Hundreds of animals have mysteriously washed up dead on the shores of the Indian River Lagoon in Florida, and scientists are scrambling to uncover this mass murder animal mystery, the Daily News reports.
"The lagoon is in a full collapse, it is ongoing," Marty Baum of the Indian Riverkeeper told FOX News. Baum believes that the pollutant levels of the river from nearby farmland run-off may have reached a tipping point. He believes that too many loopholes in Florida law might prevent the water bodies from getting nutrient limits.
Over 100 manatees, 300 pelicans and almost 50 dolphin were found dead along the northern stretches of the river, and biologists have no doubt that this is a serious problem. The naturally diverse lagoon that stretches for 156 miles contains more species than anywhere else in the U.S. with more than 600 species of fish and over 300 kinds of birds, and accounting for hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from angling, bird-watching, boating, tourism and other waterfront activities.
The barrier island complex in Florida stretches along 40 percent of the state's coast, consisting of the Mosquito Lagoon, the Banana River and the Indian River Lagoon. In the past, the waters have been polluted by nutrients and fertilizers running off of farmland and lawns, which can have an effect on the water's acidity, temperature and salt levels.
While there is no obvious cause for the latest mass animal murder, scientists believe pollution or climate change may be harming the animal populations. The mysterious manatee die-off began in 2012, with 43 of them dead in just one month, now totaling 111 dead. Biologists at a state laboratory in St. Petersburg who studied the manatees have determined that they appear to have have fallen sick and drowned, but from what is yet unclear.
Since January, people have reported between 230 to 300 dead pelicans, all of the birds emaciated, and since January 46 bottlenose dolphins have been found dead, also emaciated. If there is too much salinity in the water, it can have an adverse effect on the diet of dolphins and other animals.
Researcher Megan Stolen at the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute said to FOX News that this is an unusual mortality event. "If lots of bad things are happening all at once, we may not find a consistent cause of death," she said.
Biologists are particularly baffled as all of the species have different diets, and while birds and dolphins appear starved to death, the manatees' stomachs appear to be stuffed. A new brown tide bloom has appeared in the waters, suggesting an excessive algae growth.
Click here to see photos of the mysterious deaths of many marine animals washed up on the shores.
