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Health & Fitness

Unusual Mortality Event for Bottlenose Dolphins Declared!

According to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, a UME is "a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate response."

An Unusual Mortality Event (UME) has been declared by NOAA for bottle nose dolphins. This is an event where a large number of animals are stranding. Many wash up dead, some dying, and others are never counted, as they do not end up on the shore. According to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, a UME is "a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate response."

The current UME stretches from New York to Virginia and is in full swing. Currently, the number of bottlenose dolphin strandings are seven times higher than usual, with over 120 animals stranded since June!

If you sight stranded marine mammals ( or sea turtles)- DO NOT attempt to return them to the sea! Please do not approach or touch the animals-as they could harbor an infectious disease! Do not let your dogs or kids near them either!

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Please call the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation's 24 hour stranding hotline- 631-369-9829 or NOAA’s marine mammal stranding network at 1-866-755-6622 if you spot a stranded marine mammal or sea turtle.

Scientists will attempt to figure out why this event is happening and will test the animals for viruses, bacteria, fungi, biotoxins, pollutants and other causes. Biotoxins could come from harmful algal blooms (HABs) like the "red tide" we have been hearing so much about. Infection from morbillivirus was responsible for the deaths of over 740 dolphins in the late 1980's, which was also a declared UME that occurred between New Jersey and Florida. Sometimes scientists can't figure out what caused the UME!

This is a critical time for bottlenose dolphins, marine inhabitants and the Earth's Oceans!! It is also a critical time for the Riverhead Foundation. They will need an increase in resources ($$) to help them respond to this UME. 

Find out what's happening in East Hamptonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In addition to everything else they do, they have been responding to stranded marine mammals OVERTIME due to this UME. The Riverhead Foundation provides a valuable service to our community- to all of New York and beyond, actually, and they do it without compensation from our Town, County, State or Federal government! The Riverhead Foundation provides a valuable service to us all, and to the marine inhabitants that they respond to every day. 

Can you make a donation to help them out? If everyone who reads this donates a DOLLAR... that would be very helpful... and it is a tax-deductible donation as well!

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