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River Dolphins
Why is it in news?
- Reports of missing of river dolphin.
Rise in salinity:
- Rise in salinity in the water system that makes the Indian Sunderbans has resulted in the decrease of population of the Ganges River Dolphins in the region.
- Only in the western part of Sunderbans, where the salinity is lower, could researchers find some evidence of the species.
- Freshwater flow to the Sunderbans is crucial for the subsistence of these species.
- Though there is some fresh water connectivity and flow in the eastern part, salinity levels were still high and thus there was no evidence of the Ganges River Dolphin in this region.
- The rise in sea level, triggered by climate change, is one of the reasons for the increase in salinity of waters of rivers and channels.
- Hydrological modifications like water diversion and commission of large barrages upstream have had a great impact on the salinity profile of the rivers downstream in the Sunderbans,” the publication stated.
Why dolphin cant live in high salinity?
- Because of its unique body shape, it becomes difficult for the dolphin to remain submerged in waters with high salinity.
Gangetic river dolphin
- IUCN: Classified as endangered by the IUCN Red List,
- Habitat:
- The freshwater species was also once found in different tributaries of the Ganga in West Bengal.
- Researchers and experts pointed out that the sighting of the Ganges River Dolphin has decreased over the years in the 534-km stretch from Farakka Barrage to Sunderbans.