"Historically warm ocean conditions in 2014 caused strandings of malnourished sea lions along California beaches"
"A massive marine heat wave that caused record warming of ocean waters off the West Coast five years ago, sending salmon numbers crashing and malnourished sea lions washing up on beaches across California and other Pacific states, is back, scientists said Thursday.
The ocean phenomenon, which researchers called “The Blob” when it appeared in 2014 and 2015, was caused by changes in wind patterns that limited the extent to which cold water in the deeper depths could move to the surface. Now the same thing is happening again.
The current expanse of warm water stretches from Alaska to Southern California to Hawaii. It appears similar to conditions five years ago when the original “blob” was first taking shape, federal scientists said, although so far, the warmer-than-normal waters extend down only about 150 feet below the surface, rather than 600 feet five years ago."
Paul Rogers reports for the San Jose Mercury News September 5, 2019.
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