USGS biologist Sarah Schoen said the project started about five years ago when a major heat wave, known as “the blob,” hit the ocean. Around the same time, there was a die-off of an estimated million common murres — a northern seabird — from Alaska down to California.
"puffin"
Puffin die-off on St. Paul Island may point to larger ecosystem problems
In the past two months, 300 dead puffins have washed up on St. Paul Island, alarming residents who had only seen six carcasses over the last decade. The die-off appears to be slowing down now, but scientists say it could be the sign of a much larger ecosystem problem.