Current:Home > ContactMore than 100 dolphins found dead in Brazilian Amazon as water temperatures soar -CapitalCourse
More than 100 dolphins found dead in Brazilian Amazon as water temperatures soar
View
Date:2025-04-11 18:06:11
SAO PAULO — More than 100 dolphins have died in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest in the past week as the region grapples with a severe drought, and many more could die soon if water temperatures remain high, experts say.
The Mamiraua Institute, a research group of Brazil's Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, said two more dead dolphins were found Monday in the region around Tefe Lake, which is key for mammals and fish in the area. Video provided by the institute showed vultures picking at the dolphin carcasses beached on the lakeside. Thousands of fish have also died, local media reported.
Experts believe high water temperatures are the most likely cause of the deaths in the lakes in the region. Temperatures since last week have exceeded 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Tefe Lake region.
The Brazilian government's Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, which manages conservation areas, said last week it had sent teams of veterinarians and aquatic mammal experts to investigate the deaths.
There had been some 1,400 river dolphins in Tefe Lake, said Miriam Marmontel, a researcher from the Mamiraua Institute.
"In one week we have already lost around 120 animals between the two of them, which could represent 5% to 10% of the population," said Marmontel.
Workers have recovered carcasses of dolphins since last week in a region where dry rivers have impacted impoverished riverside communities and stuck their boats in the sand. Amazonas Gov. Wilson Lima on Friday declared a state of emergency due to the drought.
Nicson Marreira, mayor of Tefe, a city of 60,000 residents. said his government was unable to deliver food directly to some isolated communities because the rivers are dry.
Ayan Fleischmann, the Geospatial coordinator at the Mamirauá Institute, said the drought has had a major impact on the riverside communities in the Amazon region.
"Many communities are becoming isolated, without access to good quality water, without access to the river, which is their main means of transportation," he said.
Fleischmann said water temperatures rose from 32 C (89 F) on Friday to almost 38 C (100 F) on Sunday.
He said they are still determining the cause of the dolphin deaths but that the high temperature remains the main candidate.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- A U.N. biodiversity convention aims to slow humanity's 'war with nature'
- Selling Sunset Season 6 Finally Has a Premiere Date and Teaser
- Life Is Hard For Migrants On Both Sides Of The Border Between Africa And Europe
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- Racecar Driver Michael Schumacher’s Family Reportedly Plans to Sue Magazine Over AI Interview With Him
- Denise Richards Is Returning to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Find Out What She Revealed
- Winter storm sending heavy snow where California rarely sees it
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- Here is what scientists are doing to save Florida's coral reef before it's too late
Ranking
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- Climate is changing too quickly for the Sierra Nevada's 'zombie forests'
- Caitlyn Jenner Mourns Death of Mom Esther Jenner
- What to know about Brazil's election as Bolsonaro faces Lula, with major world impacts
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- The Fight To Keep Climate Change Off The Back Burner
- Amber Borzotra Exits The Challenge World Championship Early After Learning She's Pregnant
- Cheryl Burke Shares Message on Starting Over After Retirement and Divorce
Recommendation
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
EPA's proposal to raise the cost of carbon is a powerful tool and ethics nightmare
U.N. plan would help warn people in vulnerable countries about climate threats
California's flooding reveals we're still building cities for the climate of the past
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
One Uprooted Life At A Time, Climate Change Drives An American Migration
What to know about Brazil's election as Bolsonaro faces Lula, with major world impacts
A kid's guide to climate change (plus a printable comic)