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  1. #441
    April
    Guest
    TV:: ‘Zombie’ starfish found along Pacific coast — Experts: “Much spookier than in past” — Babies “die so quickly… they just disappear” — Change in seawater could have activated deadly pathogen — Worries about creation of ‘superbug’ — Serious ecosystem changes now appearing (VIDEO)

    Published: September 2nd, 2014 at 3:48 pm ET
    By ENENews
    Email Article
    20 comments




    NBC San Diego, Jun 22, 2014 (emphasis added): Wasting “Zombie” Sea Stars Found in San Diego — A mysterious disease deforming and killing sea stars along the West Coast, causing their limbs to dissolve, has reached the waters off San Diego’s coastline… The impacted creatures have also been referred to as “zombie sea stars.”… “You would see a trail of arms and [think] ‘Oh, this is going to lead me somewhere bad,’ and then you keep following the arms. Sure enough there’s this zombie sea star,” said UCSB research diver Sarah Sampson who is currently working in the North County. “You see the arms crawling away.”.. According UC Santa Cruz researchers, since April the number of cases increased dramatically in areas including Carlsbad, La Jolla, Mission Bay and Point Loma…
    Prof. Raimondi, UC Santa Cruz’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department Chairman, Aug 11, 2014: “We knew absolutely when the warm water turned off the disease would also turn off and that’s not the case this time. And so this one’s much spookier than in the past.”
    Drew Harvell, Cornell University marine epidemiologist, Aug 27, 2014: “I know we had a large recruit [of baby sea stars] in the San Juan (Islands) and a lot of them did not make it [due to the wasting disease]… they don’t show the same signs as the adults because they die so quickly. Once they become infected, they just disappear.”
    Lesanna Lahner, Seattle Aquarium staff engineer, Aug 7, 2014: There’s concern that a change in the coastal saltwater could have activated a deadly pathogen or made the sea stars more susceptible to a pathogen… Some aquariums are using an antibiotic to treat sick sea stars, but there’s debate over whether that’s the best solution… “It’s a broad spectrum antibiotic so it’s either killing the primary infection or a secondary infection as a result of the disease… Some are worried that treating the sea stars could create a resistant superbug.”
    Alberni Valley News, Aug 7, 2014: Starfish wasting disease has come to Barkley Sound. … the disease could seriously decimate or even wipe out the starfish population in Barkley Sound completely… it could have serious repercussions for the rest of the Barkley Sound ecosystem… “if they don’t keep the sea urchin population in check, that would negatively impact the kelp fields,” said [Peter Mieras of Rendezvous Dive Adventures]. “Kelp fields are important sanctuaries for a lot of fish, so of course there is a domino affect.”… “If you look at Howe Sound, the sea urchins there have been taking over quite aggressively.”
    Lahner, Seattle Aquarium, Aug 7, 2014: “We have to suspect that it’s causing pain even though we don’t know”… Because of deaths of such keystone predators, the mussel populations have grown substantially… there could be big changes.
    Bruce Menge, professor of marine biology at Oregon State University, Aug 27, 2014: “[Wasting disease] still remains very high, even though the number of animals is fewer” … The lack of sea stars already is starting to change the outlook of the ecosystem.. “We’re already seeing a large increase in barnacles… the prey that do settle on the rocks, survive and grow like crazy.”
    View newly published ROV footage of the wasting sea stars here

    Related Posts

    1. Experts: Disease explosion in West Coast sea stars — “Extinction event” is pretty close — “Epidemic of historic magnitude… threatens to decimate entire population” of species in Oregon — Sudden 50-fold increase in recent weeks — Entire ecosystem could be disrupted — “We have no clue” (VIDEO) June 11, 2014
    2. Scientists “Especially Worried”: “We don’t know how the pathogen is doing this” — Sea star broke in half, walked away, then turned to goo — ‘Environmental factors’ to blame? — Hundreds wash up dead in Seattle (VIDEO) November 12, 2013
    3. TV: “The largest disease outbreak that we know of ever in the oceans” now hitting West Coast — Potential for “global extinction” — “Affects over 20 species… causing catastrophic mortality” — Expert: One of history’s largest wildlife die-offs… signal in ecosystem that something’s not right (VIDEO) June 16, 2014
    4. PHOTOS: Sea star began “ripping itself into pieces” — Like a horror movie — AP: Deaths from Alaska to S. California — Biologist: Related to an environmental change? “An early warning that we aren’t picking up on?” — Professor: “None of us had ever seen anything like this before” November 4, 2013
    5. NPR: West Coast sea stars melt into mush, “just vaporized… it’s the change of my lifetime” — “Ripping themselves apart… innards spilled out” — “Like the Matrix” — “That many species, that widespread… just scary” — “Makes me wonder, what’s next?” — ‘Possible’ Fukushima fallout is involved (VIDEO) January 30, 2014

