, so that’s likely true, but to say that there is an increase is not possible with the fact that there’s no monitoring. … The dovekies were an interesting phenomenon, because they do not usually wash up on the beach. So probably, they, like the razorbills, which we saw in extra large numbers this winter, probably had to do with a lack of food in their normal wintering ground, and they came down here and why they were not doing well, why they washed up is not yet known.”

The dovekies that were transported to the SkyWatch facility weighed about one-quarter of their normal weight, Mason said.

Many of the dovekies had organ failure, because they had been starved and dehydrated for a long period of time.

“All we can do for them really is supportive care and keep them comfortable,” Mason said. “Some do really well. Some die the first night after intake, but really most of them die. We have not released one yet.”

In 2012, Mason said the facility received about 600 birds. So far this year, the facility has already received about 200 with summer months being the busiest months. 

Currently, about 45 baby songbirds and 25 adult birds are being rehabilitated in the facility.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission did not respond for comment before press time.

http://www.whatsonsanya.com/news-27201.html

Large number of dead fish found in Sanya River

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2336781/Caterpillar-communi...

Curse of the plague of caterpillars: Thousands of bugs turn London pavements, walls and cars completely white

Hundreds of Dead Carp Showing Up in Jamestown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-1t9Nr_ofk

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/what_bugs_me/1840938...

More dead birds found scattered at Block 270 at Bukit Panjang

STOMPer Megan says that it isn't the first time she spotted dead birds scattered along blocks 270 to 277 at Bukit Panjang.
She feels that the dead birds should not be left there as it is unhygienic. 
Megan said:
"This is not the first time I'm seeing dead birds scattered around.
"This morning I was walking to the bus stop between Blk 270 and 277, I saw the gruesome sight of dead birds lying all over area again.
"IThere were numerous birds lying all over the area. They were on the grass patches, under the blocks, on the pavements and even the playground areas.
"The sight was gruesome and very unsightly.
"Is this done by the authorities to reduce the number of birds around the area or a sick act of some disturbed individual?
"If this is by the authorities, then I believe they need to clean it up after, as leaving the birds lying dead all over the area, is not only unhygienic, disease-spreading and unsightly, it is also traumatic to young children who have to see this sight on their way to school."

http://www.kten.com/story/22615336/2013/06/17/dead-fish-seen-in-lak...

Dead Fish Seen in Lake Texoma

Posted: Jun 17, 2013 7:44 PM CDT

LAKE TEXOMA -- Bruce Hysmith and his team from the Texas Park and Wildlife Department have been studying the dead fish in Lake Texoma since last week.

"Its hard for us to really pinpoint a cause because generally by the time we get there its erased," says Hysmith, a Biologist for Lake Texoma.

Since the fish have been floating in the water for hours, sometimes days before they are found, the evidence which could possibly determine their death has been destroyed.

Monday afternoon biologists set out again to try and determine what is killing these fish.

"The dissolved oxygen is the key thing for fish survival and so probably what is happening is these fish are migrating around the lake and they're coming in contact with water that is void of oxygen," says Hysmith.

His team measured oxygen levels but they were normal.

"We measured oxygen and it was 110% saturation so what that means is you got 10% more than what you really need but that oxygen, that can go away," explain Hysmith.

He says the levels vary substantially in different parts of the lake and at different times of the day.

In parts of the lake Hysmith and his team investigated, they saw about 1600 dead fish and out of the millions of fish that are in the lake that number is very, very small.

The number of dead fish this year so far is not too unusual but Hysmith and his team still want to keep an eye on the situation.

"We are going to keep watching it and you keep checking back with us and we'll let you know so you can keep our friendly fisherman informed."

All in all nothing found Monday afternoon out on the lake was unusual, but they did manage to find some fish worth testing.

"Our Oklahoma counterparts have collected fresh dead fish and they are sending them off to a pathologist to take a look at them maybe the pathologist can lend more insight as to what killed the fish," says Hysmith.

http://www.kake.com/news/headlines/Several-Hundred-Fish-Found-Dead-...

Recently, several hundred fish have been found dead in the El Dorado East Park Pond.

City of El Dorado Public Utilities Director Kurt Bookout says overcrowding of geese and ducks were assumed to be the source of the problem.

"It just overwhelms the small pond that's only a half acre in size gets too many animals in there, too much organic material," Bookout said.

