NOAA launches investigation of stranded dolphins

The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration has launched a special investigation into the unusually high number of dead dolphins that have washed up on Southeast Texas beaches this year, the AP reports.

We talked last week about the dolphin problem: As of last Tuesday, 35 bottlenose dolphins had washed up on Galveston County beaches since January, 26 of them in March. Overall, at least 60 dolphins have been found beached in Galveston and Jefferson counties this month — something the NOAA's National Marine Fisheries called an "unusual mortality event." (It's especially unusual compared to the numbers from the last couple of years: Nine dead dolphins were found last March, and 11 were found in March 2005.) No one's sure yet why the dolphins are dying, but the NOAA will conduct tests of the animals' DNA to determine whether they came from groups that live far offshore. Tests will also be run for the presence of viruses and toxins. "We don't want to rule anything out," Blair Mase, a marine mammal stranding coordinator for NOAA, said.

If you're interested in learning how to rescue stranded dolphins, the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network has scheduled classes for this Saturday. The classes will begin every half-hour between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at 53rd and Seawall in Galveston; for more information, call 409.942.7034.