California

Far From Home: Stray Endangered Sea Turtle Found in Humboldt County

Scientists fear the sea turtle may be connected to a number of indicators that we're in for another round of red tides that devastated the Dungeness crab season a few years ago.

An endangered sea turtle is being treated at the Marine Mammal Center near Sausalito -- hundreds of miles away from home.

The sea turtle, an adult female, came ashore in Humboldt County and scientists fear it may be connected to a number of indicators that we're in for another round of red tides that devasted the Dungeness crab season a few years ago.

In 2015, warming temperatures in the Pacific Ocean created the so-called Blob, which established itself off the coast and sparked a big bloom of harmful algae. The algae is also refered to as a red tide. Scientists are seeing signs that it's coming back.

Scientists said the adult olive ridley sea turtle should not be anywhere in the Bay Area and so far north. Sea turtles like very warm water, scientists said.

Dr. Cara Field is caring for the turtle at the Marine Mammal Center. She suspects the animal came north last month in a current of warm water that was 2 to 5 degrees above normal.

And now northern fur seals are showing up with domoic acid poisoning.

"That's a cue to use that there could be a major problem and this coule be effecting fisheries, such as the crab fisheries," Field said.

In 2015, domoic acid closed the dungeness crab season and it's not just crab being impacted.

Laura Rogers-Bennett, a senior environmental scientist with the California Fish and Wildlife, said there has been an 80% decline in the red abalone.

In addition, Rogers-Bennett said warm water and a super abundance of sea urchins has devastated the state's kelp forests.

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