Reports of unexplained mass deaths of birds and sea life began to appear frequently in the news ( hydrobionts). Maps compiled by enthusiasts even appeared on the Internet.
The following are most often suggested in the press as possible causes of bird death:
1. "Fireworks." Unlikely in itself has never led to mass deaths in the past.
2. "Blunt trauma". From the same series, where was it seen that several hundred birds rushed at cars, and at the same time in different countries? Obviously, the injuries were caused by falling and hitting the ground, possibly while unconscious, or during the death throes, and there is evidence that the birds were thrashing about before dying, randomly hitting trees and houses.
3. “Poisoning due to human pollution environment" and "Viral infection." It is also doubtful that poisoning or illness would lead to the unexpected death in flight of the entire flock at the same time. In this case, the birds, feeling unwell, most likely would not fly into the sky, but would die on the ground.
4. "It's always been like this". Allegedly due to the appearance of a large number of cameras in people’s phones, etc. More such information began to appear on the Internet. As evidence, a link is provided to a website monitoring such cases in the United States with statistics of 100 cases over the past 8 months. Here we are openly being led by the nose. This move was made with the inattentive reader in mind, since:
The number of these reports began to increase precisely in 2010, which, for other disasters, set too many records for one year;
100 cases in 8 months is 13 cases per month, and here we have 16 cases in the United States per week, which is 5 times more;
In the statistics presented, in almost all cases the cause of death was established (usually disease), and the death of animals occurred gradually, over a week or more, and we are talking about a massive, instantaneous death, the cause of which could not be established.
So, due to the fact that, in our opinion, none of the listed reasons stands up to criticism, visitors to the “Eye of the Planet” portal conducted an independent investigation possible reasons, the results of which we want to introduce you to.
Death of inhabitants water depths
Boris Kapochkin: “Regarding the death of fish, I was an expert and have several publications. The death of aquatic organisms (massive) usually occurs in the phase of intense extension, which in the compression phase is certainly accompanied by earthquakes somewhere. In this case, unusual earthquakes are also occurring in Arkansas.Typically, mass death of fish, the so-called “kills”, occurs as a result of the release from the lithosphere of reactive fluids in a reduced form (hydrogen sulfide, ammonia...), which leads to the chemical consumption of oxygen dissolved in water (lakes, seas, less often rivers).
I observed this phenomenon on east coast Kamchatka Peninsula during salmon spawning in 1992 and 1993. During these years, due to the described processes, the concentration of dissolved oxygen in Avacha Bay dropped below 2 ml/l, as a result of which salmon did not enter the rivers to spawn.
In 1995 and 1996, synchronous fish deaths were recorded in the Danube and Dniester basins. An interesting case is the mass death of fish in lakes Yalpug and Kurulgui (Danube region). A thousand tons of fish died, and only one species, “Grass Carp” - an artificial invader. The presence of hydrogen sulfide and, accordingly, a deficiency of oxygen were detected in the waters of the lakes. Insufficient oxygen concentrations have proven to be detrimental to one species and insufficient to another.
By the way, the name El Niño initially meant only the mass death of anchovies off the coast of Peru and Chile as a result of the release of hydrogen sulfide from the earth’s crust. Similar conditions are formed on the shelf of Namibia and in other areas (described in the monograph V.I. Mikhailov, A.B. Kapochkina, B.B. Kapochkin “Interaction in the lithosphere-hydrosphere system” 2010).
The release of hydrogen sulfide and other toxic gases is often associated with the death of animals and birds in areas such as the “Valley of Geysers in Kamchatka”; there was a case of the death of an expedition of schoolchildren in the Sea of Azov (three yachts), after which fish surfaced (mud volcanism).”
Death of birds
An increase in the death of birds and inhabitants of the deep waters occurs in the same areas, at the same time, so the cause must be common. We do not have a reliable source of information about the connection between degassing and bird death. But there is a sufficient number of facts indicating that this is possible.