  2. #442
    April
    Guest
    TV:: ‘Zombie’ starfish found along Pacific coast — Experts: “Much spookier than in past” — Babies “die so quickly… they just disappear” — Change in seawater could have activated deadly pathogen — Worries about creation of ‘superbug’ — Serious ecosystem changes now appearing (VIDEO)

    Published: September 2nd, 2014 at 3:48 pm ET
    By ENENews
    Email Article
    20 comments




    NBC San Diego, Jun 22, 2014 (emphasis added): Wasting “Zombie” Sea Stars Found in San Diego — A mysterious disease deforming and killing sea stars along the West Coast, causing their limbs to dissolve, has reached the waters off San Diego’s coastline… The impacted creatures have also been referred to as “zombie sea stars.”… “You would see a trail of arms and [think] ‘Oh, this is going to lead me somewhere bad,’ and then you keep following the arms. Sure enough there’s this zombie sea star,” said UCSB research diver Sarah Sampson who is currently working in the North County. “You see the arms crawling away.”.. According UC Santa Cruz researchers, since April the number of cases increased dramatically in areas including Carlsbad, La Jolla, Mission Bay and Point Loma…
    Prof. Raimondi, UC Santa Cruz’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department Chairman, Aug 11, 2014: “We knew absolutely when the warm water turned off the disease would also turn off and that’s not the case this time. And so this one’s much spookier than in the past.”
    Drew Harvell, Cornell University marine epidemiologist, Aug 27, 2014: “I know we had a large recruit [of baby sea stars] in the San Juan (Islands) and a lot of them did not make it [due to the wasting disease]… they don’t show the same signs as the adults because they die so quickly. Once they become infected, they just disappear.”
    Lesanna Lahner, Seattle Aquarium staff engineer, Aug 7, 2014: There’s concern that a change in the coastal saltwater could have activated a deadly pathogen or made the sea stars more susceptible to a pathogen… Some aquariums are using an antibiotic to treat sick sea stars, but there’s debate over whether that’s the best solution… “It’s a broad spectrum antibiotic so it’s either killing the primary infection or a secondary infection as a result of the disease… Some are worried that treating the sea stars could create a resistant superbug.”
    Alberni Valley News, Aug 7, 2014: Starfish wasting disease has come to Barkley Sound. … the disease could seriously decimate or even wipe out the starfish population in Barkley Sound completely… it could have serious repercussions for the rest of the Barkley Sound ecosystem… “if they don’t keep the sea urchin population in check, that would negatively impact the kelp fields,” said [Peter Mieras of Rendezvous Dive Adventures]. “Kelp fields are important sanctuaries for a lot of fish, so of course there is a domino affect.”… “If you look at Howe Sound, the sea urchins there have been taking over quite aggressively.”
    Lahner, Seattle Aquarium, Aug 7, 2014: “We have to suspect that it’s causing pain even though we don’t know”… Because of deaths of such keystone predators, the mussel populations have grown substantially… there could be big changes.
    Bruce Menge, professor of marine biology at Oregon State University, Aug 27, 2014: “[Wasting disease] still remains very high, even though the number of animals is fewer” … The lack of sea stars already is starting to change the outlook of the ecosystem.. “We’re already seeing a large increase in barnacles… the prey that do settle on the rocks, survive and grow like crazy.”
    View newly published ROV footage of the wasting sea stars here

