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.
---------------
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
Little Star
(17,055 posts)Wonder what's up?
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)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.
Baitball Blogger
(46,573 posts)Mnemosyne
(21,363 posts)Baitball Blogger
(46,573 posts)Mnemosyne
(21,363 posts)basically dead zones. And I have always been an optimist.
Baitball Blogger
(46,573 posts)Mnemosyne
(21,363 posts)I pray hard I am wrong, but the death toll is rising.
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)ellenfl
(8,660 posts)felix_numinous
(5,198 posts)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-aint-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)Birds wintering in New Zealand are coming home in the worst condition ever seen.
felix_numinous
(5,198 posts)RobertEarl
(13,685 posts)Mutton birds that summer off the coast of Japan and come to New Zealand to mate.