Decades of chemical pollution suspected in Maine’s seal die-off

seal-california
Photograph: © SAF — Coastal Care

Excerpts;

As the number of dead and stranded seals washing up on southern Maine beaches rises by the day, researchers are linking the sudden die-off to decades of chemical pollution that made the seal population vulnerable to toxins and disease…

Read Full Article, Press Herald (08-19-2018)

Warmer West Coast ocean conditions linked to increased risk of toxic shellfish; NOAA (01-09-2017)
Hazardous levels of domoic acid, a natural toxin that accumulates in shellfish, have been linked to warmer ocean conditions in waters off Oregon and Washington for the first time by a NOAA-supported research team, led by Oregon State University scientists…

Original Study: “PCB pollution continues to impact populations of orcas and other dolphins in European waters,” Scientific Reports (01-14-2016)

Record Number of Seals Are Dying On California Shores; Nature World News (10-02-2015)

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.

Sea Lions Exposed To Toxic Algae At Risk Of Brain Damage and Memory Loss, Nature World News (12-15-2015)

Toxic chemicals found in beached pilot whales in Scotland;Guardian UK (02-11-2016)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Latest Posts + Popular Topics