[Mike]

Marine mammal strandings shatter records on West Coast — 10 times worse than they’ve ever seen before —
Expert: “3 years of babies have crashed & burned… doesn’t make sense that they’re fine, then all of a sudden 3 years in a row, they’re not”
Published: February 5th, 2015 at 12:58 pm ET
By ENENews

Follow-up to: CBS: Officials alarmed as several types of marine mammals begin washing up in California — “Now entire coast is being affected” — “Whole population getting hit hard… a real shock to us” — Animals of all ages sick, not only newborns — “Really hard to wrap our heads around what’s happening”

Press Democrat, Feb 4, 2015: The Marine Mammal Center in Marin County is on the front lines of a statewide response to a surge in sea lion pups turning up on California beaches… Already this year [there’s been] at least 108 California sea lions in need of care — mostly pups, but some juveniles and adults, as well, staff veterinarian Cara Field said Tuesday.

Even more were in line to arrive from triage centers… The marine mammal hospital usually takes in just a few California sea lion babies in January of a given year. The most ever was last January, when there were 10, so “we’ve received a huge increase,” Field said.

The situation is similar across the network of marine mammal care facilities on the West Coast… it’s the third year in a row that an unusual number of enfeebled young sea lions have been rescued from the California shoreline. The underlying cause remains a mystery… Santa Barbara area… has just been overwhelmed, Field said… The continued problems for the state’s sea lion population have puzzled scientists… Last year, it took until April for the center to reach the number of sea lions treated already this year…

Reuters, Jan 28, 2015: California sea lions… are turning up stranded and starved on Southern California beaches in record numbers this year, leaving experts worried that this winter may be the worst season ever documented for the marine mammals.

KTVU, Feb 4, 2015:

Something strange is happening here, never-been-seen numbers of strandings of brutally emaciated sea lion pups.

Shawn Johnson, Marine Mammal Center veterinarian: “We have 3 years of sea lions pups that have crashed and burned… Definitely it’s still a mystery right now. It doesn’t make sense that they’re fine then all of a sudden 3 years in a row they’re not”

Johnson says this year is the worst in history. 10 times the normal number of stranding, and it could be 20 times normal by next week.

LA Times, Jan 31, 2015: Sick sea lions in California washing ashore for third year — For the third year in a row, sick abandoned sea lion pups have shown up in alarming numbers on the beaches in California. This year is shaping up to be a brutal one for the California sea lion — the third year in a row for record numbers of sea lion strandings in the state.

Sick, abandoned pups have shown up in alarming numbers on beaches in January… Scientists thought the huge number of strandings in 2013 was an anomaly, Johnson said. “But then it happened again last year, and now it’s happening again… A team from NOAA Fisheries is at Channel Islands now, looking for clues…

Scientists have spent time on the islands in the last two years, but this year may bring extra urgency. “This is the third year in a row that the anomaly has happened,” Johnson noted… “I hope that we have some answers soon,” Johnson said, “so that we can prepare for the future.”

Source: http://enenews.com/tv-worst-history-strange-happening-10-times-strandings-before-west-coast-expert-3-years-babies-crashed-burned-doesnt-make-sense-theyre-fine-all-sudden-3-years-row-theyre-video