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Reuters: California Sea Lions Face 'Unprecedented Rate of Cancer'
- Cancer
- Pollution
California Sea Lions Face 'Unprecedented Rate of Cancer'
Published by Reuters: June 8, 2021
When a female adult sea lion came ashore in San Luis Obispo County in central California recently, responders immediately knew something wasn't right.
She was thin and underweight, swayed her head back and forth, and did not flee as people approached, said Dr. Cara Field, medical director at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito.
"All of those things tell us there's something wrong, but we didn't know what it could be until we got her here," Field said.
Once the sea lion was sedated and intubated in a quarantine cell on the Center's grounds for an ultrasound, more worrying signs appeared.
Using three decades of data collection and analysis, the Center’s research has revealed a high prevalence of cancer in California sea lions.
Cancer Research at The Marine Mammal Center
Cancer was first diagnosed in California sea lions at The Marine Mammal Center in 1979. Since then, our veterinarians and scientists have contributed to a number of scientific papers on cancer in marine mammal populations.
{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/California sea lion\/cropped-images\/csl-on-a-rock-shutterstock-191-0-3072-2400-1617060454.jpg","alt":"California sea lion on a rock","title":"Unlocking the Role of a Genital Herpesvirus in California Sea Lion Cervical Cancer","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/publications\/unlocking-the-role-of-a-genital-herpesvirus-in-california-sea-lion-cervical-cancer","label":"Research Paper","type":"publication"}
![California sea lion on a rock](https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/storage/app/uploads/public/d91/332/134/thumb__237_185_0_0_crop.jpg)
Unlocking the Role of a Genital Herpesvirus in California Sea Lion Cervical Cancer
Read More{"image":"\/Animals\/Patients\/California sea lions\/2018\/cropped-images\/csl-leadbelly-by-bill-hunnewell-c-the-marine-mammal-center-664-0-2502-1954-1607626905.jpg","alt":"California sea lion","title":"Contaminant Exposure and Herpesvirus Associated with Cancer in Wild Sea Lions","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/publications\/contaminant-exposure-and-herpesvirus-associated-with-cancer-in-wild-sea-lions","label":"Research Paper","type":"publication"}
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Read More{"image":"\/Animals\/Patients\/California sea lions\/cropped-images\/csl-resting-c-the-marine-mammal-center-605-0-3523-2751-1603927376.jpg","alt":"California sea lion resting on the pen floor with a young sea lion in the background","title":"Prevalence of Cancer in Stranded California Sea Lions (2005-2015)","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/publications\/prevalence-of-cancer-in-stranded-california-sea-lions","label":"Research Paper","type":"publication"}
![California sea lion resting on the pen floor with a young sea lion in the background](https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/storage/app/uploads/public/28d/857/e05/thumb__237_185_0_0_crop.jpg)
{"image":"\/Animals\/Patients\/California sea lions\/2020\/cropped-images\/csl-boycrus-by-bill-hunnewell-c-the-marine-mammal-center-0-0-3110-2429-1603927870.jpg","alt":"California sea lion","title":"California Sea Lions as a Model for Studying a Common Cancer","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/publications\/california-sea-lions-as-a-model-for-studying-a-common-cancer","label":"Research Paper","type":"publication"}
![California sea lion](https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/storage/app/uploads/public/5dc/b7c/da3/thumb__237_185_0_0_crop.jpg)
Yes, I want to save a life!
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Yes, I want to save a life!
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{"image":"\/People\/Action\/Veterinary care\/cropped-images\/f-rw22radiograph-examdr-sophie-whoriskey-l-and-megan-mcginnis-rcredit-heather-stocker-c-the-marine-mammal-centernoaa-permit-18786-03-144-15-1270-992-1721670262.jpg","alt":"Hawaiian monk seal in care at the marine mammal center receiving a radiograph exam","title":"Disney Recognizes Dr. Sophie Whoriskey\u2019s Work at The Marine Mammal Center in Hawaii to Save Monk Seals","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/disney-recognizes-dr-sophie-whoriskeys-work-at-the-marine-mammal-center-in-hawaii-to-save-monk-seals","label":"Press Release","date":"2024-07-22 03:30:00"}
![Hawaiian monk seal in care at the marine mammal center receiving a radiograph exam](https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/storage/app/uploads/public/450/fac/baa/thumb__237_185_0_0_crop.jpg)
Disney Recognizes Dr. Sophie Whoriskey’s Work at The Marine Mammal Center in Hawaii to Save Monk Seals
July 22, 2024
Read More{"image":"\/Animals\/Patients\/Hawaiian monk seals\/2024\/B. HMS_R8HA_in treatment at Ke Kai Ola_7.10.24_.jpg","alt":"Hawaiian monk seal in care at the marine mammal center","title":"Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal R8HA Receiving Life-Saving Care at The Marine Mammal Center After Rescue and Transport from Kaua\u02bbi","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/endangered-hawaiian-monk-seal-r8ha-receiving-life-saving-care-at-the-marine-mammal-center-after-rescue-and-transport-from-kauai","label":"Press Release","date":"2024-07-16 05:00:00"}
![Hawaiian monk seal in care at the marine mammal center](https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/storage/app/uploads/public/cf4/946/fd3/thumb__237_185_0_0_crop.jpg)
Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal R8HA Receiving Life-Saving Care at The Marine Mammal Center After Rescue and Transport from Kauaʻi
July 16, 2024
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![gray whales seen in the San Francisco Bay](https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/storage/app/uploads/public/80e/fc1/ce2/thumb__237_185_0_0_crop.jpg)
LA Times: Why are Gray Whales and Other Marine Life Visiting San Francisco Bay?
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Read More{"image":"\/Animals\/Generic Image\/cropped-images\/sea lion release conservation technology-159-4-1270-992-1720535809.png","alt":"A California sea lion with a small satellite tracking device on its back runs through the sand. ","title":"Conservation Technology: 5 Innovations In Ocean Health","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/conservation-technology-5-innovations-in-ocean-health","label":"News Update","date":"2024-07-09 02:00:00"}
![A California sea lion with a small satellite tracking device on its back runs through the sand.](https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/storage/app/uploads/public/658/4ac/c56/thumb__237_185_0_0_crop.jpg)
pollution
Cara Field
Pádraig Duignan
California Sea Lion