Fishing News
Scientists Find Cause Of Dead Crabs, Fish Off Coast
NEWPORT, Ore. - An unusual combination of oceanic and atmospheric events may be to blame for a mysterious and sudden die-off of numerous crabs, fish and invertebrate animals off the central Oregon coast during the past two weeks.
Oregon State University researchers who are studying near-shore ecosystems say extremely low oxygen levels - especially in the lower water column - appear to be the culprit.
"Though we are just beginning to amass the evidence, it appears that there has been a confluence of events relating to coastal upwelling and wind patterns," said Jane Lubchenco, the Wayne and Gladys Valley Professor of Marine Biology at OSU. "There isn't any sign that this was the result of human activities. It appears to be a natural event, albeit an unusual one."
Scientists first began to suspect a problem in mid-July. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff members who were surveying the near-shore ocean off Cape Perpetua with a remotely operated vehicle were surprised to find no live fish swimming in an area that in previous years had been densely populated with rockfish. This time, they saw only dead sculpins and invertebrates on the ocean floor.
Calls to ODFW soon began coming in from crabbers, who were pulling up pots that were full of Dungeness crabs, other shellfish, octopus, other invertebrates and fish - and most of them were dead. Then small numbers of dead fish and other sea life began washing ashore near Seal Rock, between Newport and Waldport on the central Oregon coast.
"Some of the crabbers offered to set their pots in certain places and ways to help us learn more," said Dave Fox, marine habitat project leader with ODFW. "There has been a real cooperative effort between the crabbers and the scientists from OSU to help us determine what happened."
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