Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Life
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion
  • Science
  • Religion
  • History
  • Feature
  • Expat Corner

Blooming algae causes massive loss of sea life off Russia's Kamchatka, scientists say

by French Press Agency - AFP

MOSCOW Oct 23, 2020 - 5:29 pm GMT+3
Dead sea life washes up on shore due to unexplained water pollution in the Kamchatka region, Russia, Oct. 8, 2020. (Reuters Photo)
Dead sea life washes up on shore due to unexplained water pollution in the Kamchatka region, Russia, Oct. 8, 2020. (Reuters Photo)
by French Press Agency - AFP Oct 23, 2020 5:29 pm
RECOMMENDED
Janus, the Geneva Museum of Natural History's two-headed Greek tortoise, enjoys some lettuce on his 25th birthday, Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 3, 2022. (AFP Photo)

2-headed tortoise Janus celebrates 25th birthday

ENVIRONMENT

Blooming algae was behind recent mass deaths of sea animals that saw octopuses and seals wash up on the shore off a Russian peninsula, scientists said on Friday in the final conclusion to their probe.

Locals in Kamchatka, a volcanic peninsula in Russia's far east, raised the alarm in September after the animals were found dead and surfers complained of stinging eyes.

Scientists later said that up to 95% of marine life living along the seabed in the affected area had died.

Environmental campaigners said they were conducting their own inquiries and were not yet able to confirm the official probe's findings.

Andrei Andrianov, vice president of Russia's Academy of Sciences, announced the probe's conclusions on Friday, saying the mass death was due to the effects of toxins from single-cell algae.

Speaking at the same meeting, Svetlana Radionova of environmental watchdog Rosprirodnadzor said her agency conducted over 5,000 tests. She said the agency did not see a way the situation could have been caused by humans.

In a separate criminal probe, investigators announced they had eliminated oil spills and toxic waste as possible causes. They added that the previously reported high levels of phenol and petroleum products were "not critical" and had been observed in the bay for decades.

Environment Minister Dmitry Kobylkin said the situation in Kamchatka was improving.

But Russia's branch of Greenpeace said they would not rule out any theories until they received the final results of their own probes.

Greenpeace's Yelena Sakirko told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that human factors could have affected the algae – for example, if sewage or phosphates from washing powder and fertilizer leaked into the water. Sakirko also said scientists were concerned that the incident could affect the food chains in the region, causing long-term damage to wildlife.

The World Wildlife Fund said its experts were likewise unable to make any conclusions yet.

"Unfortunately, public data available today does not fully prove any version of the ecological crisis off the coast of Kamchatka," it said.

Russia has been hit by a string of environmental disasters this year. Just weeks after the Kamchatka incident, an oil spill covering 35,000 square meters (376,736 square feet) was reported in the waters of the port city of Nakhodka in Russia's far east.

The most devastating incident took place in May when some 20,000 tons of diesel leaked from a fuel tank into nearby rivers in the Siberian Arctic.

RECOMMENDED
Janus, the Geneva Museum of Natural History's two-headed Greek tortoise, enjoys some lettuce on his 25th birthday, Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 3, 2022. (AFP Photo)

2-headed tortoise Janus celebrates 25th birthday

ENVIRONMENT
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Oct 25, 2020 9:08 am
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    environment kamchatka russia marine life algae
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    Brazil's Dani Alves in action during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Brazil and South Korea at Stadium 974, Doha, Qatar, Dec. 5, 2022. (Getty Images Photo)

    Dani Alves remains in jail as new rape case's harrowing details unfold

    DANI-ALVES
    Through ground-penetrating radar scans conducted underneath Zerzevan Castle in Diyarbakır, massive structures belonging to Rome's 3,000-year-old garrison were detected, Diyarbakır, Türkiye, June 5, 2023. (IHA Photo)

    Ancient Roman garrison unearthed at Zerzevan Castle in Türkiye

    ZERZEVAN-CASTLE

    Turkish exporters hope to clinch record of over $267B in annual sales

    foreign-trade

    Hakan Fidan: The chief diplomat of Türkiye

    HAKAN-FIDAN
    A man carries rocks after a storm hit the village of Assos.
    Rare Mediterranean storm hits Greece's Ionian islands
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021