Año Nuevo bird flu expands to other marine mammals, objections to Trump administration order to drill off the California coast

KAZU | By Erin Malsbury

Published March 16, 2026 at 2:00 AM PDT

An adult male elephant seal lies in the sand and eyes the camera. — The Año Nuevo elephant seal population is closely monitored by researchers at UC Santa Cruz and partners. Public tours are closed for safety.

In today's newscast, researchers have confirmed avian influenza in at least 16 elephant seals, one sea otter and one sea lion. More animals show signs of infection. Plus, California lawmakers condemn the Trump administration's use of the Defense Production Act to order oil drilling off the California coast.

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Erin Malsbury

Erin is an award-winning journalist and photographer. She's written for local and national outlets, including the Smithsonian and Science Magazine. She has a master's degree in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

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