The very process of point emission of gases from the earth’s crust, as well as its transport to the upper atmosphere, is described in the work “Ecological aspects of degassing of the Earth” Syvorotkina V. L. which states:
«… Gas emissions from depths of the sea can acquire a catastrophic character, and are often mistaken for underwater volcanic eruptions... The study showed that hydrogen, released at the Earth's surface from a point source, can reach the stratosphere, maintaining concentrations different from the background. ...But real releases of deep gases in nature can occur differently, for example, in the form spontaneous releases of large volumes of gas in a short period of time on extended sections of fault structures. With such release from the depths, the dynamics of gas rise both in the water column and in the atmosphere will be different - rising of a gas bubble. This transport mechanism is many times more efficient…»
News reports about mass bird deaths often include:
1. The birds flew like crazy, crashing into various obstacles
2. Many were found to have injuries from blows and internal bleeding
In every special case the composition of the gas bubble may differ, which is perhaps why the death of birds is not always of an absolutely identical nature. For example, let’s take the symptoms of natural gas poisoning, the main component of which is methane (otherwise known as mine gas or swamp gas), a colorless and odorless gas, lighter than air.
« Pathogenesis . Methane reduces the partial pressure of oxygen in the air, displacing it, which causes the development of hypoxic hypoxia, and in high concentrations it has a weak narcotic effect. Mine gas contains methane homologues as impurities - ethane, propane, butane (their content reaches 25-30 vol%), which enhance the narcotic effect of methane and give the gas toxic properties. The main pathogenetic mechanisms for methane intoxication should be considered: hypoxic hypoxia with developing hypocapnia, metabolic acidosis with intoxication deepened by the narcotic effect of methane, increasing cerebral edema, a state of stress with a disorder of neurohumoral regulation.
Impact of saturated methane hydrocarbons in gas mixture, which does not contain oxygen, leads to the development of acute hypoxia with hypocapnia. This is accompanied by rapid loss of consciousness (at 5-6 inhalations), collapse, cessation of breathing (at 4-6 minutes) and subsequent cessation of cardiac activity»
Signs of death due to suffocation:
“During internal examination, a number of signs are visible acute death: dark liquid blood in area hearts, hemorrhages mucous membranes of the respiratory tract"
So, You and I have every reason to believe that in nature it is possible to form a gas jet, when entering it birds will experience symptoms of poisoning or suffocation, loss of orientation, drug intoxication and death either as a result of the poisoning itself or as a result of a fall. Which is most consistent with the cases described in the press.
Another reason for the death of birds cannot be ruled out:
Boris Kapochkin: "Iwould suggest the death of birds as a result of the formation of a local zone of cold air descending from higher layers of the atmosphere as a result of the formation local anomaly gravitational field . This should have been reflected in the data of hydrometeorological measurements in the area of death. The theoretical possibility of such movements was proven by Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. P.V. Rutkevich (IKI RAS), but in practice we confirmed and even patented such technology"Mmonitoring of rapid changes in the Earth's gravitational field" (described in the monograph Gladkikh I.I., Kapochkin B.B., Kucherenko N.V., Lisovodsky V.V. "Formation weather conditions in maritime and coastal areas" 2006).
This version is indirectly confirmed by the universally observed change in the normal circulation of atmospheric flows, manifested in weather anomalies such as “ice rains”, sharp temperature changes over a short period of time, increased precipitation intensity, etc.
This does not change the essence of the issue - this version also indicates to us the intensification of anomalous processes in earth's crust. This will be discussed further.
Death of animals and sinkholes
Not so long ago, a new disaster befell people and immediately became widespread - these are failures that indicate an unprecedented revival in the mobility of the earth's crust.
Boris Kapochkin: “There is only one problem with sinkholes, why didn’t this happen before? The first failure in Guatemala on February 23, 2007 was like a revelation. For the first time!!! By the way, it arose almost during an earthquake and almost at the epicenter (described in the monograph (Voitenko S.P. ., Uchitel I.L., Yaroshenko V.N., Kapochkin B.B. Geodynamics. Fundamentals of kinematic geodesy, 2007." Now such failures are occurring systematically and everywhere."
