ON A SCALE OF....I’ve been wondering why there is not more evidence of stranded, beached or dead marine life in areas which have been covered with flood waters?
It seems logical that there should be a visible collection or crust of sea creatures in the low places who did not survive the land grab. There ought to be a scattering of fish, crabs, shells, and all types of seaweed with, perhaps, an occasional shark, whale or a stray manatee to hype tourism.
I can understand, of course, that it may well be that fish and other moving marine critters leave water as it rushes toward shore and the daily routine of fish might well make them a bit leery of any marked change. The vibration of the surf - noise to us - might screen them from any threat of impending danger or entrapment. Changes in what we would call smell or odor might make them go for deeper waters or the presence of certain other types of sea-going life may suggest a change be undertaken - for reason unknown unknowable in fish living lore at that time. Mama Fishes must have devised a variety of handy sayings to teach their fry to go around such trouble - things found being suspect and sharp changes in currents or velocity. "Dry land doth not help a healthy haddock stay that way!"..that sorta thing - a warning to a sensible young fish to cut and run ...swerve and scoot or whatever it is young fish do to evade danger. Certainly, the daily living habits of such creatures dictates much of what they choose to do. When water gets shallow ...take off!
I was amazed when people along the edge of the surf during prep time for our present hurricane kept making references to the increasing warmth of the incoming water. They spoke again and again of temperatures in the 90-degree area. Isn't that a bit on the toasty side for a fish? It may be that simple temperature changes keep fish away from waters rushing for their end.
A.L.M. August 31, 2005 [c356wds]
