Bottlenose dolphin found dead on Avalon shore, sparks controversy over wind farms
Just over a week ago, three dead dolphins washed up at Sandy Hook Bay in northern New Jersey.
AVALON, New Jersey (WPVI) -- A bottlenose dolphin was found dead Monday evening near 50th Street in Avalon, New Jersey.
This incident is the latest in a string of marine life that's died at the Jersey shore this winter.
"He was a good weight. We really don't know why he washed in," said Sheila Dean, director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, New Jersey.
The center responded on Tuesday morning and removed the dolphin. So far, it's not clear what caused its death.
A necropsy, an autopsy performed on animals, will take place Wednesday. Experts said the results will come back in a few weeks.
However, officials with the Marine Mammal Stranding Center said that because of the recent warm weather, more bottlenose dolphins are hanging around.
"The whale watch boats tell us that the dolphins are here earlier this year than they've seen them before. Usually we'll see them in April," noted Dean.
Over a week ago, three dead dolphins washed up at Sandy Hook Bay in northern New Jersey. This surge in strandings of whales and dolphins has led many to question the development of wind farms off New Jersey's coast.
While no farms are under construction yet, the concern surrounds pre-construction activities like surveying using sonar.
Local activist groups and a few dozen New Jersey politicians have called for a stop to all off-shore wind development.
Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew has scheduled a public hearing for March 16 in southern New Jersey to discuss these concerns.
Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, has said he has no plans to stop the wind farm development.
The New Jersey League of Conservation Voters is most concerned about boat strikes. The nonpartisan organization focuses on how politics impact the environment.
"More and more marine mammals are in our waters because waters are warmer and there's more food, and with it we need to make adjustments and not go plowing through and killing them," said Ed Potosnak, the executive director of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that to date, there is no evidence linking whale deaths to off-shore wind. However, NOAA said it will continue to study the effects of boats and human activity.