If you look at the statistics of failures for Last year then it is impossible not to notice that the United States in terms of failures, the number of which increased catastrophically in 2010 around the world, is in second place after the Philippines. And if you look at the statistics by city, cities from the USA occupy almost the entire top ten in this ranking:
Google statistics for the query "sinkhole"
Cities:
1. Tampa, Florida, USA
2. Makati, Philippines
3. Orlando, Florida, USA
4. Austin, Texas, USA
5. Houston, Texas, USA
6. Atlanta, Georgia, USA
7. San Diego, California, USA
8. Richardson, Texas, USA
9. Los Angeles, California, USA
10. St. Louis, Missouri, USA
California is located above the New Madrid fault, the possibility of its split has already been played out in one of the disaster films. Cases of mass bird deaths have also been recorded there. But special attention should be paid to Florida, Georgia, Missouri and Texas - this is precisely the area that is currently experiencing the largest number of mass deaths. This is not surprising - these places are rich in oil and gas deposits, with several hundred gas wells operating in the state of Arkansas alone.
It is worth mentioning separately the accident on the oil production platform of the BP company that occurred in Gulf of Mexico in the spring of 2010. The consequences and details of this disaster are carefully hidden, as is the real cause of the death of the birds. Several important points are known:
1. the platform was drilling at the junction of tectonic plates;
2. the accident occurred due to the fact that the bottom valves, designed for repeated overloads, could not withstand the pressure;
3. oil oozed not only from the well, but also from cracks in seabed, some of which are located 11 km from the accident site.
From this we can conclude that the accident on the BP platform occurred due to a catastrophic increase in pressure in the well as a result sprains* earth's crust. Why is this information hidden, as well as real reasons the death of animals, we believe, the reader will be able to guess for himself.
* Boris Kapochkin:
« There is a type of geodeformation in which, during compression of a block, its surface experiences a cylindrical bend, and the surface area increases - cracks open, the crust becomes permeable to lithospheric oil and gas products."
Degassing and seismic activity
Quote from Western media, about the increase in earthquakes in Arkansas and their connection with the death of animals (however, the authors of the article blame gas companies for everything):
"...The number of earthquakes that have shaken Guy, Arkansas, has increased from about 179 earthquakes per year to more than 600 in 2010, according to AGS. About 500 of them occurred in the last four months. During the same period in 2009, only 38 were recorded tremors. Theoretically, it is possible that there is a correlation between the surge of earthquakes and the New Year's rain of dead birds and the massive death of fish in the Arkansas River..."
Let's return once again to the work of V. L. Syvorotkin:
“Seismicity and degassing.
Important results were obtained during the Dagestan earthquake on May 14, 1970. It was found that during earthquakes, gas-hydrodynamic excitation covers areas of tens and a few hundred thousand square kilometers, and the content of the main gas of interest to us - hydrogen - can increase in this case by 5-6 orders of magnitude.
As a result of long-term monitoring, 2 types of helium behavior in connection with seismic events were identified. The first (test site in the Pamirs) is characterized by a sharp decrease in helium concentration after a seismic event. The second (Armenia) has the opposite picture, i.e. a sharp positive jump in this concentration. Both types, however, are characterized by a noticeable increase in helium concentration before the seismic event, and in the first type, this increase is more significant and occurs on average 12 days, and in the second type, the increase is less strong, but is observed several months before the earthquake.”
Degassing and climate change
Looking at the map, you cannot help but agree that almost all cases of mysterious deaths of animals are located in places where Lately severe weather disasters are observed. Judge for yourself: USA, Japan, England, Europe (unprecedented snowfalls); Brazil, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines (rains and floods).
Let's turn again to the work “Ecological Aspects of Earth Degassing”, the essence of which generally boils down to the fact that human factor is not able to cause such global climate changes, but the Earth itself is capable of this:
« Chapter 14. Natural disasters over degassing zones associated with the destruction of the ozone layer.
The ozone layer and abnormal weather. Always after a drop in pressure above the degassing center, air masses will shift towards it from high pressure- anticyclones.