He continued by saying too much organic material can lead to algae blooms, which can cause dissolved oxygen problems, in turn killing the fish.

But a test of the water revealed normal oxygen levels, something Bookout says might be misleading.

"We found that the oxygen levels can be diurnal," Bookout said. "We can have adequate oxygen during the day and inadequate during the night."

The city is still testing the water to see if the oxygen levels are low at night.

In the meantime, a line from El Dorado lake is bringing fresh water in, and some of the geese have been relocated.

The fish that died were mostly small blue gills. The city says this is not the first time this problem has occurred at this pond, but that it is probably the worst it has been.

Further link of methane gas seepage since Planet X enters the scene in 2003 and animals die off........           

" As recently as the mid-2000s, practically zero methane seeps — spots on the seafloor where gas leaks from the Earth's crust — were thought to exist off the East Coast " 

Surprising Trove of Gas Seeps Found Off East Coast

On the seafloor just off of the U.S. East Coast lies a barely known world, explorations of which bring continual surprises. As recently as the mid-2000s, practically zero methane seeps — spots on the seafloor where gas leaks from the Earth's crust — were thought to exist off the East Coast; while one had been reported more than a decade ago, it was thought to be one of a kind.   

 But in the past two years, additional studies have revealed a host of new areas of seafloor rich in seeps, said Laura Brothers, a research geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey. And surrounding these seafloor vents, scientists have found a variety of unique life forms, like mussels and crabs, that survive via symbiotic relationships with methane-eating bacteria, Brothers told LiveScience's OurAmazingPlanet. New technologies have allowed scientists to keep locating new seeps, including one that may be the largest in the world. The findings have changed geologists' understanding of the processes taking place beneath the seafloor.

"These newly discovered [seafloor] communities show that there is much more seafloor methane venting then we previously thought, and suggests that there are many more seeps out there that we don't know about," Brothers said.

A study co-authored by Brothers, published online last month in the journal Geology, found several large communities of mussels and other animals at two spots off of the Carolinas where methane is seeping from the seafloor, Brothers said. Although one of these spots had already been discovered, the amount of life the researchers found covered an area about six times larger than previously thought, Brothers said. And the mussels cover a total area equivalent to about 40 football fields.[Photos: Unique Life Found at East Coast Gas Seep]

"We found these in an area we thought we knew well," she said.

The largest seep in the Atlantic

An even larger, previously unknown vent was found off the coast of Virginia, in research by Steve Ross, a scientist at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and Sandra Brooke, a scientist at Florida State University. Discovered near the Norfolk submarine canyon, the vent is the largest in the Atlantic, and possibly in all of the world's oceans, Ross told LiveScience.

North America's continental shelf, the underwater edge of the continent that borders the Atlantic Ocean basin, is littered with underwater canyons etched by rivers thousands of years ago when the region was above sea level. These canyons remain little explored, Ross said. But he is helping to change that through his work aboard the Okeanos Explorer, a ship owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which for the last three years has been working to explore these submarine canyons.

Scientists locate the seeps by producing images of methane gas bubbles (and where they originate) using multi-beam sonar, which calculates the amount of time and distance it takes for sound waves to travel from the ship to the bubbles and back. The same technique also produces detailed imagery of the seafloor. Remote-operated vehicles can then be dispatched to bring back photos of the ocean bottom, Ross said. All of these techniques are being used to document the gas seeps, he said.

Many more to be discovered

Further imaging of the seafloor by the Okeanos Explorer last fall revealed another three gas seeps southeast of Nantucket, Mass., at a maximum depth of 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) below the ocean surface. Along with several new findings that haven't been published yet, these newfound seeps add up to a total of about eight regions venting methane off of the East Coast, Ross said.

However, Carolyn Ruppel, a researcher at the USGS, advised against declaring a specific number of seeps found, since this total is constantly increasing and since the determination of what constitutes an individual "seep" can be vague. "We expect many more to be discovered," Ruppel said.

