The last time the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared a mass stranding and die off of sea lions and seals was about a decade ago when warmer surface temperatures forced mother …
A 2-month-old harbor seal recuperates at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s temporary field hospital in Laguna Beach on Friday, May 31, 2024. is nearing capacity with more rescued sea lion pups already seen this season than in seven years, and concerns about large numbers being found dead around the islands where the marine mammals breed.
It isn’t the first time the rescue center has seen a grave season for the sea lions – there was a large die off between 2013 and 2016 – but this time it is in theThe blue sky is reflected in the water as a northern elephant seal swims in a pool at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s temporary field hospital at in Laguna Beach on Friday, May 31, 2024. Northern elephant seals huddle together at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s temporary field hospital in Laguna Beach on Friday, May 31, 2024. Julia Edwards, an animal care supervisor checks on a 2-month-old harbor seal at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s temporary field hospital in Laguna Beach on Friday, May 31, 2024. Veterinary assistant Malena Berndt organizes all the medication for all the marine mammals being cared for at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s temporary field hospital in Laguna Beach on Friday, May 31, 2024. A California sea lion pup recuperates in the ICU at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s temporary field hospital in Laguna Beach on Friday, May 31, 2024. The marks on the sea lion’s side are a code shaved into its fur to help PMMC staff can identify the pups. Dr. Alissa Deming explains how the team keeps track of all the rescued marine mammals, their conditions and medications on the big board at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s temporary field hospital in Laguna Beach on Friday, May 31, 2024. A lab at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s temporary field hospital in Laguna Beach on Friday, May 31, 2024 enables staff to do blood tests on site. Work crews continue work on the new shared-use building in Laguna Beach on Friday, May 31, 2024 which is part of Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s expansion. The 2,150-square-foot structure will be used by the PMMC, the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter and the Laguna Beach Police Department. A 2-month-old harbor seal recuperates at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s temporary field hospital in Laguna Beach on Friday, May 31, 2024. The renovated PMMC campus will be shared with the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter and feature new pools and a water recycling plant once complete. For now the temporary space features two trailers housing veterinarians, volunteers and staff, who prepare medicines and daily fish meals and perform medical treatments and surgeries. A fenced-in area with a roof completes the field hospital, where recovering sea lions, harbor seals and elephant seals have plenty of room to get healthy and play in pools and dry pens. The sea lions and seals recovering there now are doing well, PMMC officials said, and some are even enjoying some amenities prompted by a makeshift way of getting water to the pools. “The water pipes go up and over into the pools and it creates a fun little shower for some of our patients,” CEO Glenn Gray said. While Gray said the center has an agreement with the city to vacate the property with the completion of the construction project — expected at year’s end — he now hopes it can become permanent to help with future overflow, especially now as reports from the sea lions breeding grounds are causing concerns among marine mammal experts.The last time the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared a mass stranding and die off of sea lions and seals was about a decade ago when warmer surface temperatures forced mother sea lions to swim farther from their Channel Island rookeries, leaving behind starving pups. While many died on the islands, some strong and willful enough to swim, ventured across the ocean and were found sick and dying on beaches across the state, taxing rescue centers. Both Gray and John Warner, CEO of the Marine Mammal Center Los Angeles in San Pedro, are concerned about the reports coming from Ano Nuevo Island, a rookery located between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Already, both rescue centers are nearing capacity, with a higher-than-average number of sea lions born last year.At SeaWorld San Diego, sea lion pup rescues are also up over last year and to the north, at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, the center is prepping for an uptick in rescues and has taken in 160 patients so far, which is historically higher than in past years, officials said. Since January, the San Pedro center has received more than 1,000 reports of beached marine mammals and is at capacity. PMMC has responded to 200 rescues. “It’s strange,” PMMC’s Dr. Alissa Deming said of events impacting ocean conditions this year. The effects of an El Nino winter lessened food sources for some animals, but that may not be the only problem, she said, adding she is still studying tissue samples from rescued animals to look for other causes of illness. At the same time, NOAA scientists are keeping an eye on the drama unfolding off the Northern California island, where 250 to 300 dead sea lion pups born this year were found ahead of the peak of pupping season, which is typically in mid-June. About 25,000 pups are born each year in rookeries on the Channel Islands. San Miguel Island has among the larger rookeries. While a percentage of the pups die, especially during El Nino years, experts are perplexed by what’s happening now. “Something happened to make prey less accessible in the