Animal Deaths from Changes in Environment
The past year has brought up some environmental disasters that may or may not have gotten a lot of media attention. Below I will describe events that have taken place to show the public that changes are needed in our daily lives to minimize the effects we are having on the environment.
To the right is the most recent news story on the Shearwater Sea Birds which have recently had mass die offs on the south eastern coast of the U.S.
Hundreds of dead seabirds washed ashore the coast in recent weeks that have been starved to death. The question is, why have they starved? Scientists are trying to figure out if something has changed in the ocean that could have affected the fish these birds normally ate.
An estimated 1000 birds have been found from the Bahamas to Florida and all the way to North Carolina. The birds have already been tested for bird flu, which came out to be negative. Should we simply push this issue aside, or should we look at the bigger picture and sound off alarms?
Back in May, there was an issue of sea lions, dolphins, and sea gulls due to a toxic algae bloom off the California coast that killed hundreds of sea gulls and sea mammals. Link Here. Scientists say this annual algae bloom has the potential to get worse every year due to the algae having optimum breeding conditions in warmer waters. The animals actually die from domoic acid poisoning. Global Warming may eventually create a problem where thousands more sea birds, and mammals will die if the trend of Global Warming or Climate Change continues to increase ocean temperatures off the coast of California.
VHS, or Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia virus, is a very virus that has emerged in the Great lakes in recent years. Common symptoms of an infected fish are bulging eyes and bleeding skin. Scientists acknowledged that the virus cannot be stopped but can be slowed down. This virus has affected more some 25 fish species and is threatening the fish supply in those areas. What caused this virus and what conditions do they thrive in? The anthropological effects of humans can truly be seen through these pictures and often bring a sense of environmental graffiti.
Just living life in Portland, Oregon and enjoying every day that goes by. I love the environment, and I love community, and I love being able to share my experiences and perspective with the world.
