Author Topic: Weather.... And Other Odities  (Read 3278 times)

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Offline Deborah

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Weather.... And Other Odities
« on: March 06, 2006, 01:29:00 PM »
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Something is going on in our oceans... Last week I posted a report(1) of 70 whales who beached themselves in Japan, 50 of whom died. I read another report(2) this morning of strange behavior of a dolphin pod off of the coast of Florida who have started migrating due north, against their regular habits.. And now the   following report of more then a thousand fish swarming up to the beaches in North Carolina.. In the past week there has been a swarm of earthquake activity in the Gulf of Mexico(3), up around Alaska and near Puerto Rico too.. I   wonder if that has anything to do with this strange behavior of the world's sea beasts?
 
  Scores of Fish Beach Themselves in N.C.     JACKSONVILLE, N.C., Feb. 26, 2006 (AP) State and local wildlife experts are trying to figure out what led more than a thousand flounder, spot and pin fish to beach themselves at the Marine Corps' New River air base _ and then swim away.
    They believe it may be related to a popular phenomenon known in coastal Alabama as "jubilee."
    The fish surfaced in shallow water Friday morning. They were lethargic, but alive.
    "It's kind of strange," said Mike Sanderford, New River Riverkeeper. "It's a bunch of fish up here, but they're not dead. They're almost docile."
    When he arrived, Sanderford said, the fish were lying in shallow water and allowed him to touch them before they swam away.
    Representatives of the Division of Water Quality, N.C. Marine Fisheries and N.C. Marine Patrol checked on the fish along the air station's shoreline Friday morning. One expert estimated about 1,000 to 1,500 were crowded in the waterline.
    But by afternoon, they were gone. The timing matched another oddity: the water's oxygen level, which veered from one extreme to the other.
    "We measured the oxygen levels in the water this morning and they were very low," said Stephanie Garrett, environmental technician with DWQ. "Then two and a half hours later, they were high."
    She said that might be a clue that the area saw a case of the "jubilee" phenomenon, in which thousands of live, healthy fish beach themselves.
    Scientists know that a jubilee occurs when variety of factors deoxygenate the water, forcing fish to the shore.
    Jubilees occur in a number of places, but nowhere as often and as regularly as on Mobile Bay's eastern shore. Jubilees usually occur during the summer, providing a free feast to locals who head to shore to gather the fish up.
    "It's normal to them, they all know the conditions that are needed and go down with gigs to get the flounder," said Bianca Klein, biologist at the Air Station. "It's definitely a rarity here, though."
    Only about 50 fish died, and that may not have been from natural causes.    
    "The flounder that were dead were the big ones," Sanderford said. "We're guessing someone came out here early this morning and started to pick out the biggest ones to take home for dinner, but wondered why they were beached and thought something might be wrong with them."
    ___ Information from: The Daily News, http://www.jdnews.com MMVI The Associated Press. All Rights     Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or     redistributed.
  http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/ ... UI80.shtml  
  (1)Articles on the Beached whales in Japan:
  http://www.choicechanges.com/modules.ph ... le&sid=431  
  (2)Article on the odd behavior of a pod of dolphins:
  http://www.ecoenquirer.com/dolphins-heading-north.htm
  (3)Latest earthquakes around the world! This is the longest I have ever seen this page!!:
  http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/rec ... es_all.php  
Explore more of Choice Changes: http://www.choicechanges.com
 
   
Dolphin beaching in Florida followed sub's exercises
KEY WEST, Fla. (AP)

— The Navy and marine wildlife experts are investigating whether the beaching of dozens of dolphins in the Florida Keys followed the use of
sonar by a submarine on a training exercise off the coast.

About 70 dolphins beached themselves in the Florida Keys after a submarine used sonar off the coast. By Rob O'Neal, Key West Citizen via AP

More than 20 rough-toothed dolphins have died since Wednesday's beaching by about 70 of the marine mammals, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary spokeswoman Cheva Heck said Saturday.

