researchers from university of british columbiain Canada, estimate that about 1 billion marine animals – including mussels, clams and other molluscs – died as a result of the extreme heat wave that hit the west of the country.

The heat was so intense that experts believe clams were literally “boiled alive” on a beach near Vancouver, British Columbia. The dead animals are now rotting and giving off an unpleasant odor on the coast.

Christopher Harley, professor of zoology at the University of British Columbia, said in an interview with the American channel CNN that he went to inspect the animals after the high temperatures and smelled the strong smell “from afar”: ” it’s a disaster,” said the expert.

He explained that molluscs even manage to cope with high temperatures thanks to a mechanism that allows them to store water from the tides inside their shell – cooling it down a bit. However, in addition to the extreme heat, the west coast of Canada also experienced a low tide regime, which formed a deadly combination for these animals.

In Canada, where wildfires continue to spread with more than 50 outbreaks in the past two days, the government has announced new emergency measures to prevent the fire.

The thermometer rose over much of the Pacific coast and inland. The region between the sea and the Rocky Mountain range is the hardest hit.

This is the second heat wave in less than a month. At the end of June, record temperatures were recorded for three consecutive days in the Canadian province of British Columbia. (see video below).