Deaths of Ringed Seals in Alaska an Unusual Mortality Event, Environmental News Service, Dec. 20, 2011 [Emphasis Added]:
Unusual Mortality Event Declared
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the recent deaths of ringed seals in [...] Alaska an unusual mortality event
- Since mid-July, more than 60 dead and 75 diseased seals, most of them ringed seals, have been reported in Alaska
- Reports continuing to come in
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also identified diseased and dead walruses
- A decision by the Service on making an an unusual mortality declaration for Pacific walrus in Alaska is pending
- Tests indicate a virus is not the cause
- Walruses and ringed seals in Russia, and ringed seals in Canada, have reportedly suffered similar symptoms
- While it is not clear if the disease events are related, the timing and location of the disease suggests the possibility of transmission between the populations, or shared exposure to an environmental cause
Symptoms
- Seals and walruses suffering from this disease have skin sores usually on the hind flippers or face
- Patchy hair loss
- Some of the diseased animals have exhibited labored breathing
- Appear lethargic
- Do not flee from humans as they usually do
- Necropsies have found abnormal growths in the brain
- Some seals and walruses have undersized lymph nodes which may indicate compromised immune systems
Dr. Stephen Raverty, veterinary pathologist with the Provincial Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in British Columbia
- “These appear to be ulcerated lesions with secondary infections”
- “Opportunistic yeast and fungi and bacteria have invaded”
- “Our analysis is not completed”
- “It could be an environmental factor or more than one disease”
- “We are screening for 18 recognized pathogens, but all the lab results have come back negative“
- “We think defects in the skin are allowing pathogens to migrate into the animals”
- “Bacteria are becoming blood borne and localizing to the liver“
- “Causing white spots on the liver, hepatitis and fluid in the lungs“
See earlier report: Reuters: Radiation tests underway on dead and diseased seals in Alaska -- Suffering bleeding lesions, hair loss (PHOTO)
Large Bald Spot
Published: December 28th, 2011 at 2:25 pm ET
|
Related Posts
- Reuters: Radiation tests underway on dead and diseased seals in Alaska — Suffering bleeding lesions, hair loss (PHOTO) December 28, 2011
- Alaska considering adding more radiation monitors March 16, 2011
- Report: NRC analysis indicated “elevated child thyroid” in Alaska, Pacific island… With only 1 of 3 reactor cores releasing radiation (PHOTO) October 7, 2011
- Tweets from Fukushima worker: Trees dying around nuke plant… Pine doesn’t wither in Autumn! — Similar reports in Tokyo area (PHOTOS) October 5, 2011
- Marine biologist in Canada: Salmon species needs to be tested for radiation — Gov’t doesn’t want us to know August 19, 2011
sending...
Epistaxis
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistaxis
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I keep waiting for a punchline!
Seals with nosebleeds?
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Or…Noses on their flippers & foreheads?
Looks to me like it’s more than the nose that bleeds!
Or, as Cyrano said, “And when it bleeds, the Red Sea.”
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Do not go gentle into that good night. Good seals, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
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Nice. Thanks to you and Dylan.
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If, in fact, this is caused by the Uranium and Plutonium. There are no words that can adequately convey the deep shit we will be in shortly. BTW, I take zero credit for the great work of Dylan Thomas. Maybe, just maybe, people in this world of artificial intelligence can still feel the sorrow and pain of death. We know doctors, lawyers, computers, and corporations are utterly incapable of it.
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Been on radar for some time ! Seals Killed by Disease or Radiation Poisoning?
Uploaded by jrae50021 on Oct 20, 2011
The Department of Wildlife Management has never documented a similar outbreak in the North Slope region, Herreman said. Scientists don’t know the scope of the problem because since ringed seals are …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZv4dMxn318&feature=player_embedded#!
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Dioxins ! The Exxon Valdez oil spill into Prince William Sound Alaska, Chernobyl are considered the two most historic disasters Over 30 million gallons from consumers in the form of automobile run off enters the ocean every week, the exact equivalent as the Exxon Valdez oil spill ! Dioxins !
Toxins kill, weather over years or quickly. Burned waist and fuels Warm air moves north, and air born dioxins eventually reach the once pristine Arctic, all life forms are having major health problems from this bio accumulation of dioxins !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbIixJI_oa4&feature=player_embedded
In our oceans, PCB’s and over 200 other hazardous compounds are first consumed by microscopic organisms called zooplaton, and from there the poisons travel up the food chain to seals, whales, polar bears … and then to people !
One thousandth of one millionth can cause harm to human body ! Humans are consuming 300 to 600 times that amount every day !
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With a nod to Taco and Fox
Epistaxis- Chronic nose bleeds (In the Nuclear Sense)
Which is an:
Inflammatory reaction (e.g. acute respiratory tract infections, or environmental irritants)
Caused by:
Intranasal tumors (e.g. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma or nasopharyngeal angiofibroma)
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Nothing to see here folks. Move on. Just some animals with stress. Nothing antibiotics won’t clear up in a few days. Just a pimple. Pimples are caused by stress. Everybody knows that.
