"Navy explosion kills at least 3 dolphins
SAN DIEGO — A Naval training exercise that included an underwater blast off San Diego’s coast has been linked to at least three dolphin deaths, prompting an inquiry into whether the military violated the federal law that protects marine mammals. Navy officials, who reported the deaths of the long-beaked common dolphins after the March 4 detonation, say they followed procedures and will continue the training. The National Marine Fisheries Service plans to take another look at the Navy’s request to disturb mammals between Imperial Beach and Coronado, where it conducts amphibious and warfare training, agency leaders said (AP)."
More innocent lives lost to cost of Empire.
FLASHBACK:
"Study of stranded dolphins shows many to be near-deaf; Hearing crucial in animals’ ability to feed, navigate" by David A. Fahrenthold, Washington Post / November 21, 2010
WASHINGTON — New research into the cause of dolphin “strandings’’ — incidents in which weakened or dead dolphins are found near shore — has shown that in some species, many stranded creatures share the same problem.
They are nearly deaf, in a world where hearing can be as valuable as sight.
That understanding — gained from a study of dolphins’ brain activity — could help explain why such intelligent animals do something so seemingly dumb. Unable to use sound to find food or family members, dolphins can wind up weak and disoriented.
Researchers are unsure what is causing the hearing loss: It might be old age, birth defects, or a cacophony of man-made noise in the ocean, including Navy sonar, which has been associated with some marine mammal strandings in recent years.
Related: Probe finds Navy Sonar linked to whale, dolphin strandings
Yeah, it's a "mystery."
The news, researchers say, is a warning for those who rescue and release injured dolphins: In some cases, the animals might be going back to a world they can’t hear....
The study, published Nov. 3 in the journal PLoS One....
Keep them in mind for later, readers.
Each year, from 1,200 to 1,600 whales and dolphins are found stranded off the US coast, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The vast majority are dead....
--more--"
Related(?): Body of harbor porpoise found on beach
The study, published Nov. 3 in the journal PLoS One....
Keep them in mind for later, readers.
Each year, from 1,200 to 1,600 whales and dolphins are found stranded off the US coast, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The vast majority are dead....
--more--"
Related(?): Body of harbor porpoise found on beach
