UNCW Marine Animals Found Killed, Mutilated

By: Laura Lillycrop

Featured Image Source

We frequently read stories of chemical mixups being blamed for killing fish at aquariums all over the world. Saltwater species in specific are more sensitive to changes in their environment, making a alteration in their surroundings potentially fatal. Water quality problems are still the major cause of death of marine fish.

However, campus police are investigating a new case of marine fish death after several animals at the University of North Carolina Wilmington were found mutilated and killed.

According to an incident report from the UNCW Police Department, on July 15, 2016 an individual at the Center for Marine Science walked in to discover injured and dead animals in a tank. According to University Police’s daily crime log, it happened on July 14. However, it wasn’t reported until July 29.

Two pincushion sea urchins and a juvenile red drum fish were killed and a sea star had been “mutilated” with a cutting instrument, according to the information gathered by campus police.

UNCW spokeswoman Janine Iamunno reported that the animals were at the center for various educational purposes, and not research purposes as originally reported. They were located in an area of the facility used for public tours and student education.

Image Source: http://www.fox46charlotte.com/news/local-news/185000705-story

The incident was labeled “vandalism,” which is the deliberate destruction or defacing of property, in the police report because the fish were classed as state property.

Janine Iamunno said there were a total of three incidents involving the marine animals. In the first incident, a starfish went missing in July, and officials were unable to determine what happened to it. The second incident involved the red drum being transferred from one tank to another, where it was subsequently consumed by another fish.

Finally, Iamunno stated that a sea star’s arms were removed using what appears to be a cutting instrument. This resulted in an increase of ammonia in the tank. Ammonia is a food source for nitrifying bacteria and is toxic to fish at high levels. Thus, two sea urchins were later found deceased.

The police report also states and that the incident is still under investigation until further notice. The marine center, located at 5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane in Myrtle Grove, houses marine science labs, an aquarium and other research facilities.