"An infinity of people perished," fishing fleets became matchwood, entire herds of cattle and sheep perished in the raging waters.
In June 2004, for example, tens of thousands of fish perished after a bout of heavy rain.
Thirteen perished on a fishing vessel passing by Pagan as Ben passed nearby.
In parts of Indonesia's Coral Triangle over 450 species of coral and 2,800 kinds of fish have perished.
On Galveston's Tarpon Pier, ten members of a fishing party perished after the pier collapsed, though six were rescued by the yacht Mayflower.
About 14,000 pelicans, including 7500 American white pelicans, perished from botulism after eating fish from the Salton Sea in 1990.
Without electricity to pump oxygen, most of his stock perished, including a tank of Amazonian discus fish valued at almost $2,000.
It is more than likely that among the 700 feared to have perished in a single night on board a fishing boat off Lampedusa, including many Eritreans, were several who had followed this route.
The fish aren't adapted to surviving in the more turbulent waters near the shore, and may have perished after being carried away from more still waters, said Milton Love, a research biologist at the Marine Science Institute at UC Santa Barbara. .