Much of this methane appears to be coming from methane gas hydrates, a crystallized form of methane stored in frigid sediment under the relatively high pressures of the deep ocean, Brothers said. Previously it wasn't thought that a significant amount of this methane would be released from these deposits, which only give up their methane when weakened by lower pressures or rising temperatures. It's unclear why some of these hydrates are producing methane gas, but it's not a huge amount and unlikely to be enough to currently attract commercial interest, Brothers said.

http://www.livescience.com/37517-east-coast-gas-seeps-discovered.html

http://www.mysuncoast.com/news/local/fish-kill-in-sarasota-lake-wor...

Fish kill in Sarasota lake worries residents

Posted: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 12:05 pm | Updated: 6:14 pm, Wed Jun 19, 2013.

Posted on June 19, 2013

SARASOTA COUNTY - A Sarasota neighborhood is on alert after a large number of fish have been found dead in a lake. These concerns come almost two years to the day of another fish kill in the same area.

The dead fish have been discovered in the Clark Lakes neighborhood just south of Clark Road and east of Beneva Road in Sarasota County.

Wednesday, county officials confirmed they know about the situation, saying early tests indicate a mixture of issues leading to the kill. They say recent storm water runoff, high heat, algae, and even bird poop may be the reason why oxygen levels have dropped.

Some neighbors we talked to suspect fertilizer runoff from a nearby manicured community or chemical spraying near the water. Resident Justin Eastwood works for a local environmentally-friendly pest control company. "It could be a chemical that they are using to control insects. That would be more likely than fertilizer."

While mosquito management has recently ramped up spraying around the county, officials tell ABC 7 there have been no drainage operations or herbicidal spraying activities by them around the area.

On June 30th, 2011, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated up to 100 dead fish in Mirror Lake at the same location. According to their database, the cause was low dissolved oxygen.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=9145536

RUNNEMEDE, N.J. - June 20, 2013 (WPVI) -- The Department of Environmental Protection says a biologist was sent out to Hirsch Lake in Runnemede, Camden County this morning after hundreds of fish were found dead.

The lake, which is called both Hirsch Lake and Runnemede Lake, is located along Singley Avenue.

Between 300 and 500 carp were found dead in the lake Thursday morning.

It appears that only the carp are being killed - no other plant or wildlife in or around the lake seem to be affected. Officials suspect a pathogen specifically affecting the carp may be responsible for the sudden fish kill.

Biologists are hoping to test the tissue of a living but sickly carp to determine if their speculation of a pathogen being the cause is correct.

http://www.addison-eagle.com/news/2013/jun/21/fish-kill-fern-lake/

Friday, June 21st 9:38am

Leicester — The death of fish at Fern Lake in Leicester has state wildlife and environmental officials wondering what happened, according to various news reports.

#Neighbors are concerned that a pesticide sprayed in the area of the lake, to control an ongoing infestation of disease-carrying mosquitoes, may have caused the fish to die.

#But a Vermont Fish and Wildlife scientist told news reporters earlier that the fish kill more likely resulted from stresses during spawning. The rise in the temperature of the lake may have also affected the fish to the point of killing them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJNtWcVn7Vc&feature=youtube_gdata

Posted by Andre Heath, Celestial Convergence June 21, 2013

Mass fish die off in Hirsch Lake

http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/local_news/game-warden-concerned-about...

Read more: http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/local_news/game-warden-concerned-about...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2345938/Florida-lagoon-anim...

Florida lagoon is an animal 'mass murder mystery' as 46 dolphins, 111  manatees and 300 pelicans die from unknown cause

• Indian  River Lagoon of Florida contains more species than anywhere else in the  U.S. 
• Deaths of  hundreds of animals, fish and birds have been occurring for more than a  year
• No specific  cause can be found - biologists are perplexed
• Theories  range from fertilizer pollution to climate change

By  James Daniel

PUBLISHED: 11:17 EST, 21  June 2013 |  UPDATED: 12:26 EST, 21 June 2013 View comments

Hundreds of dead animals are washing up along  the shores of one of America's most biologically diverse estuary.

More than 100 manatees, 300 pelicans and  almost 50 dolphins were all found dead along the northern stretches of the  Indian River Lagoon in Florida.

Biologists are now trying to work out what  the problem is, but there is no doubt that it is a serious one.

Murder mystery: Two manatees out of 111 that have been  found dead in the Indian River Lagoon in Florida

Saving wildlife: Rescuers attend to a manatee affected  by the unknown mystery killer. The manatees appeared to have abruptly sickened  and drowned

The lagoon contains more species than  anywhere else in the U.S. and to the towns along its edge — Titusville, Cocoa,  Melbourne, Vero Beach and Stuart, it accounts for hundreds of millions in  revenue from angling, boating, bird-watching, tourism and other waterfront  activities.

