Photograph: © SAF — Coastal Care
Excerpts;
Along California’s coast, an increasing number of endangered Guadalupe fur seals have died after stranding themselves on shore. Since January, almost 80 dead fur seals have been found in the area, leading the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to declare an “Unusual Mortality Event” (UME)…
Read Full Article, Nature World News
2015 Guadalupe Fur Seal Unusual Mortality Event in California, NOAA
Increased strandings of Guadalupe fur seals have occurred along the entire coast of California. Guadalupe fur seals strandings began in January 2015 and were eight times higher than the historical average…
Unprecedented sea lion strandings in California linked to warmer Pacific, Reuters, (02-19-2015)
The strandings of a record number of sea lion pups along the California coast this year are linked to a puzzling weather pattern that has warmed their Pacific Ocean habitat and likely impacted fish populations they rely on for food, federal scientists said…
Climate Change Hits Sea Lions in the Santa Barbara Channel, SB Independent (04-18-2015)
According to the most recent count prepared by NOAA, 2,460 stranded sea lions have been scooped off California beaches during the first three and a half months of 2015. Santa Barbara beaches have been hit especially hard. Given that California’s two main sea lion rookeries are located just off Santa Barbara’s coast — San Miguel and San Nicolas islands — that’s not surprising.
