Over two and a half years after the BP oil spill of April 2010, photos of a dead juvenile sperm whale taken in June 2010 were finally released.
The photos were suppressed by US government officials until now due to the ongoing nature of the investigation into the oil spill. Greenpeace was concerned about the lack of transparency of the government in regard to the extent of the impact of the oil spill on wildlife.
The cause of death was never officially determined; tests were done but results have never been released.
The article speaks to the idea that oil may have killed the whale, but no mention of the chemical corexit (used to contain the oil) was made.
Article and Photos:
First identified by San Francisco State University biologist John Hafernik in 2008, bees infected by parasite flies are now labeled Zombie Bees. The parasites attach themselves to the bee’s body and begin eating the insides out of the bee. This causes the bee to abandon their hive at night and fly erratically, seeking a light source, then die.
Infected bees have been discovered in California, the Pacific northwest, South Dakota, Colorado, New York and Minnesota.
Hafernik started a web site called ZomBee Watch to track the spread of infected bees.
The extent to which the parasite contributes to overall Colony Collapse Disorder is currently unknown.
Sources:
Zombie Bees Spread To California
Zombie bees spread to Washington state
A New Threat to Honey Bees, the Parasitic Phorid Fly Apocephalus borealis
Almost 300 loons and other fish-eating birds were found dead at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan.
The deaths have been attributed to botulism. This bacteria thrives in decaying oxygen-deprived algae mats, which are created when plankton-eating mussels cause the surface water to clear, allowing the sunlight to penetrate deeper in the water. Small fish called gobies travel through the algae mats and pick up the botulism bacteria, which infects the birds that eat the gobies.
Loons are water birds similar in size to a large duck; their defining characteristic is their distinctive call and violent mating dances. The common loon was declared a threatened species in Michigan in 1987.
Sources:
300 dead loons at Sleeping Bear Dunes
Hundreds of bird deaths sound alarm on problems in the Great Lakes
Botulism Kills Hundreds of Lake Michigan Loons
Loon deaths in northern Michigan attributed to botulism
Common Loon (Gavia immer), Department of Natural Resources (Michigan)
On Saturday, September 1, 2012, thousands of dead fish and some seagulls were discovered on a 25 mile stretch of the north shores of Lake Erie.
Testing of lake water on Saturday did not reveal an apparent cause for the deaths, which would rule out a sewage spill, manure dump or other pollutive factor. Samples of the dead fish and birds were also sent to a lab for analysis.
Officials are speculating that a ‘lake inversion’, a rolling-over of the lake which brings colder waters containing less oxygen to the surface, may have occurred.
Sources:
Dead Fish, Birds Wash Up On Lake Erie Shores In Latest Mystery
Mystery deepens after thousands of fish and birds wash up dead on the Canada shore of Lake Erie
Tens of thousands of dead fish stink up Lake Erie shore
A sperm whale, a baby gray whale, a sea lion and several birds were found dead along the Long Beach Peninsula.
A storm system with high winds and heavy surf was blamed for the deaths.
Sources:
Dead whales, sea lion wash up near Long Beach Peninsula
Dead whales wash up near Long Beach, WA
Just a few days after 4 whales died after stranding in the Bay of Plenty, 90 pilot whales have stranded at Golden Bay at the top of the South Island in New Zealand.
Department of Conservation employees along with volunteers were trying to keep the whales alive in the hope that they would refloat when the high tide came in later that night.
According to a member of Project Jonah, which provides volunteers for strandings, Golden Bay is a notorious hot-spot for strandings.
Sources:
90 whales stranded at Farewell Spit
Whales stranded off NZ’s Farewel Spit
Two adult and two juvenile whales were found dead on Papamoa Beach located in the Bay of Plenty on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island.
Officials from the Department of Conservation collected blood and tissue samples from the whales for testing.
More whale strandings than usual have occurred on Papamoa Beach this summer. There is some concern that sonar being used to locate containers on the seabed may be interfering with the whales navigation systems, however there is no evidence to confirm this theory.
Sources:
Dead whales on Papamoa Beach
Tests to determine whale deaths
Three tons of dead fish washed up on Bossaso shores in Somalia. The Minisry of Fishery attributes this to the dumping of toxics in Somalia waters.
Source:
Somalia: 3 tonnes of dead fish wash up on Bossaso shore
Sources on Toxic Dumping in Somalia:
Toxic Dumping: Pirate Excuse or Ongoing Abuse?
Somalia’s Degrading Environment:
Causes and Effects of Deforestation and Hazardous Waste Dumping in Somalia
53 New Zealand fur seals, (51 less than 2 months old) were found dead on South Australia’s west coast.
Necropsies were performed on 3 of the pups at Adelaide University, but results were inconclusive, as the bodies were badly decomposed. Theories included infection or foul play.
The seals were found on a beach not too far from two large New Zealand fur seal rookeries, but there is no indication why the pups found their way there and why they died. It is highly unusual to have so many fur seals die in one place.
Fur seals are a protected species.
Sources:
More Than 50 Dead Fur Seals Wash Up On Australian Coastline
NZ fur seal deaths in Australia still unexplained
Scientists baffled by seal deaths on remote SA beach
Budget cuts blamed for delay in finding seals
