Amazon River: Over 100 Dolphin Deaths Tied to Drought, Heat

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Facts

  • The Brazilian government-funded Mamirauá Institute has blamed the death of over a hundred dolphins in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest on the historic drought and record-high water temperatures in the Tefé Lake region.1
  • The carcasses of 120 river dolphins, which could represent up to 10% of the population, have been beached on the lakeside since last week. Thousands of fish have also reportedly died in the area where temperatures have exceeded 102°F (39°C).2
  • Amazon river dolphins are among a handful of freshwater dolphin species left in the world, with both pink and grey dolphins — locally known as 'boto' and 'tucuxi,' respectively — being on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species.3
  • Meanwhile, Brazil's Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation has deployed veterinarians and aquatic mammal experts to rescue the remaining dolphins; however, they will only be moved to cooler river waters after researchers rule out a bacterial cause of death.4
  • While autopsies are being conducted on the carcasses to determine if severe drought and heat are to blame for the high mortality, the extent and role of global warming in the current Amazon drought is unclear. Other factors such as El Nino are also contributing.5
  • The drought in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, which could affect nearly 500K people by the end of 2023, has allegedly stopped many residents and natives from accessing essential supplies as low river levels affect fishing and transportation.6

Sources: 1CNN, 2Time, 3Al Jazeera, 4Daily Mail, 5Reuters and 6USA Today.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Salon. While the cause of this extreme event has yet to be determined, the death of at least 120 dolphins in the Amazon is undoubtedly connected to a historic drought and jacuzzi-level searing temperatures in Tefé Lake. This tragedy must serve as a warning that climate change threatens the survival of humans and many other intelligent mammals.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Ft. It's easy to dismiss any extreme weather event as a consequence of climate change, but in reality, they're usually influenced by a myriad of factors that have nothing to do with global warming. More research is needed before establishing any direct causal link between the two.

Predictions