Northwest AK Residents Report Miles Of Dead Krill Along Beaches, Mass Mussel Deaths, Seals, Whales
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Residents of two northwest Alaska villages say large numbers of dead mussels and shrimp-like krill have washed up on their shores. The discoveries are contributing to fears of record warm waters causing ecosystem changes, including unusual wildlife deaths, The Anchorage Daily News reported Saturday.
Scientists are working to pinpoint what has caused a string of unusual mortality events this season and whether the deaths are related. Lucy Oquilluk, a tribal president in the village of Teller, estimated there were 2 million dead mussels in a channel on the Seward Peninsula that she and others found in late June. “It’s something we never imagined,” she said.
High school teacher Ken Stenek said he found millions of dead krill stretching for several miles along beaches near the village of Shishmaref. In addition to mussels and krill, seabirds and seals have died along Alaska’s shores recently. In southern Alaska waters, scientists also have confirmed 15 gray whale deaths.
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“An ecosystem scale event appears to be playing out” off Alaska’s coasts related to unusual ocean conditions, said Mike Brubaker, director of the Center for Climate and Health at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.
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https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/northwest/alaska-adds-krill-mussels-to-list-of-unusual-marine-deaths/
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