Deaths of Alaskan whales have been reported to be greatly increasing, as well as toxic algal blooms. Although it's highly possible that the deaths are caused by toxic algae, experts still can't be sure.
Experts are currently investigating the deaths of the whales to identify the cause of this sudden increase in whale mortality in Alaska.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 30 whales in the western Gulf of Alaska have so far been declared dead. Experts say these mortality events are unusual, not no mention significantly high.
One gray whale, 14 humpback whales, 11 fin whales and four other unidentified cetaceans make up the unusual high number of whale deaths in the regions of the western Gulf of Alaska and the southern shoreline of the Alaska Peninsula. They have been seen stranding the islands since May this year
NOAA's declaration of these unusual mortalities will allow the agency and their tribal, state and federal partners to devise a response plan and rigorously investigate the cause of the death of these whales.
The Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events, established in 1991, said that this high number of strandings met the criteria for "focused resources and research." The group is also part of the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program.
NOAA noted that investigations like these normally take months, or even years to complete. Data collection and analysis depend on the nature of an event and how long it occurred. As soon as details become available, NOAA said it will publish investigation findings on this unusual mortality event.
While researchers can't really be sure what exactly caused this occurrence, one suspect comes to mind - toxic algae.
"Our leading theory at the point is that the harmful algal bloom has contributed to the deaths," said Julie Speegle, a spokesperson from NOAA. She did emphasize that at the moment, there is no conclusive evidence yet to confirm their hypothesis.
In a teleconference last Thursday, Aug. 20, coordinator of marine mammal health and stranding response at the NOAA Fisheries Ten Rowles said the large-scale deaths of whales are "among the toughest to investigate." Among the 30 whales, the researchers have only been able to get algae samples from one. This is partly because of the difficulty in accessing the whales for examination, floating and rearely beached.
"The bottom line is we don't know what's causing these deaths," said Speegle.
Photo: William Klos | Flickr