    Related Posts

    1. Experts: Disease explosion in West Coast sea stars — “Extinction event” is pretty close — “Epidemic of historic magnitude… threatens to decimate entire population” of species in Oregon — Sudden 50-fold increase in recent weeks — Entire ecosystem could be disrupted — “We have no clue” (VIDEO) June 11, 2014
    2. Scientists “Especially Worried”: “We don’t know how the pathogen is doing this” — Sea star broke in half, walked away, then turned to goo — ‘Environmental factors’ to blame? — Hundreds wash up dead in Seattle (VIDEO) November 12, 2013
    3. TV: “The largest disease outbreak that we know of ever in the oceans” now hitting West Coast — Potential for “global extinction” — “Affects over 20 species… causing catastrophic mortality” — Expert: One of history’s largest wildlife die-offs… signal in ecosystem that something’s not right (VIDEO) June 16, 2014
    4. PHOTOS: Sea star began “ripping itself into pieces” — Like a horror movie — AP: Deaths from Alaska to S. California — Biologist: Related to an environmental change? “An early warning that we aren’t picking up on?” — Professor: “None of us had ever seen anything like this before” November 4, 2013
    5. NPR: West Coast sea stars melt into mush, “just vaporized… it’s the change of my lifetime” — “Ripping themselves apart… innards spilled out” — “Like the Matrix” — “That many species, that widespread… just scary” — “Makes me wonder, what’s next?” — ‘Possible’ Fukushima fallout is involved (VIDEO) January 30, 2014

  3. #443
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  4. #444
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    Seafood Watch cites dramatic turnaround in rockfish, other West Coast fish


    A commercial fishing boat heads out of Morro Bay. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

    By RUSS PARSONS contact the reporter

    Improved management techniques are credited in the recovery of once-threatened West Coast fisheries


    In a major turnaround that argues for strong fisheries management, the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s trusted Seafood Watch program has upgraded the status of 21 commercially important fish, including most species of Pacific rockfish in a report released Tuesday.


    Related: West Coast waters still safe from radioactivity, but testing continues Russ Parsons

    Overall, according to Seafood Watch, 84% of all the groundfish landings on the West Coast are now considered either “best choice” or “good alternative” – the two highest rankings.

    Groundfish are fish that live on or near the bottom. Previously they had been considered troubled because of overfishing and because of the ecological damage caused to the ocean floor by trawling.


    “This is one of the great success stories about ecological and economic recovery of a commercially important fishery,” said Margaret Spring, vice president of conservation and science, and chief conservation officer for the Monterey Bay Aquarium in a release.


    “A huge part of the turnaround is reliance on science-based conservation and management practices that Congress endorsed in its 2006 update of U.S. fishery law.”

    lRelated
    OP-ED The long journey of 'local' seafood to your plate
    SEE ALL RELATED

    Among the species upgraded are all trawl- and long-line caught rockfish, which previously had been listed as “avoid” and flatfish such as sanddabs and Pacific soles, which were bumped from “good alternative” to “best choice.”

    Those species have been the subject of particularly strong regulation over the last 15 years after their numbers dropped to a critical point, where the continued existence of the species were in question.


    Rockfish, in particular, were once the backbone of the California fishing industry, but their numbers had fallen to such an extent that many types have vanished from the market.


    Related: Sardine lover meets his match at The Taste's 'Fish Fight' Russ Parsons


    “There was a recognition about 15 years ago that the catch was just way too high on a lot of these species and the result was a major decline in the biomass in those populations,” said Santi Roberts, science manager at Seafood Watch. “They’d come down to a very small percentage of the original numbers. That basically precipitated what is now a pretty extensive management system.”

    The Seafood Watch report attributes the improvement to reducing the catch of overfished species, use of area closures and Marine Protected Areas to protect vulnerable habitats, reducing bycatch (the accidental killing of some species while fishing for others), conservative fishing quotas and better monitoring and control of the catch.

    “I think all of these pieces played a part,” Roberts said. “Each of these measures is used by fishery managers to meet different objects. In this case, the object was really to minimize the catches of these species that had been declared overfished.


    “Much of what has happened has been to reduce the catch, and that includes areas that are closed to fishing as well as improving assessments and better monitoring of the catch to make sure it’s within the parameters that allows these species to recover.”


    The Seafood Watch upgrading comes after the Marine Stewardship Council in June certified 13 groundfish species as coming from well-managed and sustainable fisheries.

    “Not long ago many of these species were in collapse,” said Tim Fitzgerald, who manages the Environmental Defense Fund’s sustainable seafood program. “Thanks to smarter fishing regulations and fishermen’s commitment to conservation, consumers and seafood businesses can now add West Coast groundfish to their list of sustainable choices.”


    Roberts says that the success of these measures argues for the effectiveness of strong fisheries management.


    “This is a very positive thing, when you see these kinds of improvements with respect for population, bycatch, effective management and measures that protect the biological seafloor that provides shelter and food for the species,” he said.


