SACO (NEWS CENTER Maine/AP) — At least 146 seals have washed up dead along southern Maine beaches in the last two months, raising concerns among marine mammal officials.
Jennifer Goebel of the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office said, in the last ten years, Maine averaged 82 dead or stranded seals in July and August.
The recent uptick in dead and stranded seals is more than 2.5 times that number, totaling 216 for the year as of August 15.
| Stranded | Dead | |
|---|---|---|
| July 2018 | 42 | 61 |
| As of Aug. 15, 2018 | 28 | 85 |
| Totals | 70 | 146 |
Goebel said there are several possibilities they are exploring, including the impact of red tide on seals. New Hampshire has seen a similar increase in cases of dead and stranded seals, and now officials are trying to determine why.
Three Maine organizations will receive federal money to study and respond to stranded marine mammals on beaches in the wake of a rash of seal deaths.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said as of August 16, there have been 133 dead seals in the state.
Marine Mammals of Maine, College of the Atlantic and University of Maine will receive grants totaling more than $163,000. UMaine is receiving the largest grant, which will help pay for an analysis of the strandings.
College of the Atlantic is getting money to maintain and enhance the Marine Mammal Stranding Response Program along the Maine coast. Marine Mammals of Maine's grant relates to better understanding marine mammal health.
