Warmer oceans may be killing West Coast marine life

[Barrett808]

Warmer oceans may be killing West Coast marine life
By Carina Stanton
Seattle Times staff reporter

Scientists suspect that rising ocean temperatures and dwindling plankton populations are behind a growing number of seabird deaths, reports of fewer salmon and other anomalies along the West Coast.

Coastal ocean temperatures are 2 to 5 degrees above normal, apparently caused by a lack of upwelling — a process that brings cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface and jump-starts the marine food chain.

Upwelling fuels algae and shrimplike krill populations that feed small fish, which provide an important food source for a variety of sea life, from salmon to sea birds and marine mammals.

"Something big is going on out there," said Julia Parrish, an associate professor in the School of Aquatic Fisheries and Sciences at the University of Washington. "I'm left with no obvious smoking gun, but birds are a good signal because they feed high up on the food chain."

This spring, scientists reported a record number of dead seabirds washed up on beaches along the Pacific Coast, from central California to British Columbia.

(more)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002377292_ocean13m.html

[CrispyQ]

1. When all the species on the planet are gone but us

& the ones we've chosen to domesticate, will we care?

Years ago I read a quote, don't remember by who though, & it was the saddest thing I've ever read:

When all the whales are gone the whales will suffer no more.

[Moose_head]

3. we'll be eating soylent green- and LOVING it-

Soylent Green- oohhhhh...

[Moose_head]

2. Warmer oceans may be killing southeast U.S. trailer-parks.

I understand that the gulf of mexico is warmer than it's ever been- as far as recorded temperatures go-
Hurricanes LOVE that shit.

[catzies]

4. That's very true and welcome to DU! As a native Floridian I grew up

knowing all that shit. That, and my dad worked for NOAA. ;)

As a Californian I wonder if in the future we'll be ripe for hurricanes as our portion of the Pacific warms up.

Things that make you go 'hmmm...'

[kestrel91316]

7. BAD CATZIES!!! .............

like I don't have enough to worry about. One of the few benefits to living in So Cal is that we don't have hurricanes.

Yikes!

[barb162]

5. why did they move this? This is not a conspiracy theory

and not some oddball newspaper and it's basically about global warming. Everyone knows this is going on. I don't get it.

[Barrett808]

6. I suppose the story "belongs" here, but I think it's still LBN n/t

[DixieDem]

8. I'll second that! Bad move!

[unschooler]

9. It's a legit, mainstream story, but it's been reported before.

That's probably why it was moved.