Researchers stunned after discovering cause of massive animal die-off along coastline: 'It was a gut punch'
In 2015, thousands of dead Common Murres (detailed here by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology) began washing up along the Alaskan coast. Initially, scientists weren't concerned since die-offs happen about once a decade for Pacific seabirds. But as the bodies continued to show up on beaches from Alaska to California, and breeding colonies failed to produce chicks, it became clear that this was something worth ringing alarm bells over.
By 2016, an estimated 62,000 murres had washed ashore.
Now, 10 years later, scientists have published research on the phenomenon, revealing that the real number was closer to 4 million, Audubon reported. That's almost half of Alaska's murre population gone, all because they couldn't find enough fish to eat.
"We were looking at those numbers, and we're thinking, 'Wait a minute, this can't be right,'" says study co-author Julia Parrish, a University of Washington seabird expert.
The cause was a massive two-year marine heat wave called "the blob," which heated ocean waters by up to 7 degrees Fahrenheit and wiped out fish populations. This is now seen as the largest wildlife die-off ever recorded.
"It was a gut punch to realize how much worse it was than what we had expected," said Heather Renner, a supervisory wildlife biologist for the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and co-author of the study.
The unprecedented die-off of Common Murres is a major warning sign about the accelerating impacts of climate change. Marine heat waves are happening more often and getting worse, threatening entire species and disrupting marine ecosystems.
When the oceans heat up like this, it not only kills off food sources, but it also makes it harder for wildlife to bounce back. Ten years later, Alaska's murre population is still struggling, which signals deeper, potentially irreversible shifts in ocean health — affecting everything from fish stocks to the coastal communities that depend on them.
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The fact that the murres haven't recovered, even after all this time, Parrish called a "double shocker,"
Addressing the root cause — climate change — is crucial to preventing further mass die-offs. Supporting policies that cut carbon pollution and boost clean energy can help slow down ocean warming. Conservation efforts like seabird monitoring and restoration projects are vital to tracking these changes and finding solutions.
On a local level, protecting marine habitats and establishing no-fishing zones can give seabird populations a better chance to recover. Everyday actions like reducing plastic use and supporting sustainable seafood choices can also make a difference.
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