DROUGHT: High temperatures may be the reason for mass death among the local dolphin population. Photo: BRUNO KELLY / Reuters / NTB
The temperature in Lake Tefé has risen to 39 degrees – now over 150 dolphins have been found dead.
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Over 100 dolphins have been found dead in Lake Tefé in Brazil. The lake is connected to the Amazon River and has become smaller and warmer in recent days. The cause of the mass death is uncertain, but the low water level and high temperature are likely factors. The drought has led to low water levels in The Amazon, which creates water shortages and difficulties for shipping goods by boat. The Brazilian authorities have announced that they will send emergency aid to the drought-stricken areas of the Amazon. Show more
Dead dolphins and many thousands of dead fish are floating in Lake Tefé.
The lake in northern Brazil, which is connected to the Amazon River, has been getting smaller and smaller – and hotter and hotter – in recent days.
The area is affected by a severe drought.
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ENDANGERED SPECIES: The Amazon dolphin is an endangered species and among the few freshwater dolphins in the world. Photo: BRUNO KELLY / Reuters / NTB Photo: BRUNO KELLY / Reuters / NTB
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ENDANGERED SPECIES: The Amazon dolphin is an endangered species and among the few freshwater dolphins in the world. Photo: BRUNO KELLY / Reuters / NTB
– Catastrophic
The British researcher Daniel Tregidgo lives in the area. He calls the situation a tragedy, writes The Guardian.
Over 150 dolphins have died, according to Washington Post.
– When the water is so warm, dolphins become disoriented, Claudia Sacramento, head of the environmental emergency department at the state-run Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, told the newspaper.
The loss of oxygen triggers an increase in their cell metabolism, and they die from asphyxia – also called lack of oxygen.
The Boto dolphin The Boto dolphin The dolphin that lives in the Amazon River is called Boto. It is characterized by the fact that it is pink on the underside of the body. is red-listed by the World Conservation Union.
The species is one of six surviving freshwater dolphins, writes The Guardian.
– This incredible species is already threatened – so losing so many individuals in such a short period of time is catastrophic, says Daphne Willems in WWF’s conservation group, according to the newspaper.
Researcher at the Mamirauá Institute, Ayan Fleischmann says the low water level and high temperature definitely play a role in the mass death.
On Thursday last week, the temperature was measured at 39 degrees.
– This is very hot, terrible, says Fleischmann according to The Guardian.
LOSS: Experts fear that as much as 10 per cent of the population has been affected and believe the incident could threaten the survival of the species in Lake Tefe. Photo: BRUNO KELLY / Reuters / NTB
Sending emergency help
Tefé is one of the areas hardest hit by the drought. It should have rained a third of the historical average in the area.
The Guardian writes that there are 70,000 people in the area, but Brazil’s authorities have estimated that up to 500,000 people will be affected by the drought, according to USA today.
The drought has led to low water levels in the Amazon River, which both causes water shortages and difficulties in transporting goods by boat.
Brazilian authorities said on Thursday last week that they would send emergency aid to the drought-stricken areas of the Amazon, according to French The world.
Man-made climate change combined with the climate phenomenon The boyshould have led to a lot of extreme weather in Brazil recently, writes The Guardian.
ANALYSIS: Researchers at the Mamiraua Institute analyze the dead dolphins. Photo: BRUNO KELLY / Reuters / NTBPublished:
Published: 07.10.23 at 03:57
Updated: 07.10.23 at 04:17
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2023-10-07 01:57:46
#Affected #drought #Mass #death #dolphins #Amazon
