Mysterious whale deaths spur NOAA probe

© Erin Kreutz/Kodiak Daily Mirror/AP Photo A dead humpback whale lies on the beach at Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park in Kodiak, Alaska. on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008. Federal officials said Thursday they’ve launched a probe about the mysterious deaths of dozens of whales whose carcasses have washed up on Alaskan gulf shores over the last four months. 
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  (NOAA) called the recent deaths of 30 large whales in the region an “unusual mortality event” that’s triggered “a focused, expert investigation into the cause.”
  Since May, NOAA said 11 fin whales, 14 humpback whales, one gray whale and four unidentified cetaceans have been found stranded around the islands of the western Gulf of Alaska and the southern shoreline of the Alaska Peninsula.
  “While we do not yet know the cause of these strandings, our investigations will give us important information on the health of whales and the ecosystems where they live,” said Teri Rowles, coordinator of NOAA Fisheries's Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response program.
“Members of the public can greatly assist the investigation by immediately reporting any sightings of dead whales or distressed live animals they discover."
 
© Provided by The Hill Mysterious whale deaths spur NOAA probe Alaskan researchers say it’s rare for more than one such death to be discovered every year, The Washington Postreported in early June.
Some wondered whether warming ocean temperatures could be to blame.
  The Alaska News Dispatchreported in June that sea-surface temperatures in the Gulf of Alaska were running 0.9 to 3.6 degrees above average.
  NOAA said investigations into unusual mortality events often take months, sometimes years, of data collection and analysis, depending on the nature and duration of the event. The administration said it will publish information on its website as it becomes available.