The number of dead marine mammals continues to climb along the Jersey Shore.

Eight dolphins died Wednesday after getting stranded along a beach in Cape May County. According to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, a pod of eight dolphins became stranded on the beach on Tuesday. Two dolphins died and the other six were euthanized to prevent further suffering of the animals. Necropsies will be done on the animals to help determine what led to their stranding.

News 12 can now confirm at least 16 dolphins died along New Jersey waters since mid-February. Multiple deaths occurred in Sandy Hook Bay, including a mother and her calf last week.

The dolphin deaths come less than a week after Congressman Jeff Van Drew held a hearing in Wildwood once again calling for a pause of all wind activity until more studies can be done to find out if there is any evidence whales and dolphins are affected by research vessels offshore.

A pair of online petitions have recked up close to 800,000 signatures calling for similar pauses, including this one. The hearings and petitions come despite government agencies like National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) repeatedly saying there is zero evidence linking the recent deaths to offshore wind.

DEP commissioner Shawn Latourette addressed these claims at an event on Monday in Union Beach.

“There is nothing to have a moratorium about. There is survey work that based on the experts from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and our own marine fisheries administration show that there is no harm to marine life from that survey activity,” Latourette said.