This was reported by Ivan Rusev, an ecologist at the National Park "Tuzlovski Lymany".
Researchers claim that dolphins in the Black Sea are dying due to weakened immunity and water pollution. Ecologists emphasize that the primary cause of mammal deaths is injuries from sonar waves used by Russian military to locate underwater objects.
“Dolphins with compromised immune systems are notably affected when they suffer concussions from sonars, a phenomenon that was particularly prevalent in 2022 during the active phase of the war in the Northwestern part of the sea. After the Armed Forces of Ukraine pushed their military vessels back to occupied Sevastopol and then to Novorossiysk, dolphins continue to suffer there as military forces persist in using deadly sonars. As a result, the impact of sonars leads to lowered immunity and various diseases, including skin conditions,” notes Ivan Rusev.
According to estimates, over 80 thousand Black Sea cetaceans have died in the past three years due to sonar exposure, landmines, and bombings. Additionally, several thousand died from oil spills that occurred during tanker accidents in the Kerch Strait.