ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A government investigation into the deaths of several ringed seals off Alaska’s coast this past summer has revealed few answers and NOAA declared it an "unusual mortality event," on Tuesday.
Starting in mid-July, at least 75 diseased seals, many of them ringed seals, started showing up in the Bering Sea and the Arctic.
More than 60 of them died and more reports are still coming in.
They showed signs and symptoms of skin sores and hair loss as well as difficulty breathing.
The "unusual mortality event" means NOAA does not know why the seals are getting sick, but the declaration does allow scientists to expand their investigation.
“It’s taking the information that we know to date and now beginning to target with further diagnostics,” said Dr. Teri Rowles.
