288 Dolphins Found Dead Along East Coast

This year 288 dolphins have been found dead along the US East Coast. The numbers are seven times higher than usual.

The exact cause of the deaths is unknown. However, scientists hope necropsies will provide some answers.

As reported by CNN, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued an Unusual Mortality Event for the mid-Atlantic bottlenose dolphin deaths. The designation will allow for federal recognition and funding.

Scientists with the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center are investigating the deaths. Susan Barco is coordinating the research.

Barco’s team suspects infection may have killed the 288 dolphins:

“We’re starting now to see lesions in their lungs that are consistent with some sort of a respiratory infection… We’re seeing very active lymph nodes, which means they’re actively fighting an infection.”

Dolphins can develop lung infections from stress, pollution, or a virus. Some researchers have suggested morbilivirus, which killed 740 East Coast dolphins in 1987. However, Barco is unsure.

Most of the dolphins were found to have lung infections. However, Barco points out that their other organ systems have failed as well. Failure of multiple organ systems suggests that the dolphins’ immunity is compromised.

Barco is concerned that weakened immune systems will lead to even more deaths. As the dolphins continue to migrate south, they may spread the disease even further.

Florida has had their own problems this year, with high mortality rates in manatees. As reported by CBS News, 600 manatees have died in Florida this year.

The numbers are not only heartbreaking, scientists are concerned about the implications. Dolphins deaths are a specific concern as they are considered “the front lines of ocean health.”

Dolphins remain the top predators of the ocean. As the dolphins die off, scientists worry that the overall health of the ocean has declined.

Of the 288 dolphins found along the east Coast, 164 were in Virginia. This month alone, 78 dolphins have been found dead along Virginia’s coast.

[Image via Flickr]