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

In the past, the lagoon has was constantly  polluted by nutrients and fertilizers running off lawns and farms but now it  appears some kind of tipping point has been reached.

Thousands of dead fish reported in Indian River Lagoon  in southern St. Lucie County. Scientists believe it may be due to one or several  causes from climate change to changes in water temperature and salt  levels

No obvious cause: Florida's Indian River Lagoon is  considered one of the most diverse ecosystems in North America

Investigation: Hubbs Sea World Research Institute  research assistant Teresa Mazza during the rescue of a distressed dolphin in the  Indian River Lagoon system in Florida

Manatees began dying in July 2012, 43 of them  in just one month. A total of 111 have died.

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.

Biologists at a state laboratory in St.  Petersburg examine every dead manatee that's found in Florida for a cause of  death.

They appear to have abruptly fallen sick and  drowned.

People have reported between 250 and 300 dead  pelicans since January. The birds were emaciated.

Since January, the number of dead bottlenose  dolphins has reached 46 - more than double the average recorded in previous  years.

The dolphins also look emaciated, similar to  the pelicans.

Perplexed: So far, biologists are at a loss to explain  the cause of the untimely deaths

Tests: Two sub-adult Loggerhead sea turtles, netted from  the water, sit in a boat in the Indian River lagoon with damp towels over their  heads help to calm them

Recover: Scientists believe it could take up to a decade  before the lagoon recovers

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.

This is not the first time that dolphins have  perished in the Indian River Lagoon. Many died in 2001 and 2008 where again the  cause of death was undetermined.

It is difficult for scientists to work out  why the deaths are occurring when there is not an obvious cause.

With so much farmland, laws in Florida allow  fertilizer to be poured into the coastal waters.

This can have effects on acidity, changes in  water temperature and salt levels. Some are even suggesting global warming could  be to blame.

It is ideal for algae which need high levels  of nutrients and salinity to survive. That can also have an adverse effect on  the ecosystem's food supply for other animals such as the dolphins.

There are few positive signs. Although the  numbers pelican's dying appear to have stopped, now a new brown tide bloom has  been spotted.

Locals believe that if the lagoon is to ever  recover, it could be close to a decade before things seem back to  normal.

http://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/news/10504162.RSPCA_called_aft...

RSPCA called after 200 fish die in Stamford Park pond, Altrincham

1:25pm Monday 24th June 2013 in NewsBy Kate Banks, Reporter

http://www.mpnnow.com/ontario_county/x624123063/Dead-fish-being-inv...

Dead fish in Canandaigua Lake being investigated

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Probe-death-300-fish-River-Llynfi...

Catastrophic Fish Kill Along Arkansas River (June 21)
State wildlife officials are investigating a die-off of thousands of fish in the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River in north-central Oklahoma.

The die-off has spread downstream roughly 50 river miles from the initial report near Lamont to its confluence with the main channel of the Arkansas River, which is about seven miles south of Ponca City, according to Kay County Game Warden Spencer Grace, who is investigating the kill.

There is no official estimate of the number of fish killed.

"We're looking at stretches of the river, about a mile at a time, 100 or 200 in this stretch, 50 in the next stretch. You take 100 fish times 50 miles of river, that's a lot of fish," he said.

Both Department of Wildlife Conservation and state Department of Environmental Quality officials have been to the river and taken water samples and fish samples, he said.

Grace would not speculate on the cause of the kill but said it is widespread and "catastrophic."

"I've been working on this the last three days with DEQ and it's been frustrating because so many miles of the river are dead now. There are no fish in the water, no gar, nothing. You only see the occasional turtle. You're not seeing any indicators of new fish dying so we just have to rely on the water tests now."

DEQ spokeswoman Erin Hatfield said water tests would look for a wide range of substances looked for in any fish kill, including heavy metals.

Results will be known in 10 days to two weeks, she said.

There is no official warning to prevent people from going into the water or eating fish from the river, but Grace said he would not recommend it.

Grace said the kill has hit largest fish the hardest.

"I think the smallest one I saw was about three pounds," he said.

