River and sea water sampling around Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and Mayi Rudik, Russian national surfing team member who suffered from corneal burn after training at the Khalaktyrsky beach at Kamchatka. But amid mounting pressure, Russia's Investigative Committee Wednesday launched a criminal probe into suspected violations in the use of environmentally hazardous substances and waste and marine pollution. 'We invite you to consider the possibility of joining the research group and help us to identify the causes of the pollution of the Pacific Ocean near Kamchatka. 'The coast is covered with dead octopuses, sea urchins, crabs, mollusk and flounder. 'The Kamchatka region faces a challenging environmental situation which involves the mass death of marine animals and hydrobionts in Avacha Bay of the Pacific Ocean. In early September, the water changed color to a greyish-yellow, with a thick milky foam on the surface, and a strong foul smell filled the air. 'Unlikely it was caused by a storm, we have bad weather every other day and no sea animals are thrown out like this on a mass scale', resident of Severo-Kurilsk Alexander told local channel. So far several groups of Russian scientists said that according to their research it was the so-called Red Tide - the rapid activation of toxic algae - that killed marine life. 5 times higher than normal, and petroleum levels 3. Kozelsky military waste site, picture Leks_85_Kamchatka. Another - unnamed - scientist involved in studying the affected waters of the Pacific Ocean said that he found no trace of micro-algae in the sea. "The investigators are checking all possible sources of pollution, including the territories of landfills adjacent to the Avachinsky Bay and the coastal strip of Khalaktyr where toxic chemicals are stored, " the Investigative Committee said in a statement. However, this summer was abnormally warm for Kamchatka with a high number of sunny days which could have provoked an outbreak of plankton blooming', Klochkova said. Some large fish, shrimps and crabs have survived, but in very small numbers.
Mass death of hydrobionts and fish at the Sea of Okhotsk, west of Kamchatka as battle of the toxic tide versions continues. A photographer who participated in the underwater expedition with the scientists also experienced a retina burn, the report added. Initial probes showed that levels of phenol, a substance often used as antiseptic or disinfectant, were 2. 'Without detecting toxins in the animals organs and tissues talks about microalgae is speculation. Water samples showed high levels of micro-algae which release toxins when blooming, thus depleting water of oxygen and harming invertebrates, said vice president of Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Adrianov. It is still unclear what caused the contamination. In a meeting with Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov, local scientists reported that the majority of marine life on the seabed was dead. A dozen deep-sea giant octopuses washed ashore at the island of Paramushir, Northern Kuril Islands, 300km south from the Kamchatka peninsula where people continue to report mass death of marine animals. The Kamchatka governor insisted Wednesday that the area would be recultivated "no matter what. Lyubov Morekhodova glides over the pure ice on skates made by her father not long after World War Two.
Russian scientists have so far discounted versions of leaked waste from Koselsky and Radygino military waste sites, leaked rocket fuel, seismic or volcanic activity and waste water from ships causing environmental damage. 'The causes of this phenomenon remain unclear. A few days later, octopuses, seals and other sea creatures began to wash up on the beach. Mayi posted videos of the yellowish foam at the Khalaktyrsky beach filmed at the end of September. More than 400 surfers have trained at the beach, with dozens of them reporting worsening eyesight, fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, skin rashes and head and throat aches. Video from west coast of Kamchatka, village of Ozernovsky by the Sea of Okhotsk. Soul-stirring images of eruption on the Klyuchevskaya Sopka caught by extreme travellers at altitude of 2, 850 metres (9, 350 ft).
Local surfers were the first to spot that something was wrong at Khalaktyr beach after about 20 people in a surf camp experienced severe retina burns and symptoms similar to food poisoning. 'The research group will work remotely and examine the available analyses results and hypotheses of our scientists', Vladimir Solodov wrote in his appeal to the scientists. The Russian branch of Greenpeace pointed to a nearby toxic waste dump as a possible source of the leak. Giant octopuses were twiced washed on the beach outside Severo-Kurilsk on Paramushir island. "However, when diving, we found that there is a mass death of benthos [bottom-dwelling organisms] at depths from 10 to 15 meters -- 95% are dead. This is the latest in a string of ecological disasters Russia has seen in recent years, coming four months after 20, 000 tons of fuel from a damaged tank poured into a nearby river in the Siberian city of Norilsk.
A day earlier another case of mass death of marine wildlife was reported by a resident of Ozerkovsky village by the Sea of Okhotsk on the western coast of the Kamchatka peninsula. Karina became the symbol of resilience and hope when - aged only 4 - she survived 12 days in taiga of Yakutia. That statement drew a social media backlash, which gained more traction after a post from a prominent YouTuber Yury Dud, featuring drone shots of a dark layer on the surface of the water and dozens of dead animals on the shore, went viral. "All of our underwater beauty is of gray and yellow colors, the fish looks like they've been boiling in hot water... and this is all happening just 200 meters away from the house I live in. Kamchatka officials revealed Tuesday that the perimeter at Kozelsky site, which stores over 100 tons of toxic substances, including pesticides, had been breached. The local authorities at first dismissed the reports. "Our guys went diving and they came back to surface with tears on their eyes! The findings concur with earlier accounts from locals posted on social media.