Mass Die-off Along N. Pacific Coast

Hundreds of millions of marine creatures died in the record heat wave that struck the North Pacific Coast two weeks ago. Mussels, an abundant sea invertibrate, appear to be hardest hit. The high temperatures literally baked the creatures in their shells. One marine biologist from the University of Vancouver estimates that losses to mussels alone reached into the hundreds of million. Other vulnerable coastal invertebrates like sea stars and barnacles also perished putting the death toll easily over a billions. These types of extreme weather events will become more common as humans cook the planet with fossil fuel burning. 

Humans will also perish from extreme heat. In Oregon over a hundred people died from the effects of the record breaking heat. A study by an international team of climate researchers found it would have been virtually impossible for such extremes to occur without global warming. Temperatures reach 116 in Portland and 121 in Vancouver, BC.

Scientists are only beginning to consider the downstream effects of mass die offs on other animals.  Mussels are a favorite food of sea ducks that fill up before stressful migration to the Arctic for breeding.  Salmon, already facing man-made obstacles in their path must survive rivers made warmer and less fluent by hotter temperatures and drought. Chinook salmon in California cannot cross the Shasta Dam built three-quarters of a century ago, so have adapted to spawn in front of it. Scientists are now concerned that the river water will be too warm for eggs and juveniles to survive. Estimates of mortality are 90% or more.

Dr. Christopher Harley, the Vancouver marine biologist who estimated the blue mussel die-off, told the NYT, “I want to find the positives and there are some, but it’s pretty overwhelming right now, because if we become too depressed or too overwhelmed, we won’t keep trying. And we need to keep trying.”