Starving seabirds line San Diego’s coast. Rising ocean temperatures are to blame

Starving and emaciated seabirds are washing ashore from Mission Beach to La Jolla as unusually warm ocean temperatures disrupt Southern California’s marine food web. Scientists say marine heatwaves have pushed fish into deeper offshore waters, leaving pelicans, cormorants and murres without accessible food. Researchers at NOAA and Scripps Institution of Oceanography warn the warming resembles past ecological crises linked to toxic algal blooms and widespread wildlife die-offs. Rescue groups report a sharp increase in starving birds arriving at rehabilitation centers.