A new study examined a mass-mortality event involving rare pink dolphins in Amazon rivers and lakes, The Guardian reported, pinpointing why hundreds of the creatures died off in a relatively brief timeframe.
What's happening?
Over the course of six weeks in late 2023, a "massive, unprecedented mortality" event occurred in Brazil's Lake Tefé.
In total, 209 deceased river dolphins washed ashore "by the dozens." Lead study author Ayan Fleischmann described the unprecedented incident as "completely surreal and really scary."
Fleischmann co-authored a study, published on Nov. 6 in the journal Science, that got to the bottom of what caused the catastrophic die-off. As researchers suspected, overheated waters in the pink river dolphins' freshwater habitats were the primary culprit.
Researchers identified a strong pattern of incremental warming over the preceding three decades.
While Lake Tefé's waters can reach 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) in the "hottest months," in 2024, the water reached 41 C (105.8 F) — hotter than the safest high temperature for a hot tub, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
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"We couldn't even put our fingers in the water. It was really hot, not just in the top bit, but right down to the bottom," Fleischmann recalled.
"You put your finger in and remove it instantaneously; it's unbearable," he said.
Why is this important?
"A 10 C [50 F] increase in water temperature is unparalleled," said behavioral ecology expert Adrian Barnett, who did not contribute to the study directly.
"The volume of energy needed to achieve this in such huge volumes of water is jaw-dropping," he added.
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Highs in the 80s or below 😎 River dolphins are far rarer than their saltwater-dwelling counterparts, and according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), they and their habitats are vanishing quickly.
As an indicator species, river dolphins are critical sentinels of biodiversity and local ecosystem health, the WWF explained. When their populations dwindle, it's a "red flag" for the environment.
Currently, there are between 6 and 7 species of river dolphins on Earth, and all are endangered or critically endangered. In addition to rising temperatures on land and sea, during the period of high river dolphin mortality in 2023, Lake Tefé lost 75% of its surface area due to drought.
Moreover, scientists recently determined that the Amazon's pink river dolphins are suffering from mercury poisoning at extremely high rates, with mercury levels 20 to 30 times the safe "maximum [for] any living being."
What's being done about it?
According to Barnett, unsurvivably high river water temperatures were difficult to address with local action alone.
"Something that's happening at such a huge scale really requires a systems approach and that means attacking the root cause of the problem, which is fossil fuel emissions," he told The Guardian.
Individuals can help by staying informed about key climate issues and donating to organizations that support river dolphins.
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