MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

“EXPERTS on the Great Barrier Reef are calling for increased efforts to protect dugongs and green turtles.

The campaign by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority was launched yesterday as news emerged of another dead turtle found at Tannum Sands on the weekend.

GBRMPA is stepping up its efforts to promote smart boating and fishing practices to protect the animals, as record numbers of deaths are being recorded along the coast.

‘The evidence is pretty strong that it’s a loss of seagrass and loss of condition (that is the main factor in the deaths),’ GBRMPA chairman Dr Russell Reichelt said.

‘Essentially these animals are actually staving.’

Dr Reichelt said the extreme pressures being put on the species by low seagrass levels made it more important than ever for boaters and fishers to take extra care.” Read more.

“U.S. authorities are investigating what could be killing hundreds of fish and other marine animals – including sharks and manatees – which in recent days have been washing up on beaches in southwestern Florida.

‘High temperatures and cloudy, rainy days can spell trouble for fish in Florida’s marine and freshwater habitats. These conditions can cause fish kills, which are natural occurrences that typically do not cause permanent damage to the ecosystem or to fish populations,’ the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

Even so, the FWC asked in a news release for cooperation from the public in monitoring the deaths of the marine life and determining if the phenomenon is spreading to natural lakes and estuaries in the area ‘to see if there are problems developing in an ecosystem that might require investigation or restorative measures.’

The bodies of the dead animals – which include eels, crabs, rays, trout, tortoises and various kinds of tropical fish – have been turning up in recent days on several Florida beaches, among them the one at Naples, which is considered to be among the most beautiful in the United States with 16 kilometers (10 miles) of sand and crystalline waters close to shore.” Read more.

Dead fish wash ashore in SW Florida – “NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Authorities don’t know what’s causing fish to wash ashore along a stretch of beaches in southwest Florida. But Collier County pollution control monitor Rhonda Watkins says she sent water samples and samples of a variety of dead fish to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission labs in St. Petersburg on Monday. But many suspect a dead zone in the Gulf waters caused the fish to die.” Read more.

Gulf of Mexico ‘Dead Zone’ May Triple in Size, Could Become the ‘Largest Ever Recorded’ – “Researchers measuring the ‘dead zone’ in the Gulf of Mexico say it is currently about 3,300 square miles but some scientists say it could become much larger… Some researchers predict the dead zone could exceed 9,400 square miles this year, which would make it one of the largest ever recorded.” Read more.

“Queensland’s Department of Environment and Resource Management says it cannot explain why large schools of fish are dying in a Cape York river.

The department says it received reports of about 1,000 dead fish floating in parts of the Normanby River, at the Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park, last week.

Most of the dead fish were barramundi and jewfish.

The department has been testing the river’s water quality but says acidity, salinity and dissolved oxygen levels are all normal, and there is no evidence of contamination.

A spokesman says fish deaths can occur naturally in water courses with rapid changes to water temperature.” Read more.

“DECATUR — Several thousand fish have died just below the dam between Lake Decatur and the Sangamon River and most appear to be a variety that local officials hope will never make it into the lake — Asian carp.

The Herald & Review newspaper in Decatur reports that the city said Tuesday that it’s consulting with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on possible ways to keep the invasive fish from damaging sport-fish populations in the lake. No one is sure why the fish have died.

Asian carp have long been in the Sangamon River but have never been seen so close to the lake.” Read more.

By Jalah Gray – “MARSHALL COUNTY, OK – Large numbers of dead fish continue to show up in waters all over Oklahoma. Today we talked with local fishermen in Marshall County about what they’ve been experiencing.

‘I don’t know whether they run out of oxygen or what it is they ought to be able to test the water and find out.’ said Jack Campbell.

Jack Campbell has been fishing Wilson Creek all his life.

He says 3 weeks ago, small fish started dying and now large fish, many more than 40 and 50 pounds are dying as well.

Out here at Wilson Creek in Marshall County you can see literally thousands of dead fish lining the shore line. People have been coming all day and taking pictures, but they don’t hang around very long because the smell is unbearable.

Marshall County residents wonder if the dead fish in their area could somehow be connected to those in the Red River, but state biologist Matt Mauck says he doesn’t think so.” Read more.

By Greg Layson – “GUELPH — The Township of Guelph-Eramosa immediately cordoned off the lake at Marden Park after dead fish began washing ashore Monday.

By Wednesday morning, hundreds of flies were dining on dozens of dead, blanched fish floating on their sides in the shallow shoreline. At least one dead bird was found rotting near the water.

Guelph-Eramosa chief administrative officer Janice Sheppard said a fisherman called the township Monday after he noticed the dead fish. She called the closure a precaution.

Snow fence now lines the perimeter of the lake. Signs warn people of a ‘public health concern’ and also read ‘Do not use the lake for: Swimming, drinking and do not eat the fish.'” Read more.