A day before the dolphins swam ashore, the USS Philadelphia had conducted exercises with Navy SEALs off Key West, about 45 miles from Marathon, where the dolphins became stranded.

Navy officials refused to say if the submarine, based at Groton, Conn., used its sonar during the exercise.

Some scientists surmise that loud bursts of sonar, which can be heard for miles in the water, may disorient or scare marine mammals, causing
them to surface too quickly and suffer the equivalent of what divers know as the bends — when sudden decompression forms nitrogen bubbles in tissue.

"This is absolutely high priority," said Lt. Cdr. Jensin Sommer, spokeswoman for Norfolk, Va.-based Naval Submarine Forces. "We are looking into this. We want to be good stewards of the environment, and any time there are strandings of marine mammals, we look into the operations and locations of any ships that might have been operating in that area."

Experts are conducting necropsies on the dead dolphins, looking for signs of trauma that could have been inflicted by loud noises.

And this---

NOAA: Infection To Blame For Beached Dolphins
Vets Euthanize 13 Sick Dolphins
POSTED: 2:43 pm EST March 4, 2005
UPDATED: 9:06 am EST March 5, 2005

MARATHON, Fla. -- Officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Friday a mysterious infection is to blame for the
more than 60 sick dolphins that beached themselves in Marathon Wednesday.

Veterinarians have been conducting blood tests and other medical assessments on the dolphins for two days now, while rescue workers and
volunteers continue trying to save the animals.

Seven dolphins have died and dozens are being treated for dehydration. Thirteen dolphins were in such bad shape that they were euthanized Friday.

"We do not want to prolong the suffering of these animals any longer. We do have some healthy, viable animals that look like they are going to be very successful in rehab and we're going to be able to get them back out to the wild. We need to focus our effort on those animals," Sarah Gomez, of NOAA Fisheries, said.

Meanwhile, veterinarians said some of the dolphins were healthy enough to be released back to sea Friday.

At 9:30 p.m. Friday, two of the dolphins will be moved from the pen and taken to the Rosenstiel School on Virginia Key near Miami. Saturday morning, 19 of the remaining dolphins will be taken to two locations, one in Key West and one in Key Largo.

More than 60 rough-tooth dolphins were found on flats and sandbars and in a nearby canal Wednesday evening about a quarter-mile off Marathon.

By Thursday, most of the dolphins had been moved from just a few inches of water on the flats to the 15-foot-deep, mangrove-lined canal, said Denise Jackson, a member of the Marine Mammal Rescue Team.

"Some are free swimming and frolicking and having a good time," she said.

Boats brought most of the dolphins to the canal, though one hitched a ride on a stretcher in the back of a pickup truck, Jackson said.

Meanwhile, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office has closed the area of 88th Street in Marathon to everyone except those working with dolphin
rescue groups.

Lt. Larry Kelley said no one will be allowed to enter the area except those with identification showing they are rescue workers, and those who live in the area.

"There are just too many people showing up in that area wanting to see the dolphins," he said. "It is extremely disruptive to the
neighborhood and makes it very difficult for rescue groups to conduct their business, so we are closing the area to the general public."

Anyone who wants to volunteer in the dolphin rescue effort should call the Marine Mammal Conservancy at (305) 360-2130.
   
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There's also this: Scores of FIsh Beach themselves in NC
   
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Hidden Lake Academy, after operating 12 years unlicensed will now be monitored by the state. Access information on the Federal Class Action lawsuit against HLA here: http://www.fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?t=17700

Offline Deborah

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Weather.... And Other Odities
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2006, 12:13:21 AM »
Heard a good report on NPR yesterday called "Fozen Assests". Worth a listen if you can find it.
They interviewed commerical fishermen who gave first hand accounts of the changes being caused by Global Warming. Many unusual species turning up in their catches that are common to warmer water. Some are considering moving their operations further north. Some can't go any further north. Some fear closing if the trend continues.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
gt;>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Hidden Lake Academy, after operating 12 years unlicensed will now be monitored by the state. Access information on the Federal Class Action lawsuit against HLA here: http://www.fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?t=17700