If the anticyclone is initially located south of the degassing center, then abnormally warm air masses will rush there and warm, dry weather will set in. If the anticyclone initially stands north of the center of degassing, air masses that are abnormally cold for a given latitude and time of year will begin to move here, of course, if this happens in the Northern Hemisphere.
It is also possible that the area low blood pressure Anticyclones will rush in from both the north and the south. This will cause a collision air masses with sharply different temperatures and, as a consequence, to the sudden emergence of hurricane gusts of wind like the one that hit Moscow in the summer of 1998.
Such sudden movements of air masses are not described or predicted by modern meteorological models..."
So much for the reasons for global warming/climate change that the media feeds us with. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Those who are interested in this problem are advised to study this work in full - in it you will find a considerable number of interesting facts.
Unusual radar readings
Why are gas emissions not regularly visible on radar if they occur everywhere? The fact is that radars detect reflections, but gases do not form them and, as a rule, remain invisible to radars. In order to be noticeable to radar, it must be a gas either at the appropriate temperature causing condensation, or containing water, or the reaction of hydrogen with atmospheric oxygen, in which case vacuumization and condensation of water vapor is formed. Vacuumization itself, theoretically, can cause the rapid, immediate death of a flock of birds with similar symptoms.
What happens when a body enters a vacuum:“Unlike many science fiction films, the body will not explode.After 15 seconds, loss of consciousness will occur. If you try to hold your breath, you can potentially survive, but you risk lung injury. If you don't hold your breath, you'll pass out faster and avoid damage to your lungs. The pressure in your veins will increase until your heart can no longer pump blood, at which point you will die.”
It is clear that in the atmosphere a complete continuous vacuum is not possible; vacuumization will be immediately followed by collapse, this is what we hear like thunder after a lightning strike. But both of these together can only accelerate the death of a flying flock of birds and add inexplicable symptoms. There is evidence that before the birds fell, a rumble and blows were heard; this could be either the collapse of air or sounds made by the earth's crust. Reports of unexplained sounds (humming, rumbling) have also been appearing frequently in the news lately.
Strange clouds
07/01/2011 South Carolina, USA
“I've lived by the sea for years, but I've never seen anything like this,” reports Wesley Tyler, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. “On Friday, January 7, there were three holes in the clouds as if from an impact”
It is logical to assume that these formations in the clouds are traces of gas jets that partially cooled and dissipated after contact with the cloud front, and partially leaked through into higher layers of the atmosphere. In each individual case, this depends on many factors, such as the volume, composition and temperature of the gas emission, wind speed at different heights, type and height of cloud cover...
The following unique satellite images show a large number of similar anomalies, just over those states discussed in this article. The comments to the photographs indicate that the culprit for the appearance of these formations is airplanes flying here and there, but in this case, such traces should be found regularly and everywhere, which, as is known, does not happen.
Summarizing
Based on the above facts, there is every reason to believe that the unexplained mass death of animals, climate change and increasing natural disasters throughout the planet have common roots, and in general should draw public attention to the alarmingly growing processes in the earth’s crust, which are fraught with serious cataclysms in the near foreseeable future, and perhaps even are signs of an impending lithospheric catastrophe.
This is stated, in particular, in an appeal to the UN by the independent organization “Scientists Without Borders”:
“...Alarming facts about the sharp acceleration (by more than 500%) of the drift of the Earth’s north magnetic pole since 1990 have not only catastrophic consequences for global climate change, but also indicate significant changes in energy processes, in the inner and outer core of the Earth, responsible for the formation of the geomagnetic field and endogenous activity of our planet.
The role of the magnetosphere in shaping the Earth's climate has been scientifically proven. Changes in the parameters of the geomagnetic field and magnetosphere can lead to a re-distribution of the areas of origin of cyclones and anticyclones and, consequently, influence global climate changes.
