Gov. Chris Christie has directed the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to join an investigation into 74 dolphin deaths that have occurred this summer along the New Jersey coast.
In an Aug. 29 press release, Christie announced the use of DEP aircraft and foot patrols beyond the normal summer monitoring season, along with the use of a Department of Agriculture lab in Ewing for testing dolphin remains.
“Fortunately, the federal investigation into the dolphin deaths is making significant progress,” DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said in the press release.
“The Christie Administration is committed to doing everything we can to assist in this investigation, and to helping the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in their work to respond to this sad situation.”
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website, the virus that has killed at least 74 dolphins that have washed up on New Jersey beaches this summer has been pinpointed.
As of Aug. 27, 488 dolphin deaths had been reported along the East Coast, from New York State to North Carolina. That number is significantly higher than last year when 167 dolphins were stranded during the same time period.
“Based upon preliminary diagnostic testing and discussion with disease experts the tentative cause … is being attributed to cetacean morbillivirus,” the NOAA website states.
In the press release, Division of Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Chief Mark Chicketano said humans could be at risk.
“There is a risk to the public of contracting a secondary pathogen from a dead or dying dolphin. We continue to advise the public not to approach or try to help a stranded or dead dolphin, but to let the experts retrieve the animal.”
The increased help from the state is an effort to assist the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, based in Brigantine, which has been transporting the dolphin remains to the University of Pennsylvania for testing.
“The Department of Agriculture’s Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory is a state-of-the-art facility that is well-equipped to handle testing of large animals,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher in the press release.
Christie also announced that through a joint agreement NOAA would provide approximately $92,000 to increase land and boat patrols to assist in monitoring and recovery efforts.
The NOAA fisheries unit declared an “Unusual Mortality Event (UME)” for New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
A UME is defined as a stranding event that is unexpected, involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population, and demands immediate response.
Robert Schoelkopf, executive director of the stranding center, said 12 dolphins found in New Jersey have tested positive for the virus. He said 21 others have been tested and the results are pending.
All of the 32 dolphin remains sampled by NOAA tested positive for the morbillivirus, including three that washed up on New Jersey beaches.
According to an Aug. 27 update, “current bottlenose dolphin strandings are over nine times the historical average for the months of July and August for the Mid-Atlantic Region.”
Dolphins have washed up this summer on beaches in northern Monmouth County including Sandy Hook, Sea Bright, Monmouth Beach and Long Branch.
While a cause of death has been identified, the investigation is ongoing.
According to NOAA, bottlenose dolphins of all ages have been affected by the virus, however the virus has yet to spread to other marine animals.
The website also states that scientists have collected and analyzed samples from stranded dolphins to identify a cause and which population of dolphins is being impacted.
This summer is being compared to the summer of 1987 when 93 dolphins washed up on the New Jersey coast and, according to, NOAA 740 washed up from New Jersey to Florida.
Morbilliviruses are naturally occurring pathogens in marine mammal populations, and because these viruses suppress the immune system, many animals ultimately die from secondary infections, according to NOAA Fisheries. Not all dolphins exposed to morbillivirus will die from these infections, but a large proportion may not survive.
Morbilliviruses are usually spread through the air or direct contact between animals, including between mothers and young. Cetacean morbillivirus affects the lungs, brain and immune system of dolphins, causing illness and death. While this virus can easily spread among dolphin populations since the animals are highly social, it is not infectious to humans.