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bloomington-lib

(946 posts)
Sun May 6, 2012, 11:43 AM May 2012

Hundreds of pelicans die; stay away from beaches, Peru urges

Source: MSNBC

LIMA, Peru - Peru's government declared a health alert along its northern coastline on Saturday and urged residents and tourists alike to stay away from long stretches of beach, as it investigates the unexplained deaths of hundreds of dolphins and pelicans.

At least 1,200 birds, mostly pelicans, washed up dead along a stretch of Peru's northern Pacific coastline in recent weeks, health officials said, after an estimated 800 dolphins died in the same area in recent months.

The Health Ministry recommended staying away from beaches, though stopped short of a ban, and called on health officials to use gloves, masks and other protective gear when collecting dead birds.
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A mass pelican death along Peru's northern coast in 1997 was blamed at the time on a shortage of feeder anchovies due to the El Nino phenomenon.

Read more: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/05/11558974-hundreds-of-pelicans-die-stay-away-from-beaches-peru-urges?fb_action_ids=541965894605&fb_action_types=news.reads&fb_source=other_multiline

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Hundreds of pelicans die; stay away from beaches, Peru urges (Original Post) bloomington-lib May 2012 OP
An estimated 800 dolphins died in the same area in recent months... Little Star May 2012 #1
What's up mbuch64 May 2012 #15
yikes maddezmom May 2012 #2
Anyone know where the ocean streams originate that reach them? Baitball Blogger May 2012 #3
Pacific current map: Mnemosyne May 2012 #5
Doesn't look good. Does it? Baitball Blogger May 2012 #6
Not at all. The beachings will become more frequent until our oceans become Mnemosyne May 2012 #7
Ugh. Do you really think it's going to be that bleak? Baitball Blogger May 2012 #8
I still have some hope left, but the corps have trashed things pretty well since the sixties. Mnemosyne May 2012 #13
Toxic waste dumping? L0oniX May 2012 #4
i would guess antarctic warming changing the food chain. eom ellenfl May 2012 #11
This made me check felix_numinous May 2012 #9
Read a report, no link RobertEarl May 2012 #10
.. felix_numinous May 2012 #12
Found a link RobertEarl May 2012 #14

mbuch64

(55 posts)
15. What's up
Sun May 6, 2012, 08:49 PM
May 2012

is that ocean life is dieing on a massive scale that is increasing at an exponential rate. We can't stop this now.
The oceans have been massively over-fished and treated like our toxic garbage can and now we will reap what soulless corporations have done to our beautiful and miraculous little blue marble.

maddezmom

(135,060 posts)
2. yikes
Sun May 6, 2012, 12:18 PM
May 2012

we rented a summer house in that area when we lived in Peru. The beaches are gorgeous and so was the sea food at that time.

Mnemosyne

(21,363 posts)
7. Not at all. The beachings will become more frequent until our oceans become
Sun May 6, 2012, 01:58 PM
May 2012

basically dead zones. And I have always been an optimist.

Mnemosyne

(21,363 posts)
13. I still have some hope left, but the corps have trashed things pretty well since the sixties.
Sun May 6, 2012, 04:33 PM
May 2012

I pray hard I am wrong, but the death toll is rising.

felix_numinous

(5,198 posts)
9. This made me check
Sun May 6, 2012, 02:15 PM
May 2012

what the Pacific ocean currents look like, and migratory routes of birds.

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrystalis/7149072959/][img][/img][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrystalis/7149072959/] Pacific surface currents

Some Bird Migratory routes-I couldn't find one on Pacific pelicans but imagine they travel south along the Pacific coast?
http://arctic.fws.gov/birdworldmig.htm

There's a huge garbage island in the middle of the Pacific, one of many apparently:
http://torontoscubaclub.com/blog/garbage-patch-ain’t-no-cuddly-cabbage-patch-doll-scenario/

Here's an interesting study of how garbage travels around the world with a great diagram of it:
http://followthecontainer.com/?p=1113

Fukishima diary has a great diagram of N Pacific currents:
http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/05/does-radiation-travels-across-the-sea/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=does-radiation-travels-across-the-sea

Peru has some awesome birds here:
http://artusobirds.blogspot.com/2010/11/peru-part-1-rich-coast.html

I was in the mood for research, so thought I'd share



 

RobertEarl

(13,685 posts)
10. Read a report, no link
Sun May 6, 2012, 02:25 PM
May 2012

Birds wintering in New Zealand are coming home in the worst condition ever seen.

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