Around 100 dolphins have been discovered in the Brazilian Amazon in the last seven days because of a historic drought along with rising water temperatures. The temperature of the water rose to 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Brazilian Ministry of Science funded a research facility named the Mamiraua Institute. The research facility stated that the dolphins were found in Lake Tefe.
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According to the Mamiraua Institute, the record-high lake temperature plus the historic drought in the Amazon may be the two reasons leading to the reasons behind the death of such a high number of dolphins.
The Amazon River is at present in its dry season. Many specimens of river fauna are facing high temperatures as well.
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The deaths of the dolphins will be a major concern for climate scientists now. As per the institute, "It’s still early to determine the cause of this extreme event but according to our experts, it is certainly connected to the drought period and high temperatures in Lake Tefé, in which some points are exceeding 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit)."
Scientists and researchers are aiming to rescue the surviving dolphins by switching their place from ponds to the main river where the temperature of the water is cooler in comparison.
The operation is not that easy, however.
A researcher at the Mamiraua Institute, Andre Coelho, stated that “Transferring river dolphins to other rivers is not that safe because it’s important to verify if toxins or viruses are present (before releasing the animals into the wild)."
A total of 59 municipalities have reported below-average levels of water in the Amazon as a State. This would hinder both fishing and transport activities on the river.
Authorities are expecting droughts in the coming weeks that may be more acute than this one. This could be a leading factor that would affect the economy.
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