MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

By David Sparkes – “NEW statistics reveal the severity of this year’s horrendous run of marine animal deaths.

The dead bodies of 119 turtles have been found in Gladstone Harbour this year.

The figures will do nothing to ease the sense of frustration gripping the region’s coast-loving public.

The Observer has received a range of statistics on Gladstone’s marine animal deaths from the office of Environment Minister Vicky Darling.

Eight dugongs and five dolphins have also been found dead.

There is still no sign of a list containing specific information, such as locations and dates.

This is despite calls from Gladstone Region Mayor Gail Sellers for every autopsy result to be made public.

Perhaps what is most clear from reading the data, is the fact we still know nothing at all.

That is because, of the 119 turtles found dead, the cause of death was determined for only 24 of them.” Read more.

By Christopher Stolz – “Teresa Camara and her husband, Keith Flanagan, were walking on the Oxnard beach Thursday evening north of Fifth Street when they came across a grisly scene.

‘We were having a really good time. We were with our dog, the sun was setting and the weather was beautiful, and then we came up to the first dead dolphin,’ she said. ‘And then we found another one, and we looked up and we realized the beach was kind of scattered with dead dolphins.’

On Friday morning, volunteers from the Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute found four dead dolphins and four dead sea lions at a site not far from the power plant at Mandalay Beach.

‘They were all different sizes. Two of the dolphins were smaller and appeared to be younger,’ Camara said. ‘We didn’t understand what was going on, and we felt very sad for the dolphins.’

According to Tom McCormick, a marine biologist who has worked in biological assessment along the Ventura County coast for more than 20 years, the deaths probably are linked to a natural neurotoxin called domoic acid.

‘People are quick to point the finger at the power plant, but quite frankly the operators don’t add anything to the water they use except a little heat,’ McCormick said.” Read more.

“MURFREESBORO — City officials aren’t sure what caused a massive fish kill at the Gateway Island Reception Center pond Thursday morning.

‘Early Thursday morning,’ Murfreesboro Environmental Engineer Sam Huddleston said, city staff was notified of a fish kill at the Gateway Island Reception Center pond.

Parks and Recreation, Murfreesboro Water and Sewer and Engineering staff were sent to investigate.

‘When we arrived, an estimated 2,000 pounds of dead fish were discovered on the lower or western pond,’ Huddleston said.

Since then, some living fish have been discovered in the lower pond and no dead fish were found in the upper pond, he said.

‘As with most fish kills in closed pond systems,’ he said, ‘we suspected the culprit was an overnight transient water quality episode involving dissolved oxygen.’

‘Other contributing factors considered included temperature, chlorine content, and possible failure of pond water circulation equipment,’ he continued. ‘City staff and contractors checked and reset these systems on Thursday.'” Read more.

“A GIANT groper has died in the Burrum River, prompting speculation as to why fish are perishing in an apparently healthy waterway.

The stench of decaying fish hangs over sections of the river and stunned barramundi are reportedly being caught by hand as they swim aimlessly in the shallows.

Lifetime local Peter Pearson said he had never seen anything like it in his time living and fishing in the region.

After finding a dead Queensland estuary groper near his Pacific Haven property on Thursday, Mr Pearson said it was time something was done about the problem.

‘I would have seen 10 dead barra today,’ he said.

‘And that groper, they are hardy critters, it takes a fair bit to knock one of those around.’

After 49 years spent on and around the Burrum, Mr Pearson said the river had always been one of the cleanest in the region.

‘We used to test the water monthly, used to send it away for analysis and never found anything wrong with it,’ he said.

He also dismissed the theory that cold water was responsible for the string of recent fish deaths.

‘It’s not the water temperature; we’ve had colder winters than this and fish didn’t die, plus there were a lot more barra then.'” Read more.

“BOGALUSA, La. – Dead fish lined the banks of the Pearl River at Poole’s Bluff near Bogalusa Saturday. Tiny catfish gasped for breath at the surface. Other vital wildlife, including mussels, turtles, and eels, had washed ashore.

It’s something L.K. Jones has never seen here before.

‘The water’s black, black as paint, dead fish floating everywhere, it’s unreal,’ said Jones, who lives nearby.

Neighbors noticed a film over the river several days ago. Saturday morning, the dark, foamy water proved deadly.

‘I run three nets this morning, tuck ’em up, they had at least 200-250 pounds of dead fish per net, no live ones at all,’ said Freddy Lawrence, a longtime Washington Parish fisherman.

Now, multiple agencies from Louisiana and Mississippi are investigating. The source of the dark liquid appears to be a pipeline a few miles upriver. The water color, and quality, officials say, changes drastically downriver from the pipeline. And one can see the dark liquid bubbling up beneath the surface.

Officials say that pipeline belongs to Temple-Inland, an Austin-based company with a paper plant in Bogalusa. Officials say the company’s allowed to discharge a certain amount of the liquid into the river, but they’ve never seen the water so black.

‘I would suggest people stay off the water until we can find out what happened,’ said Sgt. Darryl Galloway, enforcement division of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.” Read more.

“ABOUT ten seal pups have been found dead on Northumberland beaches, but officials say there is no cause for alarm.

Concerned Hadston resident Janette Govia said she has noticed an unusually high number of dead baby seals as she walks her dog along the beach at Druridge Bay and Hadston Carrs.

And she fears something is going wrong for the marine life.

‘In the last few weeks I have observed a number of very young baby seals, all dead, about ten in all,’ she said.

‘I have lived here for seven years and have never seen so many. Of course, you see the odd seal washed up, but to see so many seems strange to me.'” Read more.

“BROKEN ARROW, Oklahoma — A News On 6 viewer became concerned Wednesday after shopping at a Broken Arrow Walmart Neighborhood Market when she said she saw hundreds of dead birds strewn across the parking lot.

‘I was grossed out at first, I was just like, wow,’ Amber Ross said.

Ross was shopping with her 6-month-old daughter at the 91st and Elm location. The stench hit her first.

‘It almost smelled like sewage,’ she said. ‘I had my daughter with me and I thought maybe it was her, at first, but it wasn’t.’

Ross’s giggle quickly ended when she started looking around.

‘I walked over towards Walmart and starting at the front of their door right there, walking all the ways toward the car, there’s just rows of dead birds,’ she said.

Ross shot video as she retraced her steps.

‘There were about 60-70 around each tree base, plus the ones starting up at the front of the store and going back along the sidewalk, so there were about 300 birds total,’ she said.” Read more.

By Chas Guidry – “Hundreds of dead fish spotted Tuesday in Bayou Black and Thibodaux died because of low-oxygen levels in the water, scientists said.

About 1,000 were discovered in Bayou Black, and an estimated 100 dead fish floated atop Bayou Lafourche in downtown Thibodaux, officials said.

‘There’s got to be something wrong with the bayou,’ said Mike Tardo, owner of Tardo Hair Designs, 601 W. Second St. in Thibodaux.

In Thibodaux, the dead fish were first reported to the Bayou Lafourche Fresh Water District Monday afternoon, Director Archie Chaisson said. More people called Tuesday.

In Bayou Black, reports came in about the same time, said Robert Breaux, environmental scientist with the state Department of Environmental Quality.” Read more.