Extreme Heat in Canada Rising to 70C Cooks Mussels, Clams, Snails to Death

Extreme heat temperatures and low tide in Canada are reportedly cooking sea creatures, including mussels, sea snails, and clams. Infrared cameras measured above 50 degrees Celsius in the shorelines of British Columbia in its recent heatwave.

Marine biologist Dr. Chris Harley of the University of British Columbia estimates that a total of one billion sea animals died in the Salish Sea off the coast of Vancouver, Canada, because of the extreme heat. His team is now gathering more data, but so far, the numbers are going up.

"It's (like) leaving a car in a hot parking lot," he told the Toronto Star. "It gets a lot hotter than the air does. So that's what happens to the shoreline when it's out in the sun and low tide."

Harley noted smelling a foul odor permeating from the British Columbia beach in late June that signified death. Residents near local beaches also reported smelling the deceased seashore creatures even before reaching the coastal area.

Extreme Heat in Canada Shores

Harley said that the impact of the heatwave now has not only affected people but sea creatures as well. The B.C. Coroners Services previously reported 777 sudden deaths due to the extreme heat in the province from June 25 to July 1, according to Complex. These numbers are higher than the same period in 2020.

He added that the dead sea creatures signify that although human tolls to climate change are important, the whole environment is also changing. Harley calls the dead mussels s the "poster child" indicator of the extreme heat's devastation to the sea. He explains that these sea creatures are the most vulnerable and obvious when they die.

According to CBC, the death of mussels could have a significant impact on water quality since they are filter feeders that clear out particles in the water and make them a little clearer. They also eat floating planktons on the water surface and use them to grow and feed on other things on the shore. They serve as a connection between the open water habitat and the shoreline.

Harley recalled that he was stunned to see tens of thousands of mussels, clams, sea stars, and snails o the Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver as they were already emitting a putrid odor that hung thick in the heat.

This intertidal wildlife can only tolerate temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius for only a short period. However, the unbearable heat and low tides in the area in the afternoon have proven to be a deadly combination.

Vancouver has reached 40 degrees Celsius, while infrared cameras used by Harley's team showed that British Columbia was only a few degrees higher which is above 50 degrees on rocky shoreline habitats.

Effects of Extreme Heat on Canada's Wildlife

The impact of climate change in Ontario is felt in the decreasing population of Canada jays. According to the study, "Climate-driven carry-over effects negatively influence population growth rate in a food-caching boreal passerine" published in Global Change Biology, the fluctuating autumn temperatures and more freeze thaws have affected the food stock of the birds which adversely impacted their population.

Although there might not be an immediate solution to the effects of climate change, Harley said that there is one thing that humans can do. This is to reduce greenhouse gases emissions to prevent similar events of animals or plants dying off.

"(During the pandemic) we changed our behaviors, and we tolerated lockdowns, started wearing masks, and I think if people care enough, they will also find ways to, you know, drive less, make their next car a cleaner vehicle," said Harley, as quoted by The Star. "All these little changes that we do can make a difference."