AAP, www.news.com.au 8 Sep 09;
ENVIRONMENTALISTS are questioning the health of Queensland's Moreton Bay after five dolphins, two dugongs and dozens of turtles have been found dead in the past three weeks.
This week an adult female dugong washed up on Amity Point on Stradbroke Island, a day after a guest at Tangalooma Island Resort in Moreton Bay spotted a dead dolphin in the middle of the bay.
Several days earlier, a dead adult female dugong was found off North Stradbroke Island and a dolphin was found dead in the Port of Brisbane area.
In late August three dead dolphins and turtles were found in the bay in a period of three days.
The causes of the deaths are unknown, and the carcasses had no obvious injuries.
Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland president Simon Baltais said he has also received reports of 10 dead turtles in the past two weeks.
"We are seeing a significant number of dead marine animals. Something is astray," Mr Baltais said.
"The response from state government has been 'there's nothing to worry about', but how many more do we have to lose before the government looks into what's going on?"
Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort director Trevor Hassard agreed something was wrong.
"When dolphins die they normally sink to the bottom," Mr Hassard said.
"Why are these amount of dolphins washing up with no marks on them or indications of cause of death. This has to be investigated."
Mr Baltais said it was worrying to hear of creeks that flow into Moreton Bay being contaminated with high levels of heavy metals.
A recent survey found high concentrations of chromium, cadmium, mercury and nickel in Warrill Creek near the RAAF Amberley base, west of Brisbane.
Mr Baltais said the government needed to invest in reducing stormwater runoff into the bay, which was worsening as the southeast population grew.
Temperature drop linked to dolphin deaths
Tony Moore, Brisbane Times 9 Sep 09;
A major drop in sea temperatures from Lady Elliot Island near Gladstone to the New South Wales border may be linked to the deaths of 10 turtles and five dolphins in Moreton Bay in the past three weeks.
University of Queensland researcher Dr Kathy Townsend, based on Stradbroke Island, said oceanographers had been charting the change in sea water temperatures since July.
"It is a big, big anomaly where the water is much, much cooler - like two or three degrees cooler - than it normally is at this time of the year," Dr Townsend said.
"At the same time in the northern Great Barrier Reef they actually have water temperatures one to two degrees higher than they normally expect at this time of the year.
"Oceanographically, on a large scale, there is strange things going on - and that potentially could be linked to an El Nino year."
She said her oceanographic colleagues described the change as the "strangest year as far as ocean currents go that she has ever seen."
"So potentially the deaths have more to do with that, than anything else," said Dr Townsend.
She said the dolphins' deaths were very unusual, while the deaths of the turtles could also be linked to slow growth of their food during the winter.
Wildlife groups want an urgent State Government inquiry after the 10 loggerhead and green turtles washed up dead on Moreton Island last week.
This follows confirmed reports that five dolphins and three dugongs have also been found dead in Moreton Bay in the space of three weeks.
Both Queensland's Wildlife Preservation Society and Tangalooma's Wild Dolphin Resort say the Environment Protection Agency now had to investigate the recent deaths.
Wildlife Preservation Society president Simon Baltais said his information came from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), which he checks with his local contacts.
"We have had five dolphins, three dugongs and quite a large number of turtles since the 23rd of August," Mr Baltais said.
Turtles in Moreton Bay include the endangered green turtles and loggerhead turtles.
Mr Baltais confirmed 10 loggerhead turtles were washed up on Moreton Island.
"In that late period of August we started to get reports in back from fisherman and boaties on Moreton Bay," Mr Baltais said.
"In one instance a fellow reported that his son, who lives on Moreton Island, reported that 10 turtles had been washed up on the beaches of Moreton Island.
"This is the point that we are trying to make. Throw all the statistics you like at us, but in a very, very short space of time this represents quite a large number of marine animals.
"So get up and find out what is going on."
Mr Baltais said he did not think the deaths were linked to possible leaking of ammonium nitrate contained in 31 containers which were washed into Moreton Bay from the Pacific Adventurer in March.
"We can't say `yes' or `no' but we don't believe so," he said.
He said the issue was a wider symptom of the impact of population growth on the health of Moreton Bay.
He listed cutbacks of 15 per cent of mangroves, more frequent algal blooms and the concern at heavy metal contamination in creeks near Ipswich.
Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort director Trevor Hassard, who first reported the recent dolphin deaths to the EPA, said an investigation was definitely needed.
"Absolutely. It could be something that has been happening for ages and ages, or it could be an artificial spike (in deaths)," he said.
"But something is definitely wrong."
The EPA said they would release a statement this afternoon.
Nothing unusual about dolphin deaths: government
Tony Moore, Brisbane Times 9 Sep 09;
The number of dolphin, dugong and turtle deaths in Moreton Bay in July and August were not "unusually high ", the Department of Environment's chief scientist said this afternoon.
Wildlife Preservation Society president Simon Balthais and Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort director Trevor Hassard this morning called on the State Government to investigate a spate of recent deaths.
They said five dolphins, three dugongs and 10 green and loggerhead turtles had been found dead in Moreton Bay in the past three weeks.
Their concerns were also backed by prominent University of Queensland oceanographer Scarla Weeks who said an investigation was necessary.
Ms Weeks said her latest research showed sea temperatures had cooled markedly in May to July, on the ocean-side of both Stradbroke and Moreton Islands.
"The sea temperature in June 2009 is far cooler than June 2008, to June 2007 and the rest back as far as June 2000," Ms Weeks said.
"Compared to the past nine years, yes. It is around two degrees."
She said this could be a factor in the recent spike in marine deaths.
However the Department of Environment and Resource Management's chief scientist Col Limpus said the number of deaths were not unusually high.
"While a number of deaths have been reported in a small time frame, historically there is a peak in strandings from August to October," Dr Limpus said.
"This is believed to be related to animals in poor condition not surviving the winter.
"In Moreton Bay, there have been seven dugong strandings and 16 dolphin strandings reported to DERM so far in 2009.
"This compares to a total 13 dugong strandings last year, and 13 in 2007 and a total nine dolphin strandings last year and 19 in 2007.
"Moreton Bay supports a large population of dolphins, and any such population will have occasional deaths from natural causes such as old age, congenital problems or predation, and human-related factors such as entanglement in nets or boat strike."
Tangalooma Wild Dolphin resort director Trevor Hassard this morning estimated the population of bottlenose dolphins in Moreton Bay was between 400 and 600.
He said it was unusual to find five dolphins floating because their carcasses were usually eaten by sharks.
Mr Limpus said three recent necropsies on dugongs showed all died from protracted disease which had run over many months.
"The Department of Environment and Resource Management records all reported strandings and, where possible, arranges for necropsies on suitable condition carcasses.
"But it's not always possible to determine the cause of death especially if the carcass is badly decomposed, as was the case with three of the dolphins found late last month.
"We're working closely with the University of Queensland School of Veterinary Science which is undertaking studies of the health of turtles and dugong in Moreton Bay."
Stranded marine wildlife can be reported to the Department of Environment and Resource Management hotline: 1300 130 372.
Earlier University of Queensland researcher Dr Kathy Townsend said it was unlikely ammonium nitrate from shipping containers which slipped into Moreton Bay from the Pacific Adventurer in March 2009 could be responsible.
Dr Townsend said the material was water soluble and would have travelled south with the ocean currents.
"So it is unlikely to be involved in any local event like this."
Spate of dolphin, dugong deaths 'normal'
Perth Now 9 Sep 09;
ENVIRONMENTAL authorities say a recent spate of marine animal deaths in Moreton Bay is not unusual.
Five dolphins, two dugongs and dozens of turtles have been found dead in the past three weeks, prompting environment groups to call for an investigation into the bay's health.
Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland president Simon Baltais said this was a significant number of deaths in a short time and he believed something was awry.
But the Department of Environment and Resource Management's chief scientist Col Limpus says the number of dolphin, dugong and turtle deaths in Moreton Bay is not unusually high.
"While a number of deaths have been reported in a small time-frame, historically there is a peak in strandings from August to October," Dr Limpus said.
"This is believed to be related to animals in poor condition not surviving the winter."
He said seven dugong strandings and 16 dolphin strandings had been reported so far in 2009.
"This compares to a total 13 dugong strandings last year and 13 in 2007 and a total nine dolphin strandings last year and 19 in 2007," Dr Limpus said.
He said three necropsies performed on dugongs recently found they had died from a protracted disease.
