There have been hundreds of deaths in the Black Sea from the resident porpoise or dolphin population, in addition to the thousands of civilians who died in the invasion of Ukraine in February.
Scientists who study the region Reported an “unusual increase” in strandings and bycatch – when animals are unintentionally caught by fishermen – of dolphins, porpoises, and whales, in the spring and summer of 2022, according to a recent reportACCOBAMS (the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Region) is the source.
“Russia’s war on Ukraine escalated in February 2022 places the entire Black Sea basin at great risk,” the report states. According to the report, military activities in coastal and marine areas may have a negative impact on the marine biota, including cetaceans. .
Erich Hoyt from the UK-based Whale and Dolphin Conservation and ACCOBAMS scientist, said that more than 700 deaths in dolphins and harbor poises have been recorded along the coasts of countries bordering the sea.
Researchers are working to determine the cause of the deaths that have been observed, but the ongoing war – and the potential threat posed by drifting mines – make data collection and boat surveys difficult.
There have been instances where dolphins have washed ashore with burns and other injuries. These could be the result of being caught up in the crossfire. Ivan RusevAccording to the research director of Ukraine’s Tuzla estuaries National Nature park, dolphins were found washed ashore by burn marks from bombs and mines. Others appeared unable or unable navigate.
The loud noises associated to warfare could also be responsible for the rise in dolphin strandings or bycatch.
Hoyt explained to Insider that porpoises and dolphins rely on sound for navigation, food and communication.
“While increased ship traffic may have an impact, the sounds of explosions underwater or at the surface could disorient, wound or kill dolphins and other porpoises within a short distance or increase the number of strandings or bycatch.”
Whales, dolphins, and porpoises have an acute sense for hearing. They use echolocation to map their surroundings.
They emit short, pulsed “clicks” that sound similar to a finger-snapping. These clicks travel through the water until they come across an object, then bounce back to the dolphin.
Loud noises can interrupt the dolphin’s amazing ability to hear the return sound and recognize food or their environment.
Dolphins communicate with eachother using sound, which is similar to a whistle. documented using verbal labels to address one another – in a word: names.
Sound also travels further than air and is four-and-half times faster through water than in air. This makes the effects of explosions in seawater all the more devastating.
Scientists are still investigating the causes of the deaths. However, Hoyt stated that noise disruptions could disorient the dolphins, causing them to get stranded at shore or to be caught in a fishing net.
Another possibility is that fighting is driving the animals away from their natural habitats in Ukraine and bringing them to unknown areas to find food. They may also be more likely be caught in a net or to be stranded onshore.
Experts have also identified areas along the coast of Ukraine as being vital for porpoise and dolphin populations. Hoyt is co-chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task ForceThis is a map that identifies areas of marine mammal habitat conservation importance.
Several locations around Ukraine – including some that have been subject to fighting – have previously been designated as important habitats, including areas around the Crimean peninsula?, Kerch Strait, and Sea of AzovAs shown in This interactive map.
These areas were designated as critical habitats for three species that IUCN considers endangered or threatened: the Black Sea Common Dolphin, Black Sea Harbor Porpoise, Black Sea Bottlenose dolphin.
Hoyt stated that there were fears that dolphins and porpoises who use these areas all year will be killed or exterminated. “But since no research can be conducted there right now, it is unlikely that we will know until after the war has ended.”
This article was first published by Business Insider.
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