Warmer waters and lack of food most probable cause of pelicans’ death in Peru

[Judi Lynn]

Thursday, May 10th 2012 - 04:43 UTC
Warmer waters and lack of food most probable cause of pelicans’ death in Peru

Public health and environmental authorities said at a press conference in Lima that warmer waters in the Pacific can be tracked to the massive mortality which was caused by the influx of warm sea currents from Australia and Ecuador.

This alteration of the marine ecosystem caused anchovies, the basic food of pelicans to move to other less warmer waters thus causing the massive death of over 5.000 pelicans tin the last few weeks.

A similar situation but with dolphins of which an estimated 900 appeared dead along the northern coast of Peru, is believed to be behind the tragedy, although investigations are still ongoing.

“Warmer waters are modifying the references of the ecosystem”, said the deputy chief from the Peruvian Environment Ministry, Gabriel Quijandria. He added that this has caused a natural alteration in the distribution of anchovies and other species that have migrated which caused “a fall in the availability of food mainly for pelicans and blue footed boobies”.

More:
http://en.mercopress.com/2012/05/10/warmer-waters-and-lack-of-food-most-probable-cause-of-pelicans-death-in-peru

[mopinko]

1. screwed the pooch we have