1,000 Sea Lions Die as El Nino Drives Away Prey
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More than a thousand of San Miguel Island’s sea lions--including newborn pups--have died since summer as El Nino’s effects have driven away their meals.
But the deaths are not worrying experts at the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
“El Nino has long been known for its natural population control,” said sanctuary manager Ed Cassano.
Citing the similar effects of 1983’s El Nino, Cassano said this is just a cycle of life: Some mammals die, others repopulate.
This fall’s unusual warming effects have caused the island’s ecosystem to change. High temperatures have driven away sea lions’ usual prey--squid and anchovies--either deeper in the ocean or farther north, Cassano said.
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