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Extreme Amazon Lake Heat Causes Mass Dolphin Mortality, Study Finds
(MENAFN) A groundbreaking study revealed that catastrophic heat and water scarcity transformed an Amazon lake into temperatures exceeding typical hot tub levels, resulting in mass dolphin mortality and highlighting the escalating impact of climate disruption on tropical environments.
Scientists, spearheaded by hydrologist Ayan Fleischmann of Brazil's Mamiraua Institute for Sustainable Development, documented that during September 2023, Lake Tefe's water temperatures skyrocketed to 105.8°F (41°C)—"hotter than most spa baths."
"You couldn't put your finger in the water," Fleischmann said, according to media.
He described the "psychological impact" of witnessing corpses of pink dolphins and tucuxis, both threatened species facing extinction risk.
The research, released Thursday in Science and covered by media, demonstrates that five out of 10 Amazon lakes examined recorded unprecedented daytime temperatures surpassing 37°C, with Lake Tefe's surface footprint contracting by 75%.
Computer simulations indicated that intense solar exposure, limited water depth, and minimal air circulation converged to capture thermal energy in the motionless waters.
Per WWF Brazil, 153 dolphins perished within a single seven-day span in September 2023.
"The climate emergency is here, there is no doubt about it," said Fleischmann, urging long-term lake monitoring and inclusion of Indigenous and riverine communities in climate adaptation efforts.
The investigation aligns with the launch of the UN COP30 climate conference in Brazil, emphasizing how elevated water temperatures are currently disrupting the Amazon's fragile ecological equilibrium.
"Rising river water temperatures can have significant and often detrimental implications for aquatic life," warned David Hannah of the University of Birmingham, a co-author of a related study.
Scientists, spearheaded by hydrologist Ayan Fleischmann of Brazil's Mamiraua Institute for Sustainable Development, documented that during September 2023, Lake Tefe's water temperatures skyrocketed to 105.8°F (41°C)—"hotter than most spa baths."
"You couldn't put your finger in the water," Fleischmann said, according to media.
He described the "psychological impact" of witnessing corpses of pink dolphins and tucuxis, both threatened species facing extinction risk.
The research, released Thursday in Science and covered by media, demonstrates that five out of 10 Amazon lakes examined recorded unprecedented daytime temperatures surpassing 37°C, with Lake Tefe's surface footprint contracting by 75%.
Computer simulations indicated that intense solar exposure, limited water depth, and minimal air circulation converged to capture thermal energy in the motionless waters.
Per WWF Brazil, 153 dolphins perished within a single seven-day span in September 2023.
"The climate emergency is here, there is no doubt about it," said Fleischmann, urging long-term lake monitoring and inclusion of Indigenous and riverine communities in climate adaptation efforts.
The investigation aligns with the launch of the UN COP30 climate conference in Brazil, emphasizing how elevated water temperatures are currently disrupting the Amazon's fragile ecological equilibrium.
"Rising river water temperatures can have significant and often detrimental implications for aquatic life," warned David Hannah of the University of Birmingham, a co-author of a related study.
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