Over 3,000 dolphins in Black Sea found dead as result of Russian war in Ukraine

The brutal Russian war against Ukraine has not only devastated human lives but the environment as well. From an increase in pollution to the death of marine life, the impact of war can be seen almost everywhere in east Europe. At the latest, scientists have recorded the deaths of at least 3,000 dolphins in the Black Sea. The number recorded since February 24 is believed to be a result of the all-out Russian invasion.

According to ecologist Ivan Rusev, who is studying marine life in the Black Sea, "several thousands" of burnt and wounded dolphins washed up to get shores of the Black Sea in Bulgaria, Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, and Georgia, Romania, and Moldova. Marine experts at Ukraine's Tuzlovsky Lymans put a number to the deaths on Friday, stressing the adverse ecological effects of the ongoing war. The dolphins floating on the Black Sea coasts showed vivid burn marks from bombs or water mines. While climate change and oil spills remain major factors in contributing to the death of marine life, Rusev in his latest analysis suggested that number has been alleviated by prolonged starving due to unavailability of food along the shores.

Why are the dolphins dying?

On his Facebook page, Rusev shared images of the dolphins collected by his team from across Europe. The innocent fishes in the pictures had fresh war-related wounds on their backs and fins, including scrapped skin, severed tails and gauged eyes. Some also suffered from internal injuries, the ecologist, who is recording the effects for over 120 days now, added. He also shared images of carcasses of dolphins that washed up to the shores weeks ago.

Speaking about the cause of mass death of the marine animals, powerful SONAR ranging from the Russian fleet stationed on the Ukrainian Black Sea coast, explosions have caused the "murder" of the "voiceless animals," Rusev wrote in a Twitter post. The power navigation systems of the naval vessels hinder those of the fishes and leave them "blind." Mass death of fishes not only disrupts marine biology but also pollutes water with infections spread from the decaying animals.

Impact of war on biodiversity

The war has nearly pinched every sphere of the ecosystem. Researchers quoted by the Guardian indicated a considerable increase in noise pollution since the invasion. The Turkish Marine Research Foundation has dubbed the time a "crisis in biodiversity," after they recorded significant destruction of endangered red algae due to bombings in the sea and spills from sinking warships.

Due to increased shelling near lagoons, Ukraine has also recorded a notable drop in the number of migratory birds like Dalmatian pelicans and avocets. The usual 1,000 to 1,500 has lowered to 300, Rusev noted. "They are very disturbed by the bombings," Rusev wrote in a Facebook post.

(Image: Unsplash/AP)