More than lobsters are dying in Long Island Sound in what some scientists are calling one of the most severe ecological disasters to strike the East Coast. Spider crabs, sea urchins and starfish also have been found dead in hundreds of lobster pots pulled from the water recently. Many factors, including pollution, may be contributing to the deaths, scientists say. And while a parasite known as a paramoeba has been identified as a cause of death, the full explanation remains elusive. Scientists, who are just beginning to gather data on the deaths of other shellfish, believe the results might illuminate the bigger problem of what is happening in the Sound.
Lobster fishermen say they have found as many dead crabs as lobsters in their traps.
Long Island Sound is one of the country's largest and most heavily populated estuaries, with about 20 million people living along its shores. It is relatively enclosed, with little circulation, especially at its western end, where the lobster mortalities have been highest. Although state officials agree that the die-off is a catastrophe, they say the overall health of the Sound is improving. But while the Sound is the cleanest it has been in years, scientists studying the marine life mortalities say it should be considered a sentinel body of water, warning of problems that can occur as a result of pesticides, sewage and other pollution. Scientists are focusing on several possible agents that could be contributing to the die-off, including a chemical compound and a larvicide that appear to inhibit lobster's reproductive systems, and chlorine from sewage treatment plants.