The Speak Up For Blue Podcast

The impact of the avian flu of elephant seals resulted in the death of 17,000 individuals in a population in Argentina. Researchers think the marine mammals caught the virus from migrating birds near their haul out areas that are usually packed with the animals one on top of the other. Unfortunately, 97% of the elephant seal pups were lost resulting in a devastating loss for generations to come.  In this episode of the "How to Protect the Ocean" podcast, host Andrew Lewin discusses the devastating impact of the H5N1 avian flu on the elephant seal population off the coast of Argentina. Over 17,000 elephant seals died last year due to the outbreak, with approximately 97% of the pups affected. This significant loss poses a serious threat to the population's future, as elephant seals are a slow-growing species that take time to reach sexual maturity and reproduce. The episode highlights how the H5N1 virus has adapted to marine mammals, allowing it to spread efficiently and evolve into distinct strains. The declin