A new study published earlier this week reveals that the heatwave that struck the U.S. in 2021 led to mass deaths of shellfish (clams, oysters, snails, mussels, etc.) in Washington State and British Columbia, Canada.
Dead oysters along the coast of Washington State, USA, after the record heatwave in the summer of 2021 – (Photo: PHYS.ORG Blair Paul)
The research, published in the journal Ecology, indicates that the heatwave, which brought extreme temperatures, engulfed the Pacific Northwest at the end of June last year.
Temperatures in Oregon and Washington states and British Columbia soared to 37.8 degrees Celsius. Notably, the port city of Seattle (Washington) recorded its highest temperature ever at 42.2 degrees Celsius on June 28, 2021.
The research team, led by the University of Washington, synthesized and analyzed hundreds of real-world observational data to produce the first comprehensive report on the impact of the 2021 heatwave on shellfish species.
Researchers noted that the widespread mass mortality of shellfish was due to a combination of several factors occurring simultaneously, including the lowest tides of the year coinciding with the hottest days and peak temperatures of the day.
“This analysis has provided us with a truly clear overall picture of how shellfish were affected by the heat,” commented Wendel Raymond, the lead scientist from the University of Washington, suggesting that this may only represent a part of what actually transpired.