"It's killing all aquatic life with the exception of turtles, freshwater mussels and clams. It seems to target species that live on the bottom and the big fish that hang out in those deep holes, so the catfish, buffalo, carp, some paddlefish. It is killing out fish in that system that won't be replaced in our lifetime."

The Salt Fork, which forms the Great Salt Plains Lake where it is dammed in Alfalfa County, has natural salinity but levels measured this week are "astronomical," Grace said.

Source

http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Catastrophic_fish_kill_along...

http://www.katu.com/news/outdoors/Millions-of-krill-wash-up-on-Oreg...

Millions of krill wash up on Oregon, Calif. beaches

FILE - This July 19, 2010 photo released by the Point Reyes Bird Observatory and NOAA shows a krill from the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary off the Northern California coast. Millions of krill, a tiny shrimp-like animal that is a cornerstone of the ocean food web, have been washing up on beaches in Southern Oregon and Northern California the past few weeks and scientists are not sure why. (AP Photo/PRBO/NOAA, Sophie Webb, file)

Biloxi MS

http://www.wlox.com/story/22730148/thousands-of-dead-fish-wash-up-o...

80 Tons of dead fish wash up on Harrison County shoreline

Eighty tons of dead fish and there's still more.

People taking an early morning walk along the west Biloxi shoreline had to dodge thousands of dead fish.  Others saw the same mess near the I-110 loop, and by the Long Beach harbor.

"Fifteen-feet of just straight fish floating out in the water and by midday they all washed out onto the shoreline. So when our customers saw that they kinda, they all decided to leave. It smelled pretty bad. Your eyes were burning if you were down here. You kinda hurt your respiratory system. You could feel it tingling," said beach vendor Damien Mckeown.

Several callers, including WLOX News anchor Jeff Lawson, alerted the newsroom to the mess near the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.  Pictures from Lawson's cell phone show some of the fish that have washed up on the coastline. 

Calls are being made to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the Harrison County Sand Beach Department to learn more about the dead fish, and when the area will be cleaned up.

Harrison County Sand Beach Director Chuck Loftis says he's received reports from the Long Beach Harbor Master about dead fish along that city's beachfront.  Because the fish are spread across the beachfront, Loftis believes their deaths are the result of a red tide issue.  That means the oxygen level in the water is too low, and the fish are suffocating. 

Sand beach workers will spend the day removing as many of the dead fish as they can get to.

http://www.wnem.com/story/22757758/80-tons-of-dead-fish-scooped-out...

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http:...

http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2013/07/thousands-of-fish-dea...

Tons of fish dead as dry spell hits farms in Lim Chu Kang

THOUSANDS of dead fish from coastal fish farms were found in Lim Chu Kang in the past few days, some in the sea and on the shore.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said yesterday that about 90,000kg of fish from farms in the area had died due to the recent hot and dry weather spell.

It said the weather, combined with a lack of rainfall, resulted in low levels of dissolved oxygen in the waters near the farms. Rainfall churns the water, which helps to dissolve atmospheric oxygen in it.

The AVA added that other factors, such as a slight rise in the water's temperature, had also contributed. It has been monitoring the water's condition and had alerted the farms to take precautions such as installing standby aeration systems to add oxygen to the water, said a spokesman.

"As a result, most farms were not affected. The situation has since stabilised and returned to normal. We will continue to work closely with the farms to address any issues they may face," she said, adding that the dead fish came from four farms and included species such as milkfish and mullet.

Singapore has had other instances of mass fish deaths. In December 2009, for example, a plankton bloom killed 400,000 fish in farms off Pasir Ris and Pulau Ubin.

Fish farmers in Lim Chu Kang told The Straits Times that they use water pumps and other machinery to artificially churn the water when there are prolonged periods without rain.

However, this may not help if the natural oxygen levels are too low, said Mr Ong Kim Pit, who has run a fish farm in Lim Chu Kang for 20 years.

Some of the fish can still be sold, but fish farmers are supposed to hire private contractors to dispose of the remainder responsibly, added Mr Ong, who is in his 60s.

Nature enthusiast Ria Tan, who runs the WildSingapore website, told The Straits Times she saw dead fish strewn over the Lim Chu Kang mangroves yesterday morning.

"It looks like some of the fish farmers just dumped the dead fish into the sea and they washed up here," she said.

