MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

By Charles McMahon – “RYE — The number of dead seals washed up on the New England coast is not the only thing expanding, a spokeswoman from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday. The area in which the seals are showing up is also increasing.

Maggie Mooney-Seus, a public affairs official for NOAA’s Northeast Region, said the number of dead seals found along the shoreline since Sept. 1 is now at 128. Last Friday, the figure was 94.

‘The distribution of where they’re showing up is expanding,’ she said.

Seals were first found on shores from northern Massachusetts to southern Maine. But Mooney-Seus said more seals are now being found in southern Massachusetts. All are considered to be ‘young of the year,’ she said.

Mooney-Seus continued to emphasize the importance of leaving the carcasses alone. She said people should not approach or touch any marine animals, dead or alive. Disturbing a seal, or the carcass of a seal, is a federal violation and can lead to a hefty fine or jail time, she said.

In addition, people should try to keep their pets, namely dogs, away from seals and seal carcasses. Mooney-Seus said there is potential for a domestic animal to contract a virus from a seal.

‘I encourage people to keep a safe distance,’ she said.

The cause of the surge in seal deaths has not yet been named. Mooney-Seus said results won’t be known until test results on blood, tissue samples and the contents of the seals’ stomachs come back.

At least one expert said the cause of the seal deaths has less to do with pathogens in the animals and more to do with contaminants in the water.” Read more.