last couple months,” said Michael Milstein, spokesman for NOAA. “There are also starving pelicans and emaciated elephant seals that have begun to fill up rehab facilities at least a month ahead of the usual.” Still, scientists don’t know if there’s a tie between the starving pelicans and the sea lion pup die-off, he said. Other concerns include toxins or viruses caused by bacteria. A team of NOAA scientists recently arrived on San Miguel and are doing spot checks and weighing the newly born pups. Milstein said the goal is to determine whether the percentage of dead pups “exceeds the expected range.” When there is plenty of prey, there are lots of healthy pups. When things shift and sea lion mothers have to go farther or work harder to find prey, there tend to be more sickly pups, more premature births, and fewer survivors.This is very closely tied to ocean conditions, Milstein said, research done by the same NOAA team indicates that if sea surface conditions go up by 2 degrees, the sea lion population goes down about 7%. “The scientists are looking at what may have changed,” Milstein said, “and noting also that upwelling that fuels the West Coast ecosystem was delayed this year by a couple of months.” Putting together all the issues seen with the sea lion pups and other marine mammals, Grey said, “We’re not expecting a regular year. “Gosh forbid if we have something similar to last year,” he added, referring to June and July when more than 1,000 sea lions sought refuge on the sand along Southern California after becoming poisoned en masse by a toxin. “If something unusual happens, it would be nice to have something in reserve.” which led to NOAA warning municipalities about keeping beachgoers away from the sick animals ahead of the Fourth of July holiday , Warner pushed for more collaboration between beach cities and counties and called the emergency “a wake-up call” for environmental and public safety agencies. “Our environment is changing and changing more rapidly than we can keep up with,” Warner said. “Our environment is not within our predictive control. We don’t have time left to start fixing things. The time is now, we’ve heard about it and we know what we need to do.” While the city of Laguna Beach has stepped up and supported PMMC now for more than 54 years, Gray said other beach towns and the county should pitch in more. Warner said he’s spent the past year speaking with local city and county lawmakers to get them to embrace the concept that marine mammal rescue centers along the state’s coastline can’t be solely responsible for dealing with massive events like the one last summer, especially when it impacts public safety. “Our level of readiness is not where it needs to be,” he said. “Lifeguards are taking the brunt when we’re at capacity. There could be a specific requirement for each city to contribute a small amount so we can focus on our growth, rather than working hand-to-mouth.” While cities are still finalizing annual budgets, he said he’s gotten positive responses from city leaders in Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Long Beach. Still, he cautions the center will not be able to meet needs if this summer brings anything like what happened last year. “Los Angeles is the busiest 75 miles of coastline for animal rescue than anywhere else in the country,” he said. “If we get into another year of this, it isn’t because stranding operations haven’t raised the red flag.”Ask Amy: Co-worker has a heavy box, and my questions about it are heavierDear Abby: Is a group text the way to deliver my bad news?Eight-alarm fire destroys apartments under construction in North Fair OaksDear Abby: My wife says she went to a motel because she was tired. Should I believe that? His 78-year-old girlfriend dumped him and kicked him out. His response was to steal $1 million from her East Bay home, police say His 78-year-old girlfriend dumped him and kicked him out. His response was to steal $1 million from her East Bay home, police say Brad Pitt’s alleged ‘abuse history’: One reason Shiloh hired lawyer to drop dad’s last name, report says Brad Pitt's alleged 'abuse history': One reason Shiloh hired lawyer to drop dad's last name, report says The Oakland Ballers bet they could renovate Raimondi Park before their season. Now they’re set for a sold-out debut. The Oakland Ballers bet they could renovate Raimondi Park before their season. Now they're set for a sold-out debut.Jewzz: A new dating app for Jewish singles from Matzoball founder
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Columbian national released weeks earlier is among group arrested for alleged ‘burglary tourism’ in CaliforniaPolice in Glendale, California, arrested four Colombian nationals in possession of surveillance equipment for an alleged 'burglary tourism' operation.
Read more »
Man accused of starting wildfire in national wildlife preserve near Arizona-California borderYUMA, Ariz. (AP) — A Yuma man has been arrested for allegedly starting a wildfire in a national wildlife preserve in southwest Arizona near the California
Read more »
Man accused of starting wildfire in national wildlife preserve near Arizona-California borderAuthorities say a Yuma man has been arrested for allegedly starting a wildfire in a national wildlife preserve in southwest Arizona near the California border
Read more »
Man accused of starting wildfire in national wildlife preserve near Arizona-California borderThe Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City.
Read more »
2 finalists from California will compete to become the Scripps National Spelling Bee champion tonightThe 245 spellers that began the 96th Scripps National Spelling Bee have dwindled down to eight. And these busy bees are still buzzing.
Read more »
California-based researchers first to climb world's largest tree in Sequoia National ParkHistory was made as researchers based out of Northern California became the first people to climb one of the world's most famous trees.
Read more »