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maybe the seals didnt think positvely enough!… i was talking the other day to a seal psychologist…….blah blah
im so angry about these animal articles, just like bp!! how much are they hiding!!.. so sad… distressed!!
and speechless!!
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They will say that these sick animals were genetically inferior specimens. They will continue to ignore or have scant interest in environmental causes. Is this how humanity goes out? With a whimper?
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I’m disgusted. How horrible! Seals have very expressive eyes, and you can see the tremendous pain and suffering there.
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T.S. Elliot:
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
Quoted on the facing page at the beginning of the novel, On the Beach.
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Maybe they weren’t smiling enough, or they were worrying too much, we all know that worry about radiation is far worse than radiation. Ouch!
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I WROTE TO DR. KELLEY WHO IS THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF TESTING THE RINGED SEAL SAMPLES. HERE ARE THE EMAILS.
Dear Dr. Kelley;
It’s been a month since you were quoted as saying it would be “several weeks” for the results of the Ringed Seal Tissue Samples to be tested for radiation exposure. The possibility of the pacific food chain being significantly contaminated with radioactive elements is information the human race has a right to know. I understand you may be under some pressure to withhold your results but the truth can not be squashed forever. People of science need to speak up and let the facts be known.
Sincerely, (InfoPest)
We are the only laboratory to my knowledge located in Alaska with the capability to analyze materials for radioactivity quantitatively by gamma ray spectroscopy. We are a new lab and are still waiting for the delivery of analytical standards. I cannot give a firm date at this time for the reporting of results. I can assure you that we are under no [pressure to withhold results or any other information. We appreciate your concern.
John Kelley
On Mon, Jan 23, 2012 at 8:17 AM,
—
John J. Kelley, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Marine Science
School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK 99775-7220
Tel: 907 474 5585
fax: 907 474 7204
email: jjkelley@alaska.edu
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InfoPest, well done! Thanks for bringing this important subject back to the table! "Waiting for analytical standards"? What's that supposed to mean – either it's radioactive or it's not, methinks.
but what do i know…thanks anyway!!
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These pictures made me cry. In the third picture, it almost looks like the seal is looking into the camera and saying:
“How could you do this to me??”
I can hear Michael Jackson’s Earth Song playing inside my head;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAi3VTSdTxU&ob=av3e
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We will pay for these injustices…
In my opinion he is saying…
Soon you will know my pain.
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Hi Tacomagroove
I agree, it would be a miracle if all this by passed us.
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Depressing. Im so angry.
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me too!
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: (
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Exactly, we are not being very good keepers of this planet. We have placed ourselves in a position where all the animals depend on us, and we are failing badly.
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Just wait until it is humans…
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Made me sick. It’s so sad and they are innocent and helpless. Man – the destroyer of everything good.
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The distribution on the map does not suggest a Japanese source, I would think. Reports from the Aleutians appear to be non-existent, which is surprising. This could be an artifact of reporting bureaucracy, or it could suggest that the source of the problem is closer to the high Arctic than to Japan.
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I believe the map is a fabrication.
The initial reports alll came from alaska. (Alaska’s North Slope,)
http://www.earthweek.com/2011/ew111216/ew111216g.html
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=alaska+north+slope+map&hl=en&client=safari&sa=G&rls=en&biw=1917&bih=885&tbm=isch&tbnid=DQ_UdE1A8bBkiM:&imgrefurl=http://www.multiclient.westerngeco.com/Default.cfm%3Fid%3D14&docid=gur1wsAsZoXQgM&imgurl=http://www.multiclient.westerngeco.com/NavMaps%25255CAlaska_NorthSlope_01.gif&w=504&h=341&ei=cHn7TqG4DurL0QHZs7DoBQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=510&sig=115182051653560821459&page=1&tbnh=143&tbnw=211&start=0&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0&tx=126&ty=10
Sorry long link…
Moving on:
If the north slope was the main area affected. its possible 1 of three things happened.
A currents carried large amounts of radiation to that area.
B. animals all ran in that direction to avoid more exposure.
C. jetstream took a huge dump there…
I vote b.
It is actually very common for animals to flee in groups from danger. These seals are the ones we found that were inflicted…
No one knows what the actual ocean looks like present day…
In fact the entire pacific ocean food chain could be 30% abolished. Yet everyday people would have no direct observation until their carcasses washed up on shore. If they even made it to the shore. With animals eating the dead. Air oxidizing their flesh and bacteria ect… There is no real say if they would even float… Maybe there is millions of dead fish on the ocean floor… Who really knows.
Well the people that do know aren’t talking. So thats something to consider from the get go.
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another guess the methane leaks in iceland?