"It's disgusting. If you had a chicken farm and your chickens died, you wouldn't dump them all over the road."

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/tonnes-of-dead-fish-spotted-at-lim-chu-kan...

http://www.longisland.com/news/07-06-13/shinnecock-bay-bluefish-mys...

Shinnecock Bay Bluefish Mysteriously Washing Up Dead in Droves

Shinnecock Bay fishermen have been scratching their heads as to what is happening to the bluefish, which have been washing up dead on the shores since last weekend.  Now, the Marine Animal Disease Laboratory at Stony Brook University is stepping in to investigate the unusual die-off of this particular species.

According to Southampton Town trustee Ed Warner, the dead bluefish started turning up last Sunday, June 30.  They first were found floating in the center of the bay east of theShinnecock Reservation in small numbers, but the number of dead fish found rose exponentially.  By midway through this week, town trustees had removed 1,000 to 1,200 pounds of dead cocktail bluefish, each weighing between 2 and 4 pounds, Warner said to Newsday.

Most of the dead fish that have turned up are found too decomposed to test, but a live bluefish caught by Warner showed no symptoms of disease.

There are many factors involved with fish health, and fish populations can be affected by algae blooms and bacteria from pollution.

"The very odd thing is it's bluefish only," said Christopher Gobler, a professor at Stony Brook's School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, to Newsday. "It's hard to know what would cause that."

The bluefish in the Shinnecock Bay also share the water with mackerel, black sea bass, sand sharks, dogfish, and groundfish, but none of these species have washed up dead.

"I've never in my career heard of bluefish kills anywhere on Long Island," said Gobler.

Fishing regulations in New York state that fishermen may possess up to 15 bluefish (including snappers) from a day’s catch, but commercial fishermen by catch up to 1,000 pounds of bluefish.  For this reason, some researchers have suggested that the dead bluefish found in Shinnecock Bay may have been thrown back by a fisherman who exceeded the catch limit.  Gobler believes this to be unlikely, since bluefish are can be sold for a decent prize – 70 cents to $1 per pound.

Preliminary test results from live and dead bluefish are expected to come out toward the end of July.

http://www.secretsofthefed.com/hundreds-of-fish-found-dead-in-n-y-l...

HUNDREDS OF FISH FOUND DEAD in N.Y. Lake Mystery [W/ VIDEO]

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — Hundreds of dead or dying fish have washed up on the shores of Canandaigua Lake, and it isn’t clear why.

The banks of the fourth-largest Finger Lake — 29 miles southeast of Rochester, N.Y. — have resembled a fish graveyard for the last several weeks. Cleanup of the shoreline is ongoing, but so far the cause of the die-off remains a mystery to local and state authorities

“All indications are telling us that the lake is in good shape,” said Kevin Olvany, watershed program manager for the city of Canandaigua, N.Y. “The water clarity, dissolved oxygen and algae levels were all within the normal range.”

Olvany, along with officials from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, began investigating the situation after receiving several complaints from residents about the odor generated by dead fish deteriorating along the shore.

Authorities say it is common to see a slight uptick in the amount of dead fish washing up on area beaches during spawning season. But what is unusual this year is the amount and the size of the fish — some almost 3 feet long — that have dotted the beaches and backyards in Canandaigua. The dead fish species range from large carp and largemouth bass to smaller perch and sunfish.

The Department of Environmental Conservation has tested dead or dying fish for any signs of illness, including a common fish virus called viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS). That virus does not affect humans but is incurable and fatal for fish. The department said in a statement that it did not test for Type E botulism — a virus that affects birds and humans who eat the diseased fish — because there were no clinical signs to suggest that cause.

The Great Lakes region experienced a large amount of fish deaths caused by VHS in 2005 and again in 2007. Along the shoreline of Irondequoit Bay in Monroe County, N.Y., red-tinged, VHS-infected dead fish were also discovered this spring. The disease has been known to spread to landlocked lakes in the past — but that is not what is happening in Canandaigua Lake, according to the recent tests completed by the conservation department.

Preliminary results from the Fish Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University, where the fish were examined, indicated “that VHS was not involved,” according to a statement released by the Department of Environmental Conservation this week.

