New report ties cold Gulf water, dolphin deaths

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A local scientist said melted snow may have contributed to the string of dead dolphins that washed ashore in 2011.

You may remember in the winter after the oil spill, dozens of dead dolphins washed ashore across the Gulf Coast, and researchers said cold temperatures could've been a culprit.

A report from a team of researchers said 186 dead bottlenose dolphins were found along the Gulf Coast in the first few months of 2011.

Click here to read Dr. Carmichael's research paper on the dolphin deaths.

Marine biologist Dr. Ruth Carmichael from the Dauphin Island Sea Lab found that many of those animals washed up after severe drops in water temperature, probably from melted snow discharging into the Gulf.

"There were some physical factors- the water temperature, the water flow and the currents, that affected the timing of when these animals died," Carmichael said.

Carmichael said timing is a big factor. If you remember, the winter of 2010 had record low temperatures. It even snowed in Mobile! Then there was the summer of 2010 - with the BP oil spill. Carmichael said the winter of 2011 was very cold as well, and she said all of these environmental factors probably made the dolphins physically sick.

"We think other things were going on that probably directly led to the mortality, and the cold water was the straw that broke the camel's back," Carmichael said.

A marine scientist from Mississippi said the theory is possible, but more information is needed.

Dr. Moby Solangi from the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies said the dolphin toxicology results were retained by the federal government, as part of the criminal investigation into the oil spill.

He said those results would be needed to determine cause of death, and he says there would've been other signs that cold water played a role.

"Other animals that are much more susceptible to cold temperatures would've died as well. Which would be, for example, we did not see any fish kill, we did not see any turtles die, turtles cannot control their temperature," Solangi said.

Carmichael says the exact cause of the dolphin deaths is not known, but hopefully her findings can be one part of this big puzzle.

If you ever spot a stranded or beached dolphin, there are local responders you can call.

Florida Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline - 888-404-FWCC (3922)

Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline - 877-WHALE-HELP

Mississippi Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline - 888-806-1674