In 2013, dozens of dolphins living in Floridas Indian River Lagoon mysteriously began to die.
Their remains washed up, showing the animals had been emaciated.
Now, over a decade later, ecologists believe theyve figured out the cause of the bizarre die-off.
Image of a stranded dolphin from Florida’s Indian River Lagoon.© Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute. Stranding response conducted under a Stranding Agreement
As the ecologistsnotein the journalFrontiers in Marine Science, the long-lasting phytoplankton blooms began in 2011.
The spread of the tiny plant-like organisms led to a widespread change in the Indian River Lagoons ecology.
Florida Manatees Are Starving En Masse.
At the time, 64% of observed dolphins were underweight, while 5% were classified as emaciated.
The historic record bears this out.
That number spiked to 61% in 2013.
In most cases, peoples activities drive these excess loads.
Managing our activities to keep nutrients at a safe level is key to preventing blooms that disrupt ecological systems.
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