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Tacomagroove, Thanks for all your info.
Why is it taking soooooo so long to determine if these poor seals are dying from radiation poisoning? Shouldn’t there be a simple test? I think the scientists know the exact cause and the government won’t let them tell us. I am so sad and angry that these innocent creatures are dying because of man-made circumstances… I am don’t know much about methane leaks but shouldn’t the scientist be able to test for that too?
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@Net.
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/mysterious-outbreak-killing-arctic-alaska-ringed-seals
The main issue would have been discovered by a special interest group. Then submitted to a local news agency. After discovery an agency (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration )http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/pinnipeds/ringedseal.htm
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would then run a series of biological diagnostics on the deceased animals found (or even small samples on the injured ). The results would be forwarded to the state ecological dept. Then the cdc and various government ‘think tanks’. Eventually they will find the cause…Right?
After a conclusive study is performed they would issue a statement on the ’cause’ found. Find a proper solution for the crisis and thus they fixed the problem…
It usually doesn’t take this long to find a problem. So were all on edge…
But mark my words…
If a entire lower class food chain is dying from radiated environments.
Then the entire pacific ocean is likely fuku’d by now…
This is small potatoes…
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Tacomagroove,
There is some interesting information regarding pollution and deposition in the Arctic. Eskimos are disproportionately impacted by pesticides and PCB’s for example, much more than one would expect. Much of the world’s environmental pollutants get carried into the polar regions and are concentrated there.
From the study:
“Intercontinental Transport of Air Pollution ….” (NOAA study)
http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/csd/aqrs/reports/itap.pdf
The study doesn’t specifically address radioisotopes, but one can infer their deposition from the data. The “scientific method” would argue it’s a stretch to make such a statement, but I’m making it, and would surmise others will do so after further study. It doesn’t take a genius to figure this out!
And this study:
http://www.centrorisorse.org/effects-of-persistent-organic-pollutants-pops.html
See pp. 8, 18. 19 for example on discussion of movement of air masses from Asia toward Alaska, and over North America. The movement of the great oceanic current “conveyor belt” does not explain this phenomenon (if the maps giving location are correct). However, if the seals are suffering from the effects of fallout over the ocean (in greater concentrations in the far Northern latitudes) this would be consistent with the movement of air masses and deposition of radioactive isotopes circulated by the troposhere.
The great conveyor belt (oceanic currents):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermohaline_circulation
So it doesn’t mean the maps were necessarily faked. They could be valid. The other thing is — since highly toxic debris is already showing up on the west coast of N. America, the seals and other marine mammals may be suffering from the effects of toxic pollution. The sick seals being reported in Canada may be suffering from oceanic contamination, as well as the effects of fallout.
Just my two or three cents’ worth.
Ho
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The references to pp. 8, 18, and 19 are for the NOAA study.
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How does it not suggest a Japanese source? Did the radiation go out to sea in a straight line?
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Oh so macro animals are now getting radiation poisoning and bacteria infections leading to death. This means their food supply is already contaminated. That is going to make the pacific a deathbed for millions of ocean species. When our seafood market crashes I wonder how crazy people will get. Humanity survives off of the oceans yet we may no longer have that resource in the next few years. Thanks Japan, in the end you really did rape all the sea creatures.
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I am encouraging people to not just attack Japan, but focus their energies on the entire nuke industry that is force feeding us with internal emitters on top of the lies.
Sure the people of Japan, who to a great extent are really high quality people, need to put their gov to task, imprison, even execute some of the worst mis-informers as a crime against humanity, but lets not take pot shots at the Japanese people themselves, they are handed a pile of dung they don’t need pot shots on top of that.
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Well they are the largest whale consuming nation in the world. Just sayin. The nuke industry is to blame and people are always victims of their governments. Hobbs would be proud of the Japanese government for their tyrannical crusade to stamp out any disagreement about contamination. Sure the Japanese people are great, I have friends in Yokohama, and I encourage them to challenge the information released from TEPCO.gov. Most of the everyday people outside of politics are not to blame, but lets be honest here Japan is responsible for the worst ocean contamination in history. GE and the US are equally to blame for their unscrupulous sale of nuclear power to the most active fault zone in the world. Stupidity in government runs rampant on both sides of the pacific.
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The people of Japan are among the most dependent upon sea life for their dietary staples of any people on Earth. What has happened to them (and the rest of us) is a great tragedy. I’m deeply grieved for them, and for us. Have always loved the Japanese people, and this just saddens me.
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The “illness” map pretty much correlates with the radiation dispersion map, imo:
http://www.zamg.ac.at/pict/aktuell/20110325_Reanalyse-I131-Period2.gif
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I think the comment was with respect to ocean currents as they are not typically known to reach the parts of Alaska the map defines with respect to where they have found these diseased mammals.