Natural disasters, in a short time, can lead to catastrophic consequences for entire regions of our planet, take the lives of many people, leave the population large territories without shelter and livelihood, destroy the economies of entire states and cause large-scale epidemics and severe infectious diseases. Currently global community not ready for such a possible development of the situation. Meanwhile, in the geological life of our planet, periods of a significant increase in endogenous activity have been repeatedly observed, and the next such period, as many geological indicators show, has already arrived...
»
Compiled based on materials from a discussion of the causes of mass death of animals on the OKO planet portal .
Authors: Ilya Kurbatov (nickname Eliasg) with the participation and support of Olga Mikhailova (nickname Adamant) and Boris Kapochkin.
With gratitude to all other participants in the discussion
The authors of the article are well done. And yet my opinion is all kinds of poisoning associated with the accident in the Gulf. All other trivial episodes with birdfalls around the world (2 rooks there..., 50 crows there...) are supported by the media so that: “Look at the parsley all over the world, not only here - this is a planetary (global) problem and we ( B.P. ) has nothing to do with it.
For the sake of objectivity in favor of the theory of destabilization of the earth’s crust (sinkholes, expansion, degassing) should throw some firewood “Expanded than the Yellowstone caldera” Google auto-translation….
Recent studies of the 2008-2009 Yellowstone Lake earthquake swarm and the 2004-2010 extreme caldera deformation episode. University of Utah researchers recently published two new papers in the journal Geophysical Research Letters that highlight the nature of Yellowstone's active volcanic and hydrothermal system. Candidate Jamie Farrell and his colleagues present the results scientific research swarm on Yellowstone Lake in late 2008 and early 2009. Besides, full review swarm characteristics, they describe how large, deep earthquakes had unusual volumetric (explosive) behavior, consistent with the movement of fluid from deep to shallow hydrothermal systems (less
Maps the Yellowstone Lake earthquake swarm (2008-09). A. Location of the earthquake in the north
end of Yellowstone Lake, with the direction of propagation of deep destruction modeled as
vertical volcanic dams showing seismic and ground displacement data. B. Model for expanding one dam into three parts with different speeds(top and bottom) for explanation
movements and associated seismic activity. Reprinted from Farrell et al. (2010;
Geophysical Research Letters).
In addition, careful analysis of Yellowstone's continuous GPS data showed a noticeable expansion of horizontal ground (up to 7 mm or 0.3 inch ) on the surface in accordance with the extension of the destruction beneath the lake. This behavior was similar to the largest Yellowstone swarm in 1985 on the west side of the Yellowstone Plateau and may be more similar than thought. The authors believe this style of behavior is key to understanding hydrothermal explosions, large earthquakes, and even volcanic eruptions.
Another paper written by Associate Professor Wu-Lung Chang of National Central University of Taiwan and Utah State University Researcher, and colleagues from the University of Utah discuss the temporal properties of accelerated caldera uplift between 2004 and 2010, with particular attention to the period of uplift and decline. As in their previous work, the authors modeled the uplift and concluded that due to the expansion of the horizontal volcanic sill in the upper part of the magma chamber (7- 10 km and 4- 6 km ) below the surface. In this new job They conclude that since 2006 the pattern of ground deformation has revealed a temporary reduction in uplift that has subsided from southeast to northwest across the caldera. This movement may be due to decreased volumes of deep replenishment of magma and aqueous fluids or may be due to pressure release associated with the 2008 Yellowstone Lake and recent 2010 Madison Plateau swarm earthquakes.
Comparison of earthquake activity and underground uplift of the Yellowstone caldera, 2003-2010. Lifting
GPS stations WLWY and OFW2 are shown as blue lines (cf. blue scale bar). bar chart
(Gray bars) shows the number of Yellowstone earthquakes per month (right y-axis), with most activity occurring during the period when uplift began slowly.
I would like to add that the rise of the caldera was recorded in the period from 2005 to the beginning of 2010
Previously, I drew attention to the fact that from 01/19/2010 to 02/04/2010 a “swarm” of 462 earthquakes (more than 27 per day) with a total magnitude 568,1
points (33.4 per day) at average depth 9.57 km . This “swarm” is also noticeable in the graph in the above article. After which the caldera began to descend and at the end of 2010 reached the levels of 2009. What is haunting is that simultaneously with the descent, the caldera began to expand and the depth of the shaking decreased. If at the beginning of 2010 the average depth was 8.2 km then as of July 13, 2010, the average depth was 6 km.
