Dead mollusk and clams, dehydrated star fish and baked barnacles are among the one billion dead sea creatures that littered beaches of the Pacific Northwest following a historic heatwave.
The 'heat dome' hung over the Western US and Canada two weeks ago and unleashed temperatures of 104 degrees Fahrenheit that lasted for at least five days straight.
The astounding heat is believed to have killed hundreds of people, but Christopher Harley, a marine biologist at the University of British Columbia, found last week that sea creatures were also among the victims.
Harley says low tide also played a key role in the marine massacre, as it was very low midday, leaving the sea creatures exposed to the extreme heat.
During one of the hottest days of the heatwave, Harley walked to the beach to take a look at the damage.
'The more I walked and the more I saw, the more sobering it all became,' he told the New York Times. 'It just went on and on and on.'
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Dead mollusk and clams, dehydrated star fish and baked barnacles are among the one billion dead sea creatures that littered beaches of the Pacific Northwest following a historic heatwave
The mass death of the marine life is devastating, but it has also impacted the ecosystem.
Such a great loss of mussels and clams affects water quality, as these creatures filter the ocean to keep it clear enough for sunlight to reach the eelgrass beds.
Heatwaves have affected marine life throughout history, but Harley told NPR that temperatures reaching above 100 degrees Fahrenheit like they did in the Pacific Northwest are 'exceptionally rare.'
But