    “The efforts that have been put into place here on the West Coast are a good reflection of the measures that could be put into place for other species. There are still a lot of species out there where the fishing discards are just way too high. What’s been impressive has been the monitoring of that bycatch and the ongoing assessment of whether it’s sustainable. These are basic measures that should be considered by fisheries managers globally.”

    http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydis...902-story.html
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  5. #445
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    A measles-like virus that is blamed for killing hundreds of dolphins on the U.S. East Coast has spread into a Florida lagoon where hundreds of manatees, brown pelicans and dolphins already died mysteriously in recent years.

    http://www.alipac.us/f19/dolphin-vir...lagoon-310394/
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  6. #446
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    Mexican authorities say a mass die-off of fish at a lake in western Mexico was not due to natural causes, but the causes are still being investigated and one research said that low water levels could have been responsible.

    http://www.alipac.us/f19/mexico-sees...f-lake-310395/
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  7. #447
    April
    Guest
    Killer whales dying along Pacific coast — “Very sick, emaciated” — Population at lowest level in decades — Steep decline began after 2011 — No babies born in past 2 years — Alarming changes in behavior observed; Social structure is ‘splintering’ (PHOTO)

    Published: September 5th, 2014 at 9:38 am ET
    By ENENews
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    Kitsap Sun, Sept 2, 2014: … deaths reduce orca population to lowest level in 30 years — The endangered killer whale population in Puget Sound continues to decline… [it's] dropped to 78… according to Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research. No new calves have been born to the three pods since 2012, he said. And, alarmingly, the social structure among the orcas appears to be “splintering.”… He compiles an annual census of the population for submission to the federal government… [T]he past few years, the pods have divided themselves into small groups, sometimes staying together but often staying apart… Balcomb suggests that the primary factor for the population decline is a lack of food for the killer whales… The two orcas that are missing and presumed dead are L-53, a 37-year-old female named Lulu; and L-100, a 13-year-old male named Indigo… population has gone… from 88 in 2011 to 78 today.
    Killer Whales of BC, Aug 26, 2014: After the confirmation [of the deaths] of L53 Lulu and L100 Indigo are more bad news… Orca live confirmed that Plumper [age 37] has not been sighted since 8/21/14 and now is considered missing. Also Pointer [age 39] did not return with his family and is also missing. Both boys were spotted with a Peanuthead…Rest in Peace!!! You will be missed!!! New information which unfortunately are coming directly from Port McNeil not better. Also the young I63 [age 24] is missing. She did not return with her family. R.I.P. young lady.
    Campbell River Whale & Bear Excursions, Aug 22, 2014: A37 Plumper… this is a tough image for me to look at and share. It shows a very sick, emaciated, slow moving and shallow breathing brother of one of the most iconic families of Northern Resident Killer Whales… Sad to think maybe this will be my last image of him. Tonight Orcalive posted that as Plumper and his Brother Kaikash pushed through the tide in Blackney Pass Plumper was lagging way behind and not able to fight the current… both were pushed back and Plumper looked so exhausted he almost wasn’t even surfacing… poor guy… He drifted slowly beside us very close to the surface, and I could look down on top of him… so skinny…
    Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research: “What we’re seeing with this weird association pattern… a fragmentation of the formal social structure, and you can see that fragmentation going further. They are often staying miles and miles apart and not interacting.”
    See also: Researchers predict west coast killer whales will exceed 1,000 Bq/kg of radioactive cesium -- Over 10 times gov't limit in Japan -- Concern about harm to humans, sea life -- Expert: People eating large amounts of fish may have levels similar to whales

    Related Posts

    1. TV: Problems with killer whales local to West Coast — Only baby born in 2013 died — Just two born in 2012 — Depleted fish supply blamed January 22, 2014
    2. Whale Expert near Vancouver: In 30 years I’ve never ever seen this kind of behavior, “They must sense this is a safe place to be” — Captain: I’ve never seen anything like it in 50 years on Pacific — “One even placed its head on the boat” (VIDEO) November 30, 2013
    3. Head researcher “is sounding the alarm” over striking changes in killer whales off Canada and Alaska since 2011 — “Unusually high mortality rate” and “odd behavior” — “Experts fear something’s wrong with the environment” (VIDEO) October 25, 2013
    4. TV:: ‘Zombie’ starfish found along Pacific coast — Experts: “Much spookier than in past” — Babies “die so quickly… they just disappear” — Change in seawater could have activated deadly pathogen — Worries about creation of ‘superbug’ — Serious ecosystem changes now appearing (VIDEO) September 2, 2014
    5. L.A. Times: Alarming West Coast sardine crash likely radiating through ecosystem — Experts warn marine mammals and seabirds are starving, may suffer for years to come — Boats return without a single fish — Monterey Bay: Hard to resist idea that humpback whales are trying to tell us something January 5, 2014