Heartbreaking, whatever the cause, and without doubt the release of both air borne and water dumps directly into the ocean is going to have ramifications we can barely comprehend at this point.
Unfortunately it seems we will have no real knowledge at anytime as the industry will effectively insure the reserach is under sourced and any findings remotely related to the radiation buried.
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Interesting dispersion map, Mack. I don’t see the correlation pattern that you do, but it’s not my area of expertise. To my eye, the strongest radiation wave in your map appears to hit the Pacific coast of the US around California – I’d expect reports of problems with Steller Sea Lions, harbor seals and such.
If I understand the model, it then does turn up to the Aleutians (but no reports from there), and cycles in the Arctic after considerable dispersion, then concentrates again over Greenland and northern Europe. I would have expected reports from those areas.
My guess is that it is very premature to cite Fukushima as the cause of this particular tragedy (although of course it might be). I’m as annoyed as anyone that the testing is coming so late.
There will be plenty of Fukushima wildlife disaster stories, I imagine. There is no compelling evidence yet that this is one of them.
If I’ve misinterpreted your dispersion map, let me know. I’m ready to be persuaded (although it won’t help the seals).
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That disspersion map is very conservative at best..
Keep in mind that any dispersion map is always extropolated…
Here’s one from early June that fully shows the north slope getting doused. Scroll to bottom for map…
Models Show That Radioactive Dust From Fukushima Plant Covered 80% of N. America
http://www.myweathertech.com/2011/06/23/models-show-that-radioactive-dust-from-fukushima-plant-covered-80-of-n-america/
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Excellent, good post!
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This is very tragic. One thing occurs to me, if it is a result of radiation exposure. I would imagine animal epidemics don’t fall under the domain of the World Health Organization, so reports about these seals shouldn’t be subject to the self-imposed gag rule agreement between the WHO and the IAEA.
The fact is, unnaturally high radiation exposure is deadly for most forms of life, and you can’t just sweep that truth under the rug by downplaying it in the press and official pronouncements. The truth will come out somewhere. Sadly, it looks like these seals and walruses are playing the role of the “canary in the coal mine” making manifest dangers that can affect us just as badly, even if somewhat more slowly.
When will the supposed environmentalists who have bought into the clean nuke propaganda wake-up and see what Fukushima has done to the Pacific?
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re: “The distribution on the map does not suggest a Japanese source …”
No? Go back and look at the cesium deposition model from CEREA. It’s not clear to me that you can rule out Fukushima as a source based on a comparison of these maps:
http://cerea.enpc.fr/fr/fukushima.html
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This was supposed to be in response to aigeezer.
Don’t know why it posted down here.
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Thanks, lam335. That’s an interesting map model also. To my eye, like Mack’s model map, it shows radiation going directly to the California coast and to the Aleutians. The model you cite seems to hit the Aleutians particularly hard. No seal death reports from those areas though, hence my suggestion that the seal death distribution does not suggest a Japanese source. I certainly would not rule out Fukushima as a possible source, but I think the evidence so far would suggest looking aggressively at other possible sources also.
I know this particular event is coming at a time when we are very wary of coverups, lies, distortions and so forth, but some bad things in the world were not caused by Fukushima – these seal deaths may (or may not) be among them.
Time will tell.
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I think you mentioned it might just be a lack of reporting, there are not that many people down there…they might not be out on the seashore in winter too.
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I added these to my resource page, thanks, really credible looking models, and I agree with your point on yes this could very well explain the seals.
http://oahutrading.blogspot.com/p/japan-nuclear-information.html
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Gotta wonder if all them nukes that were disposed of in the Pacific are oozing out into the currents !
Then there are all the war chemicals that were dumped on the east coast and in the G O M !
Also one atomic bomb lost on Ga. coast line in the late 50′s !
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Fact Sheet on Ocean Dumping of Radioactive Waste Materials
From 1946 through 1970 the United States disposed of these radioactive waste materials … dump sites follows this list o Between 1946 and 1970 the ocean dumping of … approximately 99 percent of the radioactivity dumped in the Pacific Ocean; …. that the release from the containers could have occurred many years ago. …
http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=900M0700.txt
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Currents may have brought the Corexit/oil to this area, Black Current, The 74 day oil spill, Corexit was also use in Austrlia in 2009: “Black Tide” It begins off the east coast of Taiwan and flows northeastward past Japan, where it merges with the easterly drift of the North Pacific Current.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuroshio_Current
Australia: Corexit EC9500 and Corexit EC9527A Used, Activists Claim 8 Deaths, Fish Kills Linked to the Dispersant’s !
To Gulf Oil Spill on Wednesday, November 03, 2010
http://members.beforeitsnews.com/story/248/637/Australia:_Corexit_EC9500_and_Corexit_EC9527A_Used,_Activists_Claim_8_Deaths,_Fish_Kills_Linked_to_the_Dispersants.html
This may have been enough time for these animals to become sick after a few years !
