© DAVID ITANO
Scientists are trying to determine why puffer fish are dying around the Hawaiian Islands.
Wildlife scientists have been scrambling for months to determine why puffer fish are dying around the Hawaiian Islands, and still do not know whether they will identify the killer.
Thierry Work, a wildlife disease specialist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said Wednesday that scientists had conducted 72 necropsies on diseased puffer fish that have been found on all the islands except Kauai.
Finding the cause is critical because it could affect the ecosystem or human health, said Work, who is with the USGS's National Wildlife Health Center.
"It's part of understanding the health of the marine ecosystem," Work said. "There's something awry in the marine environment."
Scientists learned about the deaths in June but realized the fish have been dying in large numbers since March. Work suspects fish collected so far are just a small number of those that have died.
According to longtime ocean users who have reported seeing dead puffer fish, the die-off surpasses any recent mass death of puffer fish, he said.
