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Dolphins' deaths are investigated

Posted on Fri, Mar. 19, 2004

The Miami Herald

PANAMA CITY

PANAMA CITY - (AP) -- Officials are looking into the possibility that a naturally occurring biotoxin is the cause of death for nearly 50 dolphins found dead on Panhandle beaches, the National Marine Fisheries Service said Thursday.

The service launched a federal investigation into the deaths on Tuesday to determine why the carcasses began washing up March 10.

Laura Engleby, a biologist with the fisheries service, said no cause of death has been determined and experts were still analyzing evidence. Engleby acknowledged Thursday that biotoxins associated with red tide were a leading suspect in the dolphin kill.

''At this point we can't rule anything out,'' she said.

Red tide is a toxic algae bloom known to kill sea life. Test results returned Wednesday from samples of fish carcasses in the area showed evidence of red tide, Engleby said.

Water samples and samples taken from the dolphin carcasses should return more conclusive results within the next few days, she said.

Under normal circumstances, 10 to 20 dolphin carcasses wash up each year. Ron Hardy, co-owner of Gulf World marine park, is the on-site coordinator for the study.

He said seven carcasses turned up Wednesday -- five in the Cape San Blas area, one in Mexico Beach and one in St. Joe Beach.

The group will continue to collect samples from the animals and plans to fly over and scan local waters in search of more carcasses.

In 1999 and 2000, more than 100 dolphins died in the same area, and their deaths were blamed on red tide, Engleby said.