Yellow has already experienced the second stage (the rise of the caldera, the appearance of new geysers). Can Yellow now be in “Stage 3”? In the photo, scientists depict it as a “collapse,” but how do they really know? Maybe before the collapse the caldera expands and subsides, and after that there is a “collapse”. Dear Ecologist and Boris Kapochkin, if you can comment, can failures and degassing have common roots with the expansion and subsidence of the caldera in Yellowstone?
From Alex Zes:
TASKS
Municipal stage of the All-Russian Olympiad for schoolchildren in ecology
Classes
Questions like "ONE OF FOUR"
You are offered tasks in which you must choose one correct answer from four proposed ones.
- The first environment inhabited by living organisms was:
A). soil; b). water;
c) ground-air; G). other organisms
- The elementary unit of evolution is:
A). separate species; b). biogeocenosis
V). population; d).biocenosis
3. A specially protected area, completely withdrawn from economic use in order to preserve it in its natural state natural complex:
A). nature reserve; b). reserve;
V). natural monument; G). National Park
4. Adaptation of the organism to certain environmental conditions, which is achieved through morphological, physiological, behavioral signs:
A). adaptation; b). evolution;
V). urbanization; G). divergence
- The main limiter to the unlimited growth of the species’ population is:
A). death from infectious diseases; b). influence of predators;
V). lack of food; G). number of descendants
- The phenomenon of death, that is, mass death of aquatic organisms, is caused by:
A). lack of light; b). lack of oxygen;
V). excess oxygen; G). presence of iron ions
- Preparing plants to withstand low temperatures involves:
A). fat synthesis; b). cessation of growth;
V). protein denaturation; G). accumulation of sugars
- Organisms that feed on plants belong to the group:
A). phytophages; b). zoophages;
V). polyphages; d).monophages
9. The ability of an organism or system of organisms to maintain stable dynamic equilibrium in changing environmental conditions is called:
a).symbiosis; b). homeostasis;
V). mutualism; G). anabiosis
10. Fish, which depending on the stage life cycle live either in the seas or in rivers, classified as environmental group:
A). sea fish; b). freshwater fish;
V). migratory fish; G). semi-anadromous fish
- Largest quantity reptile species belongs to:
A). land animals; b). freshwater animals;
V). marine animals; G). air animals
- Which of the following animal species is an ornithophage:
A). peregrine falcon; b). Grant's gazelle;
V). common wheatear; G). musk deer
- To the inhabitants open spaces applies:
A). wolverine; b). sable;
V). saiga; G). white-breasted bear
14. Into the natural system biotic relationships according to the “predator-prey” type they enter:
A). hummingbirds and grass frog; b). woodcock and earthworm;
V). black rhinoceros and buffalo birds;
G). polar bear and the emperor penguin
15. Deciduous succulents include:
A). cacti; b). agaves;
V). sow thistle; G). grape
16. What is not typical for pollinated flowers? bats:
A). small flower size; b). night flowering;
