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During the heat wave in the Pacific Northwest, 1 billion seashore animals were cooked alive


A Canadian marine biologist recently estimated that in parts of British Columbia and Washington state alone, the recent Northwest heat wave may have killed more than 1 billion marine life. This undated file photo shows various shells on an unidentified beach.
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In the recent unprecedented heat wave in the Northwest, more than one billion marine animals living on the Pacific coast may have died.

Chris Harley, a marine biologist at the University of British Columbia, told the CBC on Monday that he was “shocked” by the stench of death and seeing tens of thousands of dead clams, snails, mussels and starfish on Vancouver beaches. . Late June. Halley said that more than one billion aquatic life may have died along the Salish Sea alone, which includes western British Columbia and parts of Washington State.

“In some ways, the mussels on the shore are like toddlers left in the car on a hot day,” Halle told the media. “They were trapped there until their parents came back, or in this case, the tide came back, they were powerless. They were at the mercy of the environment. On Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, in hot weather, it became too much. It’s hot, mussels, they can do nothing.

“Ultimately, we will not be able to maintain the number of these filter feeders on the coastline close to what we are used to,” Halle said. “If we don’t like it, then we need to work harder to reduce emissions and take other measures to reduce the impact of climate change.”

The true death toll may be much higher because the heat wave extends far beyond the Salish Sea. There are reports that “cooked” shellfish have been found on beaches in the area, and the low tide has helped to promote the massacre. Shellfish farm Hama Bay Oyster Company shared photos of cooked clams to social media on a clam bed on the Hood Canal in Washington last week.

“they [the clams] It looks like they have just been cooked, as if they can be eaten,” the company told Daily mail. “It’s too early to say [how many], We must wait for the next low tide. “

The harm to humans is also devastating. According to a paper published by an authority on Monday, the heat wave caused hundreds of deaths in the area. BMJ Medical journals. Experts predict that as the impact of climate change continues unabated, there may be more deadly heat waves in the future.

At the end of last month, the temperature in the Northwest Territories exceeded 100 degrees, and several cities in the region reached the highest temperature in history, including Portland, Oregon, which reached a record 116 degrees.

The highest temperatures in Oregon and Washington both reached 118 degrees, the same as the highest record in Washington State and 1 degree lower than the highest record in Oregon. Litton, British Columbia, recorded a high of 121 degrees-the hottest temperature in Canadian history.

Weekly newspaper Contact WWF for comments.



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