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60 Bottlenose Dolphins Dead in Florida Panhandle |
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| USA: March 22, 2004 | ||
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MIAMI - More than 60 bottlenose dolphins have died in the waters of the Florida Panhandle in the past nine days under mysterious circumstances, U.S. marine researchers said.
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The National Marine Fisheries Service said its preliminary tests found no evidence of red tide, a harmful alga that has been blamed in the past for massive die-offs of endangered manatees, in the waters of St. Joseph's Bay, where most of the dead dolphins have been found. Researchers discovered traces of another harmful alga and a toxin associated with red tide in the water, where dead fish and jellyfish had also been found. They could not say whether the alga or toxin contributed to the deaths. Florida banned shellfish harvesting in the vicinity of St. Joseph's Bay in November because of toxins in the water. The bay is about 30 miles southeast of Panama City, Florida. Red tide was blamed for the deaths of 60 endangered manatees over a two-month period early last year. In 1996, a similar algae bloom killed 149 manatees. Scientists say red tide algae contain a toxin that is released into the water when the algae die. Manatees can ingest the toxin when they eat or inhale it when they surface to breathe.
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REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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