  8. #448
    April
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    California Nuclear Plant Engineer: We were hit by explosion at Fukushima Unit 3 (MAP) — “The public started to freak out” — Tell colleagues what radioactive material is coming their way… don’t notify public — Don’t release initial data to officials until they’re ‘on board’

    Published: September 3rd, 2014 at 9:38 pm ET
    By ENENews
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    151 comments




    Martin Wright, Radiation Protection Senior Engineer at Diablo Canyon nuclear plant (California) — Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) Monitoring for Japan Nuclear Accident (pdf), 21st Annual RETS‐REMP Workshop (Hosted by NEI/Exelon Nuclear):
    Presentation Excerpts

    • Politics and Public Hysteria >> The public started to freak out [about Fukushima] >> Anti-nukes fed the hysteria >> Reporters wanted to come watch our technicians perform milk sampling (we said no) PG&E did not want our picture linked with the Fukushima Event
    • Now the Big Question ????? How much did all this extra sampling cost? … about $40,000
    • DCPP most likely saw the U-3 explosion which occurred on March 14 at 1100 JST. From PG&E meteorologist Ed McCarthy: “The straight line distance from Fukushima to SLO is 5,066 miles. Assuming an average wind speed of 50 mph [and] some meandering and adding 24 hours, I’d estimate that the parcel of air that you observed [left] Japan between 3/13/2011 @1600 JST and 3/14/2011 @ 1600JST.”
    • Thoughts and Lessons Learned… >> Control initial data until EPA and State are onboard. Let the State notify the public and explain concentrations. Setup company PR contacts… >> Keep colleagues informed of what isotopes are coming their way

    Interview with Martin Wright, DCPP radiation protection senior engineerQ: What was the most important lesson you learned from the Fukushima experience? A: When I started out in radiation protection years ago, it was all about protecting the public and the environment. This focus of responsibility has not changed. The Fukushima event has reemphasized that my role is vital to ensuring public confidence and public safety. The events in Japan were a stark reminder that each and every day, my family, friends, neighbors and people I have never met all depend on my team to keep them safe… Safety is our number one priority.
    See also: Report: Fukushima nuclear waste will merge with radiation from U.S. reactors when washing up on West Coast -- "Startling amounts" released from operating plants -- Diablo Canyon officials admit to recently discharging more tritium than Fukushima (VIDEO)

    Related Posts

    1. UC Berkeley Nuclear Prof.: My wife’s “very concerned” about Fukushima impact in U.S., my children are also concerned, as is public… I am too — His ‘Kelp Watch’ Co-founder: “We’d all be better off if this material didn’t exist and wasn’t coming over, but… nothing we can do about it” (AUDIO) February 6, 2014
    2. Gundersen: Radioactive plume to impact West Coast in a year — Not going away after it hits… likely to only get stronger — Fukushima will keep releasing contamination for years to come — Must demand officials test fish and make data public (AUDIO) August 27, 2013
    3. Radiation spikes at WIPP nuclear facility — Hits highest levels since initial hours of radioactive release in February — Document link removed from official website — Gov’t analyzing samples for “potential impact on human health” June 27, 2014
    4. Los Alamos lab trying to prevent ‘Cold War-era contamination’ from coming closer as 2 major canyons above lab suffered fire damage July 9, 2011
    5. Senior Scientist: Fukushima radiation already on West Coast of N. America — We don’t know how much is coming or how fast it’s moving, situation ‘evolving’ — Levels will continue to rise for years — Unprecedented event for Pacific, largest ever radioactive release into ocean (VIDEO) January 15, 2014

  9. #449
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    Blue whales of California are back to historical levels, study finds

    Has the California blue whale population bounced back? A new study says yes. (NOAA)

    By DEBORAH NETBURNcontact the reporter
    icaHuntingUniversity of Washington

    A conservation success story? Study finds California blue whale population has rebounded

    Good news, whale lovers: A new analysis suggests that there are as many blue whales living off the coast of California as there were before humans started hunting them to near extinction 110 years ago.

    Today, there are roughly 2,200 blue whales who range from Mexico in the south to Alaska in the north. In the 1930s, that number was closer to 750.