V). bad smell; G). mass production of pollen
17. In what environment do the fastest moving animals live?
A). water; b). underground (soil);
V). alive organisms; G). ground-air
18. Select from the list an animal that does not have a daily routine:
A). shore swallow; b). flying squirrel;
V). moles; G). crested newt
19. Biocenosis - a set of organisms:
a).one species living in a certain territory;
b). different types, living together and connected with each other;
V). one species living in heterogeneous areas of its range;
G). different species living in heterogeneous areas of the range
20. The position occupied by a species in biocenoses is called:
A). habitat; b). ecosystem;
21. Which of the following organisms is a producer:
A). dysenteric amoeba; b). shepherd's purse;
V). Human; G). cow
22. Which of the following plants can be both a producer and a consumer of the second order:
A). greater celandine; b). ordinary lumbago;
V). Venus flytrap; G). caustic buttercup
23. From the names of organisms listed below, select the producer:
A). baobab; b). penicillium;
V). shrew; G). gazelle
24. Which succession, in your opinion, is the longest (in all cases it ends with the forest stage):
a).overgrowth of a forest fire; b).overgrowing of the swamp;
c).overgrowing of soil dumps during mining;
G). overgrown forest path
25. Which of the following scientists created the doctrine of the biosphere:
A). V.I.Vernadsky; b). V.V. Dokuchaev;
V). N.I.Vavilov; G). V.N.Sukachev
26. The snow collected on the city roads is removed by road services:
A). to the nearest field; b). to the outfield;
c).in a specially dug pit; d).to the nearest body of water
27. The Red Book of Russia contains:
A). pine marten; b). sable;
V). dodo; G). lady's slipper
28. Disappeared due to the fault of a person:
A). sea otter (sea otter); b). tarpan;
V). bison; G). bustard
29. Upper limit biosphere passes in the atmosphere at an altitude of about 20 km., because. there:
A). little oxygen; b). low temperature air;
V). little light; G). the ozone layer is located
30. An aerosol consisting of smoke, fog and dust is called:
A). child; b). acid rain;
c).smog; G). fire
TASKS
municipal stage All-Russian Olympiad for schoolchildren in ecology
Not all hydrobionts are able to live permanently in an oxygen-free environment, that is, they belong to the group of anaerobes (mainly bacteria and protozoa). The vast majority of water inhabitants need
in oxygen, although some of them, as mentioned above, can sometimes tolerate its absence and carry out anoxybiosis. The ability for it in a number of hydrobionts-aerobes is an adaptation to endure unfavorable oxygen conditions, which periodically arise in natural habitats.
In cases where the adaptation of aquatic organisms to existence in conditions of oxygen deficiency are insufficient, the death of the organisms occurs. If, due to a sharp deterioration in oxygen conditions in water bodies, it becomes widespread, then they speak of death.
The ability of aquatic organisms to survive in water with low oxygen concentrations depends on the species of organisms, their condition and conditions external environment. The minimum or maximum oxygen concentration tolerated by aquatic organisms is usually lower for organisms living in natural habitats in poorly aerated water. Therefore, pelagic forms are usually less tolerant of low oxygen concentrations than benthic forms, and among the latter, silt dwellers are more resilient than forms inhabiting sand, clay or stones. For the same reasons, river forms are more demanding of oxygen than lake forms, and cold-water forms are more oxyphilic than the inhabitants of water bodies that warm up more strongly. The value of the maximum concentration varies quite significantly with the age of animals, usually decreasing in adult individuals. Sensitivity to a lack of oxygen may become aggravated at certain stages of development. As a rule, the less mobile they are, the higher the resistance to oxygen deficiency in animals of different systematic groups. Of the external factors, the limiting oxygen concentration is most influenced by temperature. As it increases, the metabolism of organisms increases, their need for oxygen increases and more favorable respiratory conditions are needed to satisfy it. Hydrobionts have a number of biochemical adaptations to ensure the supply of oxygen to the body in conditions of its deficiency. These include increased ventilation and blood circulation, increased concentration of respiratory pigments, synthesis of their new, more effective options, change internal environment, which increases the ability of pigments to bind and release oxygen. The latter adaptation (Bohr and Root effects) sometimes manifests itself in the opposite form - a decrease in the sensitivity of hemoglobin to an increase in H + concentration. In some active fish are created very high concentrations lactate, and the pH can drop so much that it makes it difficult for hemoglobin to bind oxygen in the gills. In these fish, hemoglobin variants were found that are not sensitive to H +, i.e. do not exhibit the Bohr effect. There are usually few of them and they play the role of an “emergency reserve”. During temporary anoxia, many hydrobionts can