A wave of dolphin devastation — the likes of which have not been seen in 30 years — is sweeping New York, and scientists are desperately searching for answers.
At least 28 bottlenose dolphins have washed up dead on New York City and Long Island beaches this summer, and the death toll is expected to keep climbing.
A mysterious measles-like virus is considered the most likely cause.
“They’ve detected a virus known as the morbillivirus,” said Maggie Mooney-Seus, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“There’s not much anybody can do to stop the virus. It’s just got to run its course.”
In the past two months, 65 dolphins have also washed up on the Jersey Shore, and 141 were found in coastal Virginia.
Symptoms of the sickness include skin and mouth lesions, as well as bacterial and fungal infections.
The last time the virus swept the Atlantic seaboard in 1987 and 1988, more than 700 dolphins — about half of the coastal bottlenose population at the time — perished.
The current outbreak could lead to many more deaths because the population has grown, Mooney-Seus predicted.
“It’s pretty serious,” she said. “It’s going to spread. Some will survive; a lot will die.”
Five bottlenose dolphins have washed up in the city since June — one on Coney Island and four in the Rockaways. A 7-footer found on Coney Island just before July 4 had to be removed with a forklift.
“This is the busiest year we’ve had in 30 years, and we’re just hitting September,” said Rob DiGiovanni, director of the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation. “The average over the last 30 years for bottlenose strandings is two a year. We’re at 30 now.”
Other dolphin species have washed up on Long Island this year, including harbor porpoises, white-sided dolphins and Risso’s dolphins, but they are not believed to be a part of the measles outbreak.
Scientists note that while the morbillivirus is suspected to be the main cause of the bottlenose deaths, more research needs to be done to rule out other factors. Brucella bacteria have been found in lesions on four dolphins that have washed ashore this summer. And pollution and red algae could also make dolphins sick.
Sadly, the friendly nature of dolphins could be what’s killing them.
“Dolphins are very social animals,” said Mooney-Seus. “They’re very affectionate. When they greet each other, they rub against each other. That can be a factor in how they transmit it.”