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The Deadliness Below
Weapons of mass destruction thrown into the sea years ago present danger … dumped at sea decades ago finally ended up on shore in the United States. … The Army has examined only a few of its 26 dump zones and none in the past 30 years. … In 1964, mustard gas canisters are pushed into the Atlantic Ocean off New …
http://www.shanegarton.com/Capra_7_Art_Studio/Htmls/environmental.htmls/enviro_htmls/deadliness_below.html
~~~
A time bomb under the Northern seas | Presseurop (English)
Nov 16, 2011 … Not a reassuring idea, for anyone who knows that mustard gas, chloropicrin, … Ten years ago, the Russian scientist Aleksander Korotenko …
http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/1175841-time-bomb-under-northern-seas
~~~
Munitions Dumping at Sea : Deep Sea News
Jun 11, 2007 … The SS William Ralston filled with 301000 mustard gas bombs and 1500 1-ton ….
The USA isn’t the only country to dump munitions at sea. …. I recall reading speculation years ago, in print somewhere, that the agricultural …. boats using nets all around the Atlantic coast, but although I’ve seen occasional …
http://scienceblogs.com/deepseanews/2007/06/munitions_dumping_at_sea.php
~~~
Local man hurt as Atlantic City clam boat dredges up mustard gas …Jun 9, 2010 … The area is in a known munitions dumping zone and is on charts, Rhodes said. … We all respect them, but years ago the military threw this stuff overboard … of ocean disposal — 32 off U.S. shores and 42 off foreign coasts. …
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/article_d19c9f50-735c-11df-a4dd-001cc4c03286.html
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hey admin… would U consider removing the preview picture for this?
it is bothersome to look at what we have done to them every time I come to the site….
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What have the ring seals eaten all summer? Where were they before washing up on the beaches?
I believe they are exhibiting bio-accumulation. The plankton, crustaceans, cod and herring they eat were contaminated, perhaps not enough to show symptoms themselves, but obviously enough to affect the mammals who eat them. The CEREA map is quite clear that the Pacific Ocean took the brunt of the radioactive releases from Fukushima.
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What about the orange goo????
MYSTERIOUS ORANGE GOO WASHES UP, BAFFLES ALASKA VILLAGE
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/what-is-it-mysterious-orange-goo-washes-up-baffles-alaska-village/
“Leona Baldwin’s husband saw it first, and she got on the marine radio to alert others in the remote Alaska village of Kivalina that a strange orange goo was sitting on top of the town’s harbor.
“The news attracted all the townspeople, anxious to get a gander of the phenomenon that covered much of the harbor and then began washing ashore Wednesday.
“The next day it rained, and residents found the orange matter floating on top of the rain buckets they use to collect drinking water. It was also found on one roof, leading them to believe whatever it was, it was airborne, too.
“By Friday, the orange substance in the lagoon had dissipated or washed out to sea, and what was left on ground had dried to a powdery substance. Samples of the orange matter were collected in canning jars and sent to a lab in Anchorage for analysis.”
WELL… first “the EXPERTS” said it was crustacean eggs “from an unknown species of crustacean”:
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/orange-goo-alaska-village-actually-crustacean-eggs
THEN they said it was fungus spores “from an unknown species of fungus”:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44200285/ns/us_news-environment/t/orange-goo-alaska-shore-was-fungal-spores/
Local people DON’T TRUST THESE RESULTS:
http://alaska-native-news.com/article/Rural_News/Rural_News/Orange_Kivalina_Goo_Identified_as_Rust_Fungus/23154
NO ONE TESTED IT FOR RADIOACTIVITY.
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Noteworthy
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Cesium?
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Look at all aspects for causes – sometimes its a rush to “easy”. Harp seals eat fish –fish are in the oceans and in ocean currents. What have the seals gotten that could cause illness..both in Artic area..and the other site of the globe. Now, how near is the oil spill area in Alaska or ?? to where these animals have been found?. How close to where, legally or illegally, oil disperants have been utilized..or other where are other toxic substances dumped. The Bering Straits..connect oceans..and ocean water flows to and from in a very concentrated area. Large storms also occur there..spreading and mixing whatever is in the air. As for sick animals..in the oceans..only a very very small number of ill creatures get left on land..seals more than most as they do come to the beaches..As to toxic dumping..probably only a small small amount is ever reported. Like Japan’s radiation..what is not seen..what is not noticed..may not be reported. Hope the lab tests identify a cause soon–and everyone is told the cause(s).
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Do many spills and chemicals in recent years !
