Canada heatwave likely 'boiled' 100 crore marine animals to death, experts say

Experts estimate that more than 1 billion marine animals along Canada's Pacific coast died as a result of last week's record heatwave, demonstrating the vulnerability of ecosystems not used to harsh temperatures. The five-day "hot dome" that settled over western Canada and the northwestern United States raised temperatures along the coast to 40 degrees Celsius, shattering long-standing records and providing little relief for days.

Heatwave killed a billion marine species

The scorching heat is thought to have killed up to 500 people in British Columbia and contributed to the hundreds of wildfires that are presently raging across the province, it also had a negative impact on marine life. According to Christopher Harley, a marine researcher at the University of British Columbia, the unprecedented heat may have killed over a billion marine species.

He claimed a walk down a beach in the Vancouver region emphasised the extent of the heatwave's impact. Explaining the heat, he said that when we walk on the beach, it normally doesn't crunch. But there were so many empty mussel shells strewn about that we couldn't help but trip on dead animals as we walked around. The smell of rotting mussels hit Harley like a tonne of bricks, many of which had been cooked by the unusually warm water. In the shallow water, snails, sea stars, and clams were rotting. He described the encounter as "overwhelming and visceral."

While the temperature in Vancouver was more than 30 degrees Harley and a student used infrared cameras to capture temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius along the rocky shore.

Mass death of shellfish will impact the habitat for other species

Mussels are tough shellfish that can withstand temperatures in the high 30s. Barnacles are much tougher, surviving temperatures in the mid-40s for several hours. According to Harley, the mass extinction of shellfish would have a temporary impact on water quality because mussels and clams filter the sea, keeping it pure enough for sunlight to reach the eelgrass beds while also providing habitat for other species.

Experts have warned that the province must prepare for the fact that unexpected and prolonged heatwaves are likely to become more regular as a result of climate change. In the following week, another heatwave is forecast to hit the western United States and southwestern Canada, underscoring the dry summer heat's relentlessness.