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The intense heat bakes hundreds of thousands of mussels in their New Zealand habitat

2020-02-26T18:09:24.468Z


The extraordinary episodes of high temperatures suffered by the north of the archipelago have led to the death of mollusks


The change in the weather has claimed a new victim. The extraordinary heat wave that New Zealand has suffered this southern summer has killed hundreds of thousands of mussels. The number, experts believe, will not stop growing, according to The Guardian newspaper .

The massive death of these bivalve mollusks, which occurred on the North Island North Island, derives from an "unprecedented period of warm temperatures" which, added to the low tide of noon, exposed the mollusks to heat, explains Andrew Jeffs, marine scientist at the Auckland University The mussels "have been cooked," says the researcher literally.

Mortality, experts say, will not stay here. And little can be done to protect the mussel populations off the coast. Covering them with a fabric that provides shade is not feasible, according to Jeffs. Researchers have been observing how climate change damages these marine animals for a decade, but now the process seems to accelerate. "I think we're going to see entire communities of sea creatures change."

The Northland region, where mass death of mollusks has occurred, is suffering from a severe drought. The rain has not soaked the earth for at least 40 days and the lack of water is also causing the death of numerous kiwis, the small birds without emblematic wings of New Zealand. "Only the hardest species of animals and plants will survive" in the tidal areas of northern New Zealand, the researcher said.

The Ministry of Primary Industries of the country has opened an investigation to determine the causes of the great mortality, and has urged the population not to take or eat the affected mollusks. Meanwhile, the smell of rot spreads throughout the area.

Source: elparis

All news articles on 2020-02-26

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