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Scientists Raise Alarm About Ocean Health
Source: Copyright 2005, Associated Press
Date: July 14, 2005
Original URL: Status ONLINE
SEATTLE — With a record number of dead seabirds washing up on West Coast
beaches from Central California to British Columbia, marine biologists are
raising the alarm about rising ocean temperatures and dwindling plankton
populations.
"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."
Coastal ocean temperatures are 2 to 5 degrees above normal, which may be related
to a lack of updwelling, in which cold, nutrient-rich water is brought to the
surface.
Updwelling is fueled by northerly winds that sweep out near-shore waters and
bring cold water to the surface. The process starts the marine food chain,
fueling algae and shrimplike krill populations that feed small fish, which ...
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