Why Are These Seabirds Dying?
Photo credit: wikipedia.com
Cassin’s Auklets are seabirds that normally live in the open ocean, so why are they washing up dead on California beaches?
These small, grey birds enjoy the cold Pacific Ocean and feed on small crustaceans. But in the past thirty days, they’re washing up on shore at an alarming rate.
Preliminary tests by the National Wildlife Health Center found the birds were in poor condition, showing symptoms consist with a lack of zooplankton.
Beach Watch, a monitoring project of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association, believes the lack of zooplankton, due to rising ocean temperatures, caused the seabird deaths.
They are calling it “an unusual mortality event.” They are working with state and federal agencies to document this event and try to determine its scope and cause.
According to the agency, Auklets are an indicator species, providing valuable insight into the overall health of the ocean ecosystem.
Right now, scientists are working to rule out bacterial and viral diseases as the cause of the seabird deaths.
If you live on the West Coast and spot a Cassin’s Auklet, contact Kirsten Lindquist at Beach Watch at klindquist@farallones.org or 415-561-6625, ext. 302.
