An increase in the number of dead dolphins in the Black Sea may have been caused by the war in Ukraine, according to some scientists.
They believe that the noise pollution in the north of the Black Sea, caused by about 20 Russian naval vessels and ongoing military activities, may have led the deflines south to the Turkish and Bulgarian coasts, where they were stranded or caught by nets. of fishing.
Since the start of the war, Turkey has recorded an increase in dolphins stranded in nets along its Black Sea coast. More than 80 dolphins were found dead across the Black Sea in the west of the country.
Investigations by the Turkish Maritime Research Foundation (Tudav) found that half of the dead dolphins were caused by fishing nets, while for others it is still an unanswered question.
"Acoustic trauma is one of the possibilities that comes to mind," said Dr. Bayram Ozturk for the Guardian. "We have no evidence of what can cause low-frequency sonar * in the Black Sea because we have never seen so many ships and so much noise for so long - and science always requires evidence."
Sonar * - (from "sound navigation ranging") a technique for detecting and determining the distance and direction of underwater objects by acoustic means.
"Permanent underwater noise may not directly harm the animals, but it can still disturb and seriously harm them," Dr told the Guardian. Pavel Gol'din, a researcher at the National Academy of Sciences in Ukraine. Dolphins and other species can head to unfamiliar territories in an effort to avoid noise. "It could be the cause of the massive migration of fish to the south," he said.
Scientists say their investigations are hampered by the fact that there are no protocols to protect marine species during the war.