How elephants invaded my childrens' school

Man-elephant conflict in India has escalated dangerously

Sea Turtles Disoriented on Florida Island

At least six female sea turtles have become disoriented this summer on Anna Maria Island in Florida, unable to find their way back to the water after coming to shore to nest.

Suzi Fox, the director of the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch, told ABC News the turtles have been found under rocks, on roads, and in pathways. There was even one stuck under a beach chair, she said.

"They climb up two-foot rock spaces or up pathways, [and] they mentally become disoriented about which way is back to the sea because they can't turn their way from side to side," Fox said. "They are crawling around for a couple of hours."

It is typical for female sea turtles to come ashore to nest, Fox said. But generally they head straight back to the water. It is unusual for them to have trouble finding their way back to sea.

She said her staff at the conservancy often had to help lead them back to shore, which is not an easy task when dealing with animals that according to the Sea Turtle Conservancy, can weigh as much as 1,300 pounds.

Fox says 256 female turtles have come ashore to nest this summer, meaning that only a small percentage have actually become disoriented. Still, that is already three times as many as she saw in the past 15 years combined.

"Why I have had six this year has been in a mystery," she said.

Although she does not know for certain, she said the disorientation might be connected to how the shoreline receded after Tropical Storm Gabby last year. She also said the Department for Environmental Protection is building a parking lot and a deck on the beach. Consequently, the turtles have lost land to make their nests, which becomes inherently confusing for them.

"What they have been coming up and nesting in the last 10 years is gone," Fox said. "The more habitat there is, the more nests they can create."

There are plans to replenish the shore, but they will take a while to implement, she said.

However, Fox said these incidents have not posed a threat to humans. Turtles do not want to be around people, and just want to get back to the water as quickly as possible - if they can find their way, she said.

But David Godfrey, the executive director of the Sea Turtle Conservancy, told ABC News that disorientation can pose a threat to turtles, which are classified as either endangered or threatened under the endangered species act.

"The state of Florida hosts 90 percent of sea turtle nesting in the united states," Godfrey said. "What happens on the beaches is vital to our sea turtle population."

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/sea-turtles-disoriented-florid...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2366512/Mystery-hundreds-st...

Mystery as 300 stingrays are found washed up on a Mexican beach

• The stingrays were found on a beach in Veracruz, Mexico
  
• One theory suggests fisherman dumped them when upon realizing they would be unable to sell them
• Other witnesses have said the tide washed them ashore just before sunrise

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 04:53 GMT, 17 July 2013 | UPDATED: 10:59 GMT, 17 July 2013

Mexican authorities are investigating the death of at least 300 stingrays found on a beach of the Gulf coast state of Veracruz.

Residents and visitors first spotted the dead rays on Tuesday on the Chachalacas beach in the town of Ursulo Galvan and posted photos on social media.

Ursulo Galvan Mayor Martin Verdejo says it's possible the stingrays could have been abandoned by fishermen after being trapped in their nets.

Stranded: Up to 300 stingrays have been found washed up on a beach in Mexico in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz

Beached: Stingray carcasses litter the shore of the Chachalacas beach near the town of Ursulo Galvan on Mexico's Gulf Coast

http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/region/baltimore_city/milky-tint-d...

Posted: 07/18/2013
Last Updated: 6 hours and 56 minutes ago

Raptors Falling From Sky Dead in Australia (July 19)
Bird experts and scientists are left puzzled as birds fall dead from north Queensland skies.

Black kites are among the few raptor species which gather in flocks.

Testing has so far excluded bird flu and Newcastle disease, but the cause of the latest spate of deaths is still a mystery.

Biosecurity Queensland has confirmed it is testing "several kites in relation to unexplained deaths in the tropical north Queensland region''.

"The exact number of bird deaths is unknown and estimates are not available at this stage of the investigation,'' a spokesman told The Courier-Mail.

He said a range of tests were being undertaken for potential causes.

"Laboratory testing is ongoing to determine the cause of this mortality incident.''

Bird of prey expert James Biggs said it was highly unusual for raptors to die in large numbers or, literally, drop dead from the sky.

"If it is not disease, it could possibly be poisoning, but without being familiar with the ongoing tests it is hard to know,'' the Cairns Tropical Zoo bird supervisor said.

Black kites prey on insects, small animals and birds, and can spend all day soaring on the wing, hawking insects out of the air and eating them on the fly.

