The Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach has rescued four baby sea lions since November, an unusually high number so early in the season. Advertisement“During what’s become an abbreviated ‘off-season,’ our animal care team has been purposefully preparing for a potentially dismal year for marine-mammal strandings,” marine center Chief Executive Peter Chang said in a statement. AdvertisementThe new weather pattern — officially called the Northeast Pacific Marine Heat Wave of 2019 — has developed over the past few months as a result of a high-pressure ridge that dampened winds and contributed to ocean warming. The effects could be as devastating to the ecosystem as the 2014 heat wave, but there is a chance the oceanic event is temporary. The Pacific Marine Mammal Center isn’t taking any chances.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 04, 2019 23:53 UTC