Here is where the tally currently
stands:
Total
number of common dolphins: 179
Found alive: 71
Found dead: 108
- Of the 71 dolphins found alive by staff and volunteers:
- 53 successfully released
- 3 released and re-stranded
- 11 died
- 4 humanely euthanized
Complete health assessments were conducted on all live
stranded animals including physical exams, heart rate and resp. rate, CBC
and chemistry. Select animals also received advanced diagnostics such as
ultrasound exams. Those animals deemed healthy enough were released.
Most were transported over land to open ocean facing beaches to reduce the
likelihood of re-stranding. Due to logistical constraints, ten animals at
the end of the event were released from the stranding site and herded offshore
to deeper water.
Satellite tags were deployed on 11 animals. Tag data indicate
that the dolphins are utilizing known habitat within this region.
Necropsies have been completed on 9 of the animals for which time of
death was known. Several animals remain in the freezer pending
necropsy. A minimum of Level A (basic data
and samples) were collected from all stranded animals. Every reported
animal (all 179) was examined.
There have been no consistent
pathologies noted in the live or deceased dolphins. Although lab results
are still pending for many analyses, there is no indication at this time to
suggest any one cause for this event. Pending analyses include, but are
not limited to: histopathology, microbiology, virology, etc. Furthermore,
there is no evidence suggesting that acoustic trauma is a cause for this
event. Working with NOAA and the US Navy, we have confirmed that the only
activity on the east coast of the US during this time frame took place off the
mid-Atlantic and SE Atlantic coasts and did not involve active sonar. The
nearest activity was in Virginia, too far away to have affected these animals
within Cape Cod Bay. Also, if we approach this logically: if activity off the
mid-Atlantic were causing this event, we would also see similar mass strandings
stretching along the coastline between Cape Cod and the mid-Atlantic, but,
we are not. I have spoken with
other regional Stranding network
members, and no above average numbers
of common dolphin strandings have been
documented. We are still seeking information regarding the
possibility of other industrial activities off the coast of Massachusetts during
this period. Of significant note, however, are other changes in the greater Gulf of Maine ecosystem as noted by other researchers. We are
attempting to compile environmental (physical and chemical oceanographic data)
as well as biological data to analyze for possible correlations to this
event.
Kind
regards,
Katie
Moore