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Toxins taint Norway's whale meatWhale Beachings Linked to Mysterious Heart DefectDilated cardiomyopathy has been found in more than three-quarters of stranded dwarf and pygmy sperm whales beached so far in the Southeast this year and has been known as one cause of beaching since the 1980s. Already this year, 38 diseased whales have washed up on to Southeast US beaches. Killer whales in grave danger of extinction [but no designation as endangered species] Puget Sound's southern resident killer whales are going extinct faster than the Seahawks playoff hopes, but the government agency charged with protecting them has refused to do anything about it. So today conservationists are going to court to force the agency to comply with the law and protect the whales from extinction. Since 1996, the southern resident population has declined nearly 20 percent. Scientists have found that toxic pollution, habitat degradation and stresses from an increasing amount of vessel traffic are all implicated. Combine these threats with the ever-present risks of oil spills, boat collisions and diseases, and we may witness the extinction of the Pacific Northwest's most magnificent and charismatic species within the next century. 'This Is Another Smoking Gun' of Trauma Caused by Navy Sonar August 8, 2003 By Tracy Vedder SEATTLE - "This is very severe hemorrhaging." Ken Balcomb says new pictures of the brain of a harbor porpoise that died in Puget Sound last May are very telling. The pictures show signs of severe trauma. "This is another smoking gun for me that we've got a consistent trauma here," says whale researcher Balcomb. Balcomb says the evidence convinces him that Navy sonar killed the porpoises. Government scientists examined 11 porpoises that washed ashore. But they won't release any evidence until all the lab results are in. They tell KOMO 4 News that will take at least two more months. But Congress plans to decide next month whether to exempt the Navy from the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Balcomb says, "I'm concerned that the design of the whole investigation is intended to slow things down." The investigation should tell us if Navy sonar killed the 11 porpoises. The USS Shoup used sonar on a training exercise off San Juan Island. In a rare coincidence, whale researchers using underwater hydrophones, recorded the sound and its effect on killer whales. Within days, dead porpoises started washing up. Three months later, the National Marine Fisheries is still investigating. Navy Lt. Bill Couch says, "The Navy is very interested in the results, we are sensitive to the plight of marine mammals in Puget Sound so it's important to wait for those final results." National Marine Fisheries says its investigation into the porpoise deaths is completely separate from the congressional debate over marine mammal protection. But Balcomb believes the government should know what killed the porpoises before it decides whether to allow the Navy to ignore rules protecting marine mammals.
The Constellation Cetus Mythology and History
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