Hurricanes in America have affected dolphins in an unexpected way

According to scientists, hurricanes “Harvey”, “Irma” and “Jose” could augment the population of bottlenose dolphins.

The hurricanes that hit the US and Caribbean in August and September of 2017, caused huge material damages and claimed the lives of hundreds of people. However, scientists have found in this tragedy of a tiny positive probability of increase in the number of bottlenose dolphins.

This conclusion is based on data collected after hurricane Katrina in 2005. Then the zoologists found that after about two years the dolphins had a baby boom, and the reason was the storm.

First, hurricanes are destroying the cubs. Dolphins give birth to offspring every few years, but if the baby dies, the mother may give birth again in the next season. That is, all the females whose children were killed this year, give birth around the same time.

Second, the rapid reproduction of bottlenose dolphins may contribute to the destruction of fishing vessels, which usually are competing with dolphins for fish. Survivors will have enough food to grow new offspring. So it was after hurricane Katrina, which halved fisheries Mississippi.

Biologists first discovered the link between hurricanes and populations of dolphins in 2007, two years after Katrina. They watched the mammals of the Gulf of Mexico and noticed “a dramatic increase in the number of dolphins.”

Since environmental organizations have not followed the populations of dolphins due to their wide distribution. But the new storms forced them to resume observation. At this point in the Gulf of Mexico and off the East coast of North America is home to around 180 000 individuals.

paradox