Dolphin Deaths a Boon for Sharks?

By Tobey Curtis, Guest Blogger

It's been a tough year to be a dolphin. The Miami NFL football players aren’t the only dolphins making headlines lately. Over the last year there have been hundreds of mysterious dolphin deaths along the US Atlantic coast. By late summer, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had declared two “Unusual Mortality Events” for bottlenose dolphins, one in the Mid-Atlantic (New York to South Carolina), and one in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon. To date, nearly 800 dolphin deaths have been confirmed in the Mid-Atlantic region, and over 70 in the Indian River Lagoon.

Number of dolphin strandings by state for 2013 (red) and the 2007-2012 average (blue). Source: NOAA Fisheries Service

While investigations are still underway, possible culprits

Is the Kiddie Pool Safe? Pollution in Coastal Fish Nurseries Affects Offshore Populations

By Tobey Curtis

Do you take your young kids to a daycare or nursery?  These are places where we expect our children to be, at minimum, safe and nurtured.  Nurseries help ensure survival and growth to a well-adjusted adulthood.  It turns out that many ocean-going fish use the same strategy for their young.

It has long been recognized that numerous offshore fish, including important recreational and commercial species like bluefish, flounders, snappers, and sharks, are dependent on shallow coastal bays, lagoons, and estuaries as juveniles.  These shallow, protected waters offer habitats like seagrass beds, mangroves, or marshes that can shield young fish from predators and provide abundant food.  Then, as fish eventually outgrow their shallow nursery habitats, they transition to offshore areas where they mix with the adult population. 

Shallow fish nursery areas, like this mangrove habitat, provide food and protection for young fish.  Photo: Brian Skerry.

This is why it is so troubling to