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Environment

Whales Are Dying Off North America’s West Coast — And It Could Signal Trouble Deep In The Ocean

by The Daily Eye Team August 19 2015, 3:57 pm Estimated Reading Time: 0 mins, 53 secs

In only one week, the corpses of four humpback whales have been found along Canada's west coast, fueling questions of whether their deaths are connected to a recent uptick of whale and other marine animal deaths in Alaskan waters. So far scientists don't know what's causing the deaths, but some believe they could be connected to warmer than average ocean temperatures that have caused unusual and potentially poisonous algae blooms. The carcasses of 23 large whales, including endangered humpback and fin whales, were found in the western Gulf of Alaska last month, according to researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Of those, 18 are believed to be linked to a single event, although there is no direct cause known at this time. The deaths are believed to have occurred in late May or early June, based on the decomposition of the mammals. An unusual number of walrus and seabird carcasses have also been found near the dead fin whales, the Washington Post reported, though it's unclear whether the deaths are connected. Read More?at www.news.vice.com