THOUSANDS OF DOLPHINS DYING IN GULF WATERS

[MindMover]

The dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico are in the midst of a massive die-off. The reasons why remain a complicated and mysterious mix of oil, bacteria, and the unknown.

Normally an average of 74 dolphins are stranded on the northern shore of the Gulf of Mexico each year, especially during the spring birthing season. But between February 2010 and April 1, 2012, 714 dolphins and other cetaceans have been reported as washed up on the coast from the Louisiana/Texas border through Franklin County, Florida, reported the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 95 percent of the mammals were dead.

BLOG: Why Are Dolphins Beaching Themselves?

Since many of the dead dolphins sink, decompose or are eaten by scavengers before washing up, NOAA biologists believe that 714 represents only a fraction of the actual death count. NOAA declared the die-off an “Unusual Mortality Event” as per the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

Although the timing of die-off largely coincides with BP's Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its aftermath, the deaths actually started increasing about two months before the April 20, 2010 explosion which started the months long oil spill.

http://news.discovery.com/earth/hundred-of-dolphins-dying-mysteriously-in-gulf-120403.html

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Oil spill, climate change......

[Politicalboi]

1. 2 months before the gusher

The well was probably leaking prior to our knowledge. But I'm sure BP has the "paper work" to prove they are in the clear. Drill baby drill.

[orpupilofnature57]

2. Funny I don't remember any stories

Before the spill ,and the non stop Positive Press since .Only when it's obvious to a large group ,is MSM & Corporations forthcoming with news of events ,without treatments.

[leveymg]

3. How could the BP-Halliburton spill not have an impact on the mortality of marine mammals?

would be a real mystery. More from the OP:

In the summer of 2011, NOAA tested 32 live dolphins in Barataria Bay, an area heavily impacted by the oil spill. The dolphins were underweight, anemic, had low blood sugar and/or some symptoms of liver and lung disease. Nearly half had abnormally low levels of hormones that help with stress response, metabolism and immune function.

The symptoms are consistent with those seen in animals exposed to oil.

BLOG: Whale, Dolphin Deaths in Gulf Spill Underestimated

But the mystery remains as to why the dolphins started dying before the spill. One possible culprit is Brucella bacteria. Since an initial find of 5 infected dolphins, NOAA has found an additional 11 infected dolphins washed up on the Gulf Coast. But dozens more showed no signs of infection.

I'd be stressed too, and yes, bacteria do like oil residue. They eat it up. Too bad some of them also eat dolphin livers.

[Trillo]

22. Oh, I've been personally advised by several doctors (MD) over the years that oil and oil products

are perfectly safe for people (mammals), and that breathing hydrocarbon vapors, burned hydrocarbons such as smog, getting the products on the skin, etc., all are completely irrelevant to any long-term health issues whatsoever.

If they were not lying in some kind of coordinated way, then why should dolphins be any different?

[leveymg]

25. BP needs to do background investigations on the dolphins, they may be faking death to get benefits.

They're clever and can't be trusted. And, we'll need proof from them of lawful U.S. residence status, as well, before there can be any payouts.

[Devil_Fish]

4. I wonder why they are dieing......Not.

[malaise]

5. Fugg BP

and all who defended them

[Junkdrawer]

6. Come On Back to the Gulf for Your Next Vacation. The Water is Fine.

(just step over the dead marine life.)

[leveymg]

17. Have some nice Southern Style Dolphin fried in oil.

[JDPriestly]

7. Was there a seeping leak before the explosion?

And wasn't there some other leak before the big one?

This is a June 6, 2010 report from Al.com

The Deepwater Horizon is not the only well leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico for the last month.

A nearby drilling rig, the Ocean Saratoga, has been leaking since at least April 30, according to a federal document.

While the leak is decidedly smaller than the Deepwater Horizon spill, a 10-mile-long slick emanating from the Ocean Saratoga is visible from space in multiple images gathered by Skytruth.org, which monitors environmental problems using satellites.

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/06/another_gulf_oil_spill_well_ne.html

The BP spill was April 20, 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill

Either or both wells could have been leaking before those dates.

[fascisthunter]

8. Where are the naysaying meatheads?

As if we didn't know this was going to happen.

FL... kiss your tourist money goodbye.

[Generic Other]

11. The company they shilled for feels safe from any further repercussions

for their criminal actions, so they are being employed elsewhere by the Zimmerman family, the Pink Slime Meat Texture Industry and TEPCO.

[fascisthunter]

12. we seriously need to hold all of them accountable

it will be the only way to stop the slide into fascism.

[SoCalMusicLover]

29. A Little Late For That

Nobody is ever held accountable.

We're already pretty close to facism, and there's little we can do about it now.

[unkachuck]

13. "...kiss your tourist money goodbye."

....I can see the new Gulf states tourist ads right now...."Hurry, come visit the beautiful Gulf coast and watch the dolphins die."

[fascisthunter]

14. lol... I'm sorry but your sarcasm did make me laugh

but it really isn't funny because FL was a beautiful state. I spent two weeks camping in it to discover its beauty with another friend who w=loved fishing. Liberals are the conservatives when it comes to the environment.

[polly7]

9. God, this is sad. nt.

[unkachuck]

10. I'll bet they've been....

....downing tar-ball shrimp with a dispersant chaser....

[woo me with science]

15. ...

[glinda]

16. *sob*

[freshwest]

20. +1,000. Dr Masaru Emoto`s Prayer for the Gulf of Mexico

I hope that this message is true.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

32. now I'm sobbing in earnest.

can't type anymore right now.

[freshwest]

33. Sorry, sweet, it has the same effect on me. It breaks the heart.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

34. ..

[BlancheSplanchnik]

31. ......

[cbrer]

18. Plus we needed a Lab for trying out dispersants...

You know, to hide the evidence!

[raouldukelives]

19. A mysterious mix of profits over planet.

Every buck in Wall St is a vote for more of the same. Nothing will change unless we change.

[redqueen]

26. +1

[G_j]

21. K&R

even though BP says 'it's all good'....

[Uncle Joe]

23. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, MindMover.

[bart95]

24. it's the sharks with laser beams

i heard they escaped from doctor evil's tank

[Dragonfli]

27. The Disaster was dramatic and caused a very large increase, but many, many of these

rigs leak, they leak in many places and without much concern by anyone that might do something about it.

Adding all those chemicals to give an appearance of a cleanup (but was really a dispersal) I am sure did not help and I would love to find out exactly what was in their COREXIT or whatever they call it along with data on how it affects living creatures.

I fear for the entire ecosystem, as large as it is. This is a symptom of a deeper illness that man has wrought in the gulf, like varices in a patient whose liver is failing.

[rwsanders]

28. Guaranteed it will never by linked to the spill by the government...

As in previous die offs, it will be due to starvation, parasites, infection, etc. Which is actually a secondary cause due to a weakened immune system due to the spill. I have followed Pierre Beland's research on the belugas in the St. Lawrence system for years and he had that complaint after a major die off on the U.S. east coast. It was blamed on parasites, but no toxicology was done to determine chemical exposure.

[SoCalMusicLover]

30. The Dolphins Are At Fault Here

Maybe they were wearing hoodies.