André Zumak/Mamirauá Institute
One of many dolphins found dead amid a worsening drought in the Amazon.
CNN –
More than a hundred dolphins have been found dead in the Brazilian Amazon amid a historic drought and record-breaking water temperatures that exceeded 102 degrees Fahrenheit in places.
According to the Mamirauá Institute, a research institution funded by the Brazilian Ministry of Science, all of the dead dolphins were found in Lake Tefé in the last seven days.
The institute said such a high number of deaths was unusual and suggested that record-high lake temperatures and a historic drought in the Amazon region may have been the cause.
The news is likely to increase climate scientists’ concerns about the impact of human activities and extreme droughts on the region.
“It is still early to determine the cause of this extreme event, but according to our experts it is certainly linked to the drought period and high temperatures in Lake Tefé, where in some places temperatures exceed 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit)” the institute said in comments to CNN affiliate CNN Brasil.
The Amazon, the world’s largest waterway, is currently in the dry season and several river fauna are also suffering from record high temperatures.
Edgar Barros/AP
A severe drought threatens the Amazon.
Researchers and activists are trying to save surviving dolphins by moving them from lagoons and ponds on the edge to the main part of the river where the water is cooler, CNN Brasil reported, but the operation is not easy due to the remoteness of the area.
“Relocating river dolphins to other rivers is not as safe as it is important to check for the presence of toxins or viruses [before releasing the animals into the wild]“,” André Coelho, a researcher at the Mamiraua Institute, told CNN Brasil.
The drought in the Amazon region is also affecting the economy.
Below-average water levels have been reported in 59 municipalities in Amazonas state, hampering both transportation and fishing on the river.
Authorities expect even worse droughts in the next few weeks, which could lead to more dolphin deaths, CNN Brasil reported.