Judge rules BP not negligent in Alaska spill | Reuters
23 hours ago … SEATTLE (Reuters) – A federal judge ruled that BP was not negligent in the case
of a 2009 oil spill and did not violate the terms of its probation …
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/27/us-bp-alaska-idUSTRE7BQ1BQ20111227
Oil Spill Blackens Queensland’s Pristine Island Beaches
Mar 13, 2009 … Oil Spill Blackens Queensland’s Pristine Island Beaches. BRISBANE,
Queensland, Australia, March 13, 2009 (ENS) – The government of …
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2009/2009-03-13-01.html
20 Years After Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Alaskan Coastline Remains …
Mar 24, 2009 … Today marks the twentieth anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, one of the
worst environmental disasters in history. The Exxon Valdez …
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/3/24/20_years_after_exxon_valdez_oil
Oil spills into S.F. Bay south of Bay Bridge – SFGate
Oct 31, 2009 … The severity of the second toxic fuel spill to hit San Francisco Bay in two years
remained unknown Friday, but as a large plume of oil headed for …
http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-10-31/news/17186707_1_oil-skimmers-oiled-wildlife-care-network-thick-black-oil
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Australia: Corexit EC9500 and Corexit EC9527A Used, Activists Claim 8 Deaths, Fish Kills Linked to the Dispersant’s !
To Gulf Oil Spill on Wednesday, November 03, 2010
http://members.beforeitsnews.com/story/248/637/Australia:_Corexit_EC9500_and_Corexit_EC9527A_Used,_Activists_Claim_8_Deaths,_Fish_Kills_Linked_to_the_Dispersants.html
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Giant plumes of methane bubbling to surface of Arctic Ocean
Dec 14, 2011
Russian scientists have discovered hundreds of plumes of methane gas, some 1,000 meters in diameter, bubbling to the surface of the Arctic Ocean. Scientists are concerned that as the Arctic Shelf recedes, the unprecedented levels of gas released could greatly accelerate global climate change.
Igor Semiletov of the Russian Academy of Sciences tells the UK’s Independent that the plumes of methane, a gas 20 times as harmful as carbon dioxide, have shocked scientists who have been studying the region for decades. “Earlier we found torch-like structures like this …
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2821251/posts
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Right Xdrfox…. I read the methane leads to acidification of the ocean. Perhaps the ocean is becomming so acidic it is burning the animals. The appearance of these methane curiously mirrors these seal ailments.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_acidification
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I love it! Someone posted, “I didn’t know there were cows in the ocean!”
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Unusual Mortality Event declared in the Northeast
On November 3, 2011, a marine mammal “Unusual Mortality Event” was declared for Maine, New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts for a high number of seal deaths between September 1, 2011 and the present. As of September 1, 2011, 162 harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are included in the Unusual Mortality Event, most under six months old. The Unusual Mortality Event is ongoing and all mortalities are being thoroughly investigated to the extent possible. The majority of cases have involved young of the year and many have similar skin lesions (ulcerative dermatitis). Unlike historical young of the year harbor seal mortalities, which are often attributed to malnutrition, many of these animals are in good body condition.”
(i.e., LESS BIO-ACCUMULATION of radioactivity in the Northeast vs. the Pacific /Artic regions)
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/mmume/pinniped_northeast2011.htm
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ENENEWS and/or members have posted about these strange mortality events for several months. They have affected marine mammals all over the globe — in the Southern Hemisphere, too. Lots of whale deaths, too.
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For the doubters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJxobgkPEAo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzyme
gfd
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???? Sorry but I fail to see the connection. Would you please explain?
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Fukushima spreads radiation sickness to seals: Is Humanity next?
28 Dec 2011
Scientists in Alaska are investigating whether local seals are being sickened by radiation from Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. …
…Biologists at first thought the seals were suffering from a virus, but they have so far been unable to identify one, and tests are now underway to find out if radiation is a factor. …
…”There is concern expressed by some members of the local communities that there may be some relationship to the Fukushima nuclear reactor’s damage,” he said. …
http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/diseased-seals-in-alaska-tested-radiation-4669702
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Ironically and maddingly this last week Doc they pronounced and repronounced how Alaska was virtually excluded from Fuku’s touch.
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NZ muttonbirds tested for Fukushima radiation
Dec 22, 2011
New Zealand muttonbirds are being studied to see if they were affected by radiation from Japan’s damaged nuclear power plant.
Samples are being taken from the birds as part of the research into the effects of radiation from the Fukushima plant, which was severely damaged following the earthquake and tsunamis which hit the country in March.
The research aims to determine the degree to which the mutton bird population was exposed to radiation.
Experts have said the Fukushima disaster was responsible for the largest single release of radioactivity into the ocean, threatening wildlife and fisheries in the region.
Millions of the birds, known as sooty shearwaters, come to this
country to breed …
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/nz-muttonbirds-tested-fukushima-radiation-4667207
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3500 Prions Seabirds Found Dead west coast New Zealand
To Mass Animal Death on Thursday, July 14, 2011
http://members.beforeitsnews.com/story/818/649/3500_Prions_Seabirds_Found_Dead_west_coast_New_Zealand.html
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SEATTLE — Scientists in Alaska are investigating whether local seals are being sickened by radiation from Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.
