The Department of Fisheries and Marine Sciences of the University of Ghana has voluntarily looked into the cause of hundreds of dolphins washed onto Ghana’s shores during the Easter weekend.
According to its preliminary findings, there was a sudden drop in sea surface temperature as observed from satellite imageries over the coast from Ivory Coast to Togo.
“This is most likely an indication of upwelled water from the bottom of the ocean, probably carrying low oxygen concentration,” the Department said in a press release on Sunday, April 11.
It admitted not having any data on what triggered the incidents.
On the reasons of stress of the marine mammals, the Department said: “Results from water quality analyses showed that most parameters required for life in the ocean were within acceptable limits, with the exception of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), which was significantly higher than expected.
“This oxygen demand would most likely create a condition of stress on living organisms that depend on dissolved oxygen in the water body.”
Between Friday, April 2 and Monday, April 5, hundreds of melon-headed whales were washed ashore at Osu in the Greater Accra Region and Axim-Bewire in the Western Region.
There was mad rush by residents for the “bounty” as some took them to the markets for sale.
The Director of Fisheries at the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mr Michael Arthur, has asked all persons who have consumed such fish to visit the hospital for medical checks.
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana
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