    Ships and blue whales on a collision course off California coast Geoffrey Mohan

    "For us, this is a great conservation success story," said Cole Monnahan, a doctoral student in ecology and resource management at the University of Washington. "We caught way too many whales from this population, but when we left them alone, they recovered."

    "And that is really good news," he added. "That it is possible."


    Blue whales are the largest animals in the world. They can weigh up to 330,000 pounds and grow up to 110 feet in length.


    These giants of the ocean are found throughout the world, but for this study, published Friday in Marine Mammal Science, the researchers looked at the relatively small population of whales that live in the eastern North Pacific.

    During the height of whaling in the 1930s, this population dropped to between 500 and 1,000 individuals the researchers said. After whaling became illegal in the 1970s, however, their numbers began to bounce back. By the 1990s, the population had grown to about 2,200, according to research from NOAA scientists, and that is currently where it is today.


    A 2011 video showing four whales breaching in the waters off Southern California.

    To see whether this number represented a complete rebound, the team looked at previously published data of how many California blue whales there are currently, the number of California blue whales that were reportedly killed by whalers in the 20th century (3,400) and how many whales are killed each year by ship strikes (probably around 11).

    After feeding all this information into a mathematical model, they concluded that the number of California blue whales swimming around today is 97% as large it was before 1905.


    This analysis could explain why the number of California blue whales leveled off in the early 1990s.


    "Before this study some people thought that number should be going up, but if there were about 2,200 whales to begin with, than that is what the environment can support," Monnahan said.


    The analysis also suggests that even if ship strikes increased eleven-fold, the California blue whale population would still not be significantly depleted.

    Not everyone is convinced its time to jump for joy, however.


    Jay Barlow, a NOAA research scientist who studies blue whales, said that to accept the authors' good news conclusion, you also have to accept that there truly were only 3,400 California blue whales killed in the 20th century, because that was an important data point for the analysis.


    If more whales were killed during that time, and perhaps not recorded, that would suggest the population may originally have been bigger.


    Scientists are whale watching from space Deborah Netburn

    "It all depends on whether you believe the whaling statistics or not," Barlow said. "And my guess is there are more underestimates of whales killed, rather than overestimates."

    Even if the data is right however, that would make the California blue whales the only blue whale population in the world to have completely rebounded. In other parts of the world, the situation is much more depressing.


    Trevor Branch, an assistant professor of aquatic and fishery sciences and the senior author of the paper, said the blue whale populations in Chile are at 10% to 20% of historical levels. In Antarctica, where there used to be 240,000 blue whales, the population is at 1% of what it once was -- about the size of the California population.

    "They are increasing as fast as they can -- about 10% a year," Branch said, "but at that rate their numbers will double every 10 or 11 years or so, so you can see how it will take many more decades before they get back to where they were."

    http://www.latimes.com/science/scien...905-story.html
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  10. #450
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    Food Scarcity responsible for declining population of Puget Sound Killer Whales

    Submitted by Andrea Cordell on Mon, 09/01/2014 - 16:16



    Researchers have revealed that the killer whales in Puget Sound are facing decline mainly because of lack of food. Two new deaths have been recorded this year. Researchers have noticed that there have been no new calves since 2012 to increase the number of the killer whales.

    Ken Balcomb of Centre for Whale Research said the whales are separating from their pods and dividing themselves into two small groups. It is surprising because they are known to socialize and feed together.


    Balcomb said different species of salmon and even other fish are eaten by the whales, but they like the Chinook the most. But the numbers of Chinook have been rapidly declining.


    A drop of 78% has been recorded in the number of whales in three pods named J, K and L. A census by the Centre for Whale Research has informed the decline in the level is the highest since 1985.

    All three pods of orcas are known to feed and socialize in large groups, however the pods have started to divide themselves into small groups during the past few years. They sometimes stay together, but often apart.


    “What we’re seeing with this weird association pattern is two or three members of one pod with two or three from another pod. It’s a fragmentation of the formal social structure, and you can see that fragmentation going further”, said Balcomb.


    They have been noticed staying miles and miles apart and not interacting with each other most of the times. Balcomb said that they are now finding it extremely difficult to name the pods. According to him, they are no longer associating in those patterns.


    Balcomb said the major reason behind the population decline of the whales is the lack of food. The whales like to eat chinook, but their population is also declining in most areas, and state and federal salmon managers are not being able to reverse the declining trend of the prey.

    http://uncovercalifornia.com/content...-killer-whales

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