Scores of ring seals have washed up on Alaska’s Arctic coastline since July, suffering or killed by a mysterious disease marked by bleeding lesions on the hind flippers, irritated skin around the nose and eyes and patchy hair loss on the animals’ fur coats.
Biologists at first thought the seals were suffering from a virus, but they have so far been unable to identify one, and tests are now underway to find out if radiation is a factor.
“We recently received samples of seal tissue from diseased animals captured near St. Lawrence Island with a request to examine the material for radioactivity,” said John Kelley, Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Marine Science at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
“There is concern expressed by some members of the local communities that there may be some relationship to the Fukushima nuclear reactor’s damage,” he said.
The results of the tests would not be available for “several weeks,” Kelley said.
Water tests have not picked up any evidence of elevated radiation in U.S. Pacific waters since the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan, which caused multiple fuel meltdowns at the Fukushima plant and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate the surrounding area.
Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have been seeking the cause of the diseased seals for weeks, but have so far found no answers.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45800485/ns/technology_and_science-science/#.TvvFhZhceJA
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Taco, I have irritated, crusty skin around and in my nose and eyes and I have had this condition for months!
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I took a quick scan and did notice this posted
Jones focuses on Daily Mail piece that links Fukushima to the seals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgTTsK7i-Co
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45800485/ns/technology_and_science-science/#.TvvFhZhceJA
This mass seal killing isnt on the map
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So…we don’t have to worry about eating seafood, cause Kellys says, “Water tests have not picked up any evidence of elevated radiation in U.S. Pacific waters since the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan”. I’m thinking B.S. but have little proof.
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Enjoy ur seafood proofless
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Hell, it’s even safe to eat the sickly seals according to wildlife depts…just make sure you cook it well
Yeah, that’ll remove the strontium and plutonium
And it will be the easiest hunt ever!
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As other posters have pointed out, these areas appear to be in an area where methane may be coming up into the enviroment. What about the hydrogen sulfide or sulphur dioxide from the gaseous releases, which would be far more hazardous than the methane itself. Possible candidate?
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Absolutely
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Yep. A possibility.
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I would tend to agree more with oil spill and dispersants used being the culprit here than radiation…but maybe there was a amplification or cocktail effect.
The other poster who said that the people who know aren’t saying, is probably right too.
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brilli,
Radiation is in oil !
Dangerous Amounts of Radioactive Material in the Gulf, Dr. Busby warns, SHOCKING REPORT
To Gulf Oil Spill on Sunday, May 01, 2011
http://members.beforeitsnews.com/story/602/820/Dangerous_Amounts_of_Radioactive_Material_in_the_Gulf,_Dr._Busby_warns,_SHOCKING_REPORT.html
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Bastards! How shameful to see these effects. Only God knows what else along with Fukushima and oil spills is occuring in our fragile environment.
If you are interested, Christopher Busby appears in an interview with Alex Jones today:
“Alex talks with British scientist Christopher Busby about the continuing radiation effects of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Dr. Busby also talks about the cause of congenital anomaly and cancer in Fallujah, Iraq, now identified as enriched uranium from novel weapons systems deployed by the U.S. military. Busby is the director of Green Audit, an environmental consultancy agency, and scientific advisor to the Low Level Radiation Campaign which he set up in 1995.”
http://www.prisonplanet.com/
http://rss.infowars.com/Alex.rss
Click on the above link, then right click the Wednesday program link, and “Save Target As” to save to your computer.
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Most definitely interested. Popping some popcorn for the special occasion.
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Howdy all,
When discussing these poor seals and the story here, dr deagle just now confirmed these are symptoms of radiation poisoning on his show today. Here’s a link to the show:
http://podcast.gcnlive.com/podcast/nutri_med/1229113.mp3
Not that dr deagle is the absolute authority on all this, but at least he speaks truth to power and does not ware lace panties like all the other chicken-shit scientists, epa, nrc, iaea, those in places of learning, and plume map makers do. The profit margin in exchange of the purposeful ignorance and continued COVER-UP around this huge world-wide catastrophic disaster is unconscionable by any rational mind or normal person. Only the god money rules over peoples lives and hearts in this materialist world. One that is going the way of the dinosaur fast.
It is sad to think that in a thousand years someone will realize what a stupid self-destroying civilization this turned out to be where soon the god will become the stomach. We will be a universal example of what ignorance, greed, and malice towards all life does to a supposedly advanced civilization and shown as the example for future civilizations to avoid at all costs. They will learn from the mistakes and carelessness of a civilization that did nothing to save themselves, and did everything to destroy all life instead. Ignorance is among the greatest killers.
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Cont.
