Marine Mammal Center prepares for surge in sick sea lions amid El Niño, domoic acid
By Michael Rosales
Click here for updates on this story
MONTEREY COUNTY, California (KSBW) — Marine Mammal Center staff are preparing for a busy season as they address two major issues: warming ocean waters caused by El Niño and an increase in sea lions sickened by domoic acid.
On Thursday, the center’s rescue team responded to a call about a sea lion in distress, quickly capturing the animal and transporting it to the center’s medical bay for immediate evaluation.
Giancarlo Ruli, a spokesperson for the center, explained that El Niño conditions could lead to more frequent rescues.
“Oceanographers in the Pacific this weekend have reported that it is the hottest the ocean has ever been recorded in and over 150 years,” Ruli said.
The warming waters are disrupting the food chain, often forcing fish that marine mammals rely on to migrate away from the bay.
“We saw record numbers of sick, malnourished marine mammals as a result, primarily in late 2013, 14, and 15,” Ruli said.
In 2015, an El Niño year, the Marine Mammal Center reported one of its worst years, rescuing over 1,800 animals, including more than 1,000 sickened sea lions. This year’s El Niño is particularly concerning because the warming spike is happening earlier than in previous years.
“This spike now, the hottest ever in terms of what’s forming with this El Niño in the Pacific, has happened two months earlier than that spike, a decade past,” Ruli said.
As the center braces for what could be another challenging year, it is urging the community to step up and volunteer to assist with rescue efforts.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.