carry out aerobic metabolism by mobilizing oxygen reserves from carotenoids, heme-containing pigments and other depots. Usually these reserves are enough for no more than a few tens of minutes. Further energy extraction can be achieved in many aquatic organisms through anaerobic glycolysis and, probably, in other ways. The duration of stay and survival of hydrobionts during anoxia varies greatly, depending on their species, physiological state and external conditions. Forms in which lactate produced during glycolysis does not accumulate are able to live in the absence of oxygen much longer than those that accumulate lactic acid. The latter, after the transition to aerobic conditions, exhibit “extradihania” - an increase in oxygen consumption, associated with the oxidation of under-oxidized compounds that have accumulated. In the first forms, “extradihania” is not observed, “oxygen debt” does not arise, and with low energy costs they can live without oxygen for several months. Animals that accumulate under-oxidized products during anoxybiosis are less resistant to prolonged absence of oxygen. When turtles dive, they can live on glycolysis for several hours or days and, when they emerge, they compensate for the “oxygen debt.” Chironomid larvae, although they accumulate lactate, completely lose mobility and, being in a state of passive anaerobiosis, withstand weeks and months of anoxia. Oysters and other mollusks close their shells at low tide and painlessly withstand anoxia for several hours, accumulating the products of glycolysis. The ability to anoxybiosis is most typical for representatives of benthic fauna living under conditions of periodic decrease in oxygen concentration to values close to 0. With anoxybiosis, they do not feed, lose mobility, and stop growing and developing. The oxygen concentration below which aquatic organisms switch from active to passive existence depends on the species characteristics, size and other factors. As a rule, forms living in a more aerated environment fall into anoxybiosis earlier, when oxygen is still present in noticeable quantities. Young organisms, which are usually more demanding of oxygen content, are excluded from active life earlier than adults.
Zamoras. In natural reservoirs, cases of mass death of aquatic organisms from asphyxia are often observed. They arise not only due to oxygen deficiency, but also as a result of accumulation in water significant quantities carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and methane. The content of these gases usually increases in parallel with the decrease in oxygen concentration and is therefore especially destructive for aquatic organisms. When death occurs, first of all, the forms that are less resistant to lack of oxygen die, and then the hardy ones, to the most resistant ones, if the catastrophic deterioration in breathing conditions drags on for a long time. In reservoirs at high latitudes, freezes usually occur in winter, when ice prevents the flow of oxygen into the water from the air. Summer kills are usually observed in stagnant bodies of water, especially during mass appearance seaweed During the day, as a result of the photosynthetic activity of plants, there is a lot of oxygen, and at night its concentration decreases sharply, and death phenomena may occur, accompanied by the death of animals.
Summer death occurs not only in ponds and lakes, but even in the seas, for example in the Azov and Baltic. In the Sea of Azov, death is usually observed from May to August in calm weather, when, due to the lack of water circulation, the oxygen content in the thickness, especially at the bottom, drops to tenths of a milligram per liter. The decrease in oxygen concentration at the bottom is caused by the decomposition of algae, which die here. When starved, fish and other aquatic organisms, in particular mollusks, die en masse. Off the coast of Peru, once every 11-12 years, there is a massive death of zooplankton and fish due to lack of oxygen, when the warm equatorial El Niño current begins to approach here.
Death phenomena are especially acute in winter, when they can be observed not only in standing reservoirs, but even in rivers. For example, the annual winter killings in the city of Ob are grandiose in scale. Groundwater, which it feeds on, contain very little oxygen and a lot of humic substances (the drainage area is very swampy). When, after freezing, atmospheric aeration of water practically stops, small amounts of oxygen in it are quickly consumed for the oxidation of humic acids, and freeze-up occurs. It usually begins at the end of December in the upper reaches of the river and, spreading downward at a speed of 30-40 km per day, reaches the mouth in 1.5-2 months. The death stops in May-June, when the river begins to replenish external waters. The oxygen content during death drops to 2-3% of normal, and many aquatic organisms, especially fish, die from suffocation, although most of is saved in some tributaries of the Ob, where death phenomena do not develop. Bottom-dwelling animals are more adapted to living in conditions of oxygen deficiency and suffer less from starvation than pelagic animals.
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