[kach22i]

Probably unrelated, but interesting.

Scores of Fish Beach Themselves in N.C.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060226/ap_on_sc/fish_jubilee

Sun Feb 26, 1:48 AM ET

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. - State and local wildlife experts are trying to figure out what led more than a thousand flounder, spot and pin fish to beach themselves at the Marine Corps' New River air base — and then swim away.

They believe it may be related to a popular phenomenon known in coastal Alabama as "jubilee."

The fish surfaced in shallow water Friday morning. They were lethargic, but alive.

"It's kind of strange," said Mike Sanderford, New River Riverkeeper. "It's a bunch of fish up here, but they're not dead. They're almost docile."

When he arrived, Sanderford said, the fish were lying in shallow water and allowed him to touch them before they swam away.

Representatives of the Division of Water Quality, N.C. Marine Fisheries and N.C. Marine Patrol checked on the fish along the air station's shoreline Friday morning. One expert estimated about 1,000 to 1,500 were crowded in the waterline.

But by afternoon, they were gone. The timing matched another oddity: the water's oxygen level, which veered from one extreme to the other.

"We measured the oxygen levels in the water this morning and they were very low," said Stephanie Garrett, environmental technician with DWQ. "Then two and a half hours later, they were high."

She said that might be a clue that the area saw a case of the "jubilee" phenomenon, in which thousands of live, healthy fish beach themselves.

Scientists know that a jubilee occurs when variety of factors deoxygenate the water, forcing fish to the shore.

Jubilees occur in a number of places, but nowhere as often and as regularly as on Mobile Bay's eastern shore. Jubilees usually occur during the summer, providing a free feast to locals who head to shore to gather the fish up.

"It's normal to them, they all know the conditions that are needed and go down with gigs to get the flounder," said Bianca Klein, biologist at the Air Station. "It's definitely a rarity here, though."

Only about 50 fish died, and that may not have been from natural causes.

"The flounder that were dead were the big ones," Sanderford said. "We're guessing someone came out here early this morning and started to pick out the biggest ones to take home for dinner, but wondered why they were beached and thought something might be wrong with them."

___

Information from: The Daily News, http://www.jdnews.com

Camp Lejeune = Marine Corps' New River air base?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Base_Camp_Lejeune

Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is near Jacksonville, North Carolina, on the Atlantic seaboard of the United States.

Camp Lejeune is home to the U.S. Marine Corps's II Marine Expeditionary Force, 2nd Marine Division, three other major Marine commands and a Naval hospital. As of the early 2000s, the base population is 143,491 of which 43,100 are in uniform.

The base occupies 246 square miles (637 km˛) and contains 6,946 buildings. The base's 14 miles (23 km) of beaches make it a major training area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports allow for faster deployments.

The main base is supplemented by four satellite facilities. When added to the main base and MCAS Cherry Point, they make up the largest concentration of Marines and U.S. Navy sailors in the world. These satellite facilities are: Camp Geiger, Stone Bay, Courthouse Bay, and Camp Johnson, home to the Marine Corps Combat Service Support Schools........................................... ............
To add to the bases around Camp Lejeune is MCAS New River, which is home to USMC helicopter and V22 Osprey squadrons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Air_Station_New_River

Marine Corps Air Station New River is a helicopter base near Jacksonville, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state, at 34.71° N 77.44° W. Its ICAO airport code is KNCA.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usmc/ii-mef.htm

The 2d Marine Aircraft Wing (2d MAW) is headquartered at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, with subordinate units located at MCAS New River, N.C. and MCAS Beaufort, S.C. The 2d MAW includes a Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron, an air control group, a support group, one combined fighter-attack and all weather fighter-attack group, one light attack group, and two helicopter groups. There are also aerial refueling and air defense capabilities. In total, 2d MAW has nearly 400 aircraft.

The 2d Force Service Support (2d FSSG) is also located at Camp Lejeune. In addition to its headquarters battalion, it is composed of the following battalions,: landing support, maintenance, motor transport, supply, engineer support, medical and dental.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Bay_jubilee

Mobile Bay jubilee
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Jubilee is the name used locally for a natural phenomenon that occurs from time to time on the shores of Mobile Bay, Alabama, USA. During a jubilee, blue crabs, shrimp, flounder, stingray, and eels swarm toward the shore in such numbers that the shallow water near land seems to boil with life. People living near the shore rush down to the water with washtubs, gigs and nets, and gather a bountiful -- and easily reaped -- harvest of seafood. As jubilees only happen on warm summer nights, often in the early pre-dawn hours, the event takes on the aspect of a joyous community beach party.

No one knows what causes a jubilee. One theory revolves around oxygen depletion caused by decay of organic material settling on the bottom of the bay, a process that is accelerated during the summer. Coupled with certain climatic conditions, this is believed to drive the crabs, shrimp and fish (particularly the bottom dwelling ones) toward the shore in a desperate search for more oxygen-rich water.

Jubilees cannot be predicted with certainty. Local folklore offers some clues for telling when one might be in the offing: The water is calm the day before and during the event itself, the wind is gentle and blowing from the east, the tide is rising, and the sky is cloudy or overcast. Not all of these conditions must be present before a jubilee can occur, though, nor does the presence of all of them at once guarantee a jubilee. To the residents of Mobile Bay's eastern and western shores, the jubilee remains as a mysterious -- and most welcomed -- gift from nature.

Man or nature - you decide.