"They are often seen hovering around fires, like cane burn-off, where they catch the insects pushed up on the updraft,'' Mr Biggs said.

"Whatever it is that is killing them I'd be very keen to know why. It's a puzzle."

Source

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/bird-experts-and-sci...

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/Mass-fish-die-off-in-Wales-lake

(File photo) The Hampden County town of Wales will reach out to the state today after hundreds of dead fish were found in Lake George. 

Hundreds of fish dead in Lake George in Wales

Die-off likely caused by warm water

Updated: Monday, 22 Jul 2013, 9:03 AM EDT
Published : Monday, 22 Jul 2013, 1:56 AM EDT

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20130724/NEWS01/130724018/Feds-...

Feds declare Indian River Lagoon dolphin deaths as unusual

Jul 24 2013

A federal panel has officially declared the deaths of more than 50 bottlenose dolphins this year in the Indian River Lagoon as unusual, potentially freeing up more federal dollars and other resources to study the die-off.

This week’s declaration comes at the recommendation of the Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events, a panel of marine mammal health experts. They based the designation on the higher rate of bottlenose dolphin deaths since Jan. 1.

At least 54 bottlenose dolphins have died in the lagoon this year, almost three times the historical average. The elevated dolphin deaths have happened in the northern and central Indian River Lagoon in Brevard County.

Biologists estimate more than 660 bottlenose dolphins live exclusively in the lagoon.
All age groups of bottlenose dolphins have been dying, but the majority are older adults. The dolphins are found very thin.

Unusual Mortality Event designations are made by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

The act defines an Unusual Mortality Event as marine mammal deaths or standings that are unexpected, at an elevated rate and that demand immediate response.

Biologists use seven criteria to determine whether a mortality event is "unusual."

As part of the formal federal investigation, NOAA is putting together an investigative team to review data and decide how to proceed.

In April, NOAA made a similar designation regarding manatees dying in the lagoon. That unusual die-off claimed at least 111 manatees.

Biologists are also investigating the death of 250 to 300 brown pelicans earlier this year.

Lagoon dolphins have seen two previous Unusual Mortality Events since 1991: in 2001 and 2008. In both cases, investigators could not determine cause.

Earlier this month, a NOAA researcher in South Carolina isolated three groups of toxins from tiny algae that sticks to seaweed called Gracilaria, or red drift algae. Scientists gathered the drift algae in late May from just south of Minutemen Causeway in Cocoa Beach.

Manatees and fish eat the drift algae.

Some biologists suspect fish could be taking in the toxins by eating the algae, in turn sickening the dolphins and pelicans that eat them.

But NOAA and state wildlife officials say the toxins are just one of many possible culprits responsible for the die-offs.

http://tumblerridgenews.com/?p=11489

Paralyzed Ravens Being Found Throughout the Peace

http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/10572800.Thunderstorms_blamed...

Thunderstorms blamed for dead fish in Mary Stevens Park

5:17pm Thursday 25th July 2013 in NewsBy Kelly Harris, Reporter

HUNDREDS of dead fish were found floating in a lake at a Stourbridge park after thunderstorms starved them of oxygen.

Heavy downpours on Tuesday (July 23) caused rapid pressure changes and reduced the amount of oxygen in the pond at Mary Stevens Park.

Park manager Stuart Mitchell said he was informed about the demise of the fish yesterday (Wednesday) morning.

Explaining what had caused it, he said: “It was the thunderstorms, it takes the oxygen out of the water.”

He said the council would remove the fish tomorrow morning (Friday July 26).

Councillor Heather Rogers, chairman of Friends of Mary Stevens Park, said she was not surprised to see the dead fish, which she believed were largely common carp and roach.

She said: “We had this problem three or four years ago when we had a period of drought; the level of the water went down and there was a lack of oxygen.

“This time we think it could have been the storm. The water level was very low.”

Cllr Rogers added: “If people are feeding the ducks, I would ask them not to leave too much white bread if they are not eating it as if the water level is low and there isn’t much of a gap between the surface and the silt then it is going to fill it up.”

Natalie Timbrell was at the park with her three children on Wednesday (July 24) afternoon.

She noticed the fish while feeding the ducks and said: “It is upsetting for the kids to see. We come to the park three or four times a week and sometimes see the fish come up to the top when we’re feeding the ducks.”