What the babalonian profiteers are concerned about is the protection of the major fishing industries up on the coasts of north america. Keeping this ecological disaster secret so they can continue to profit is the highest agenda now. Once again we see the well executed cover up for the almighty dollar. Why these greedy evil bastards keep profiting as people are dying and gaining more radiation sickness that is being reported is beyond belief.
After they profit all they can from the various radiation spewing locations around the world, they will kill off all the biological life on earth and then have no one left to profit from. All according to the agenda 21 plans for population control and elimination.
Where is RRW about now and what was it he always said? Party like it is 1999? Yeah, live well in these last days of Pompeii as we all slowly die. Ignore this truth while you are at it. Keep slaving away for the almighty god the dollar and those who use you to death and profit from it.
Hope and change? You get what you pay for.
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No doubt the crisis will be used to force more GMO foodstuffs on the dumbed down majority of the public. Legalization of 2,4, D for use on crops is being pushed now.
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it’s amazing the bbc has lovely nature tv shows…science holy men david attenborough.
a man who has spent 50 years showing us the magic and profound beauty of the planet and nature.
and month in month out not a squeak.
the man and his propaganda machine at the bbc clearly are following some protocol.
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Unbelievable Fukushima did not make it to top ten stories of 2011 on my local public radio…
The majority still are not aware of the timelines involved, so
2012 Top Story Prediction: The Radiological Aftermath of the Global Nuclear Holocaust of March 2011
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;( poor friggen animals. This pisses me off so much.
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I hear you, it really sucks, on our watch.
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Application of Endangered Species Act in Alaska a cause for concern?
Dec 28, 2011
For nearly 40 years, at-risk animals in the United States have taken refuge in the force of federal law. Under the Endangered Species Act, passed into law on Dec. 28, 1973, protection of animals facing severe decline became a federal mandate.
While some Alaska species have recovered through protection, others were hunted to extinction before laws existed to safeguard them. Species that are gone forever include the Spectacled Cormorant and the Steller Sea Cow, a large marine mammal similar to manatees.
On Wednesday the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Alaska region celebrated the act’s anniversary with a brief “Happy Birthday!” message on its website, and credited the law with the successful recovery of a handful of animals in Alaska.
But nearly four decades after the act became law it’s become a source of …
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/application-endangered-species-act-alaska-cause-concern
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs0hnwjEjyk&feature=related
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Experts Puzzling Over Mysterious Seal, Walrus Disease
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2011/10/26/experts-puzzling-over-mysterious-seal-walrus-disease/
(my transcription from audio)
Cathy Burick-Huntingdon (sp?) has done a lot of marine mammal necropsies during her career. The veterinary pathologist has become familiar with the outsides, and insides, of killer whales, sea lions and seals but she has never seen anything quite like the diseased ringed seals she began receiving from Barrow (Alaska) earlier this fall.
“It’s rather remarkable how many skin lesions they have and how severe the skin lesions are. It’s something I’ve never seen before, or read about, in seals.”
Burick-Huntingdon says the insides of the diseased animals have been more variable. There’s usually a lot of bleeding, swelling and emphysema in the lungs; some have obvious problems with their liver. The animals also have bacterial infections, but she thinks they are a symptom of the illness, not the cause. Burick-Huntingdon has done 10 seal necropsies so far and examined samples from one walrus. She says it’s not yet clear if the ringed seals and walrus are suffering from the same thing but she thinks they probably are.
“I think it would be very surprising to have, in this one year, a bunch of seals that have ulcers on their skin, and a bunch of walruses that have ulcers on their skin that would be something different. That seems like a very unlikely coincidence.”
…”This is very puzzling. It’s very frustrating. Wildlife is a special category of disease investigation. You have so much less information on those animals’ history. But then this is a special case in that we’re having to produce an awful lot of effort and involve an awful lot of people in order to figure this one out.”
Nine different labs in the US and Canada have been running tests, trying to come up with an answer. The latest is a lab that looks specifically for emerging pathogens…
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…Carrie Rolls (sp?) is overseeing the investigation for the National Marine Fisheries Service. She says that lab can test for a much wider range of things.
“It could be something new to these animals but an unknown entity. Or it could be a completely new virus or bacteria that is unknown to science , or undiscovered.”
Rolls say that more than 30 experts are working on the problem.
Scientists are also checking in with native communities to determine if anything like this has happened before. Rafael Stimmermayer (sp?) is a wildlife vet with the North Slope Borough.
“There are some reports that conditions similar to this have been observed before but not at this magnitude, usually not with skin lesions and hair loss to the extent we are observing right now.”
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BTW, I had a letter to the editor published in the Alaska Native News on Nov. 8:
http://alaska-native-news.com/article/Letter_to_the_EditorOpinion/Letters_to_the_Editor/To_the_Editor_and_Citizens_of_Northwest_Arctic_Borough/23629
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great post desert lady
+100
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Dolphins washing up in Peru…video..they look rather like the seals ..methinks.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/feb/10/dolphin-deaths-peru-video
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