|
REPORT ABUSIVE REPLY
|
|
Message Subject
|
Plants & Animals dying en masse; Natural & man-made disasters; Strange events ~ Signs of the End?
|
|
Poster Handle
|
Anonymous Coward |
|
Post Content
|
Feds Declare ‘Unusual Mortality Event’ After Sea Lion Deaths Off SoCal Beaches"Federal officials are declaring an “unusual mortality event” after hundreds of California sea lion pups have become stranded in Southern California.
The move by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) comes after what the agency described as “elevated strandings of California sea lion pups” in Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Diego counties.
Since Jan. 1, more than 900 sea lions have been admitted to rehabilitation facilities, far outpacing historical stranding rates for 2008 to 2012, according to NOAA..." [ link to losangeles.cbslocal.com] Quoting: Sol Neman 6073772
It's unusual because this is the season when sea lion pups flourish. Instead they're struggling ashore in starved, emaciated conditions, if they've managed to stay alive. Scientists say almost half the sea lions born this past winter have died..." [ link to www.naturalnews.com] LOS ANGELES (AP) — Starving sea lion pups are washing up on Southern California beaches at a rate more than five times higher than usual, and scientists are scrambling to figure out why, officials said Wednesday. Since the beginning of the year, 1,293 emaciated sea lions found stranded on beaches from San Diego to Santa Barbara have been treated at seven facilities in the state, Sarah Wilkin of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said during a conference call with reporters. Last month, the agency declared an "unusual mortality event" that allowed more scientists to help search for the cause. A leading hypothesis is lack of available food. Researchers were also doing tests to see if pollution, disease outbreak or algae bloom are to blame. Most of the pups being treated weighed between 20 and 30 pounds when they were found, with some as small as 18 pounds. The animals should weigh about 65 pounds by now, she said. As many as 25 percent of the seals have died after being brought in for treatment. [ link to news.yahoo.com] Cause unknown.
The stranded sea lions -- mostly pups born last summer -- are typically turning up alive, but severely emaciated, some weighing less than 20 pounds (9 kg) when they should be well over 50 pounds (22 kg), marine officials say.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared an "unusual mortality event" last month in light of the spike in strandings. Since the beginning of the year, 1,293 sea lions have washed ashore from San Diego County to Santa Barbara County. That's more than five times higher than the region's historical average of 236, averaged from the same period of time (January through April) from 2008 to 2012, said Sarah Wilkin, NOAA's marine mammal stranding coordinator for California...' [ link to news.discovery.com]
|
|
|
Please verify you're human:
|
|
|
Reason for reporting:
|
