Thousands of bodies washed up on North America’s Pacific coast: Study finds common murres probably died of starvation A million seabirds died in less than a year as a result of a giant “blob” of hot ocean, according to new research. A study released by the University of Washington found the birds, called common murres, probably died of starvation between the summer of 2015 and the spring of 2016. Most dead seabirds never wash ashore, so while 62,000 dead or dying murres were found along the coasts of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California, researchers estimate the total number is closer to 1 million. Alaska saw the most birds wash up. In Prince William Sound in southern Alaska, more than 4,500 bird carcasses were found every kilometer, or 0.62 miles.
February 11, 2020