Black Sea Dolphin Population on the Brink of Collapse

From June 5 to 9, mass dolphin deaths occurred along the coasts of Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria; 37 stranded dolphins were found along a 40-kilometer stretch of coastline in Ukraine’s Odessa Oblast alone. Military explosions, sonar, missile strikes, and oil pollution have severely damaged the dolphins’ hearing and physical functions, leading to a significant decline in their immunity and reproductive capacity. Today, the Black Sea dolphin population is in grave danger, and the species even faces the risk of permanent regional extinction.