Video shows sea lions diving off cliff after massive earthquake strikes Russia's far east
The video taken by a tourist on a nature day trip shows at least 30 sea lions jumping off cliffs and into the waves for safety as an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck the island of Antsiferov.
The earthquake also prompted tsunami alerts along America's West Coast, from Alaska to Hawaii, with no immediate damage reported. Meanwhile, authorities in Ecuador's Galapagos Islands have ordered a precautionary evacuation for residents living in vulnerable areas along the Pacific coast, according to Reuters.
More on sea lions on the island
The island affected by the earthquake is home to Steller sea lions, the largest members of the family Otariidae, which includes "eared seals," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries.
The species was named after German surgeon and naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller, who described it in 1742, according to NOAA Fisheries.
The seals can be found mainly along the North Pacific Ocean rim from northern Hokkaido, Japan, to the Kuril Islands and Sea of Okhotsk. They can also be found in the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea, the southern coast of Alaska and south to central California.
Adult males tend to be much larger than females, the agency said. Adult males can be up to 11 feet long and can weigh up to 2,500 pounds, while adult females are 7.5 to 9.5 feet long and weigh up to 800 pounds.
They primarily feed at night and consume over 100 species of fish, including mackerel, walleye pollock, salmon, Pacific cod, flounder and others. They can forage both nearshore and offshore, and can travel long distances within a single season.
Disturbances and how they impact sea lions
The creatures need 'undisturbed land habitat to rest, molt, socialize, mate, give birth, and nurse small pups during the breeding season,' NOAA Fisheries said.
The agency also said Steller sea lions have been disturbed in the past by powerboats, kayaks, paddleboards and other watercraft, as well as approaching aircraft..
'Disturbance to Steller sea lions on terrestrial haulout sites can lead to individuals fleeing toward the water, causing mass stampedes during which pups and juveniles may be injured or killed when crushed by adults,' the agency said. 'Disturbance can also cause sea lions to flee from the tops of steep rocks or cliff faces, also causing injury or death.'
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
See video of the heaviest stick insect ever discovered in Australia
Scientists in Australia have discovered a new species of stick insect believed to be the heaviest in the country, weighing the same as a golf ball. The remote rainforest in Far North Queensland, Australia, is home to spiders, deadly snakes and the newly found 15.75-inch-long stick insects. Angus Emmott, a researcher and professor at James Cook University, helped identify the new Acrophylla alta species, Reuters reported. Emmott said the creature's large size could be an evolutionary response to its cool, wet habitat. Video shows newly found giant stick bug Emmott said in a July 31 news release that the insects' "body mass likely helps them survive the colder conditions, and that's why they've developed into this large insect over millions of years." "From what we know to date, this is Australia's heaviest insect," Emmott said. Emmott added that every species of stick insect has its own distinct egg style, including different textures, pittings, surfaces and even shapes. Why did the insect previously go undiscovered? Located in the Wet Tropics region of Far North Queensland, the insect stayed undiscovered for so long because of its remote habitat, Emmott said "It's restricted to a small area of high-altitude rainforest, and it lives high in the canopy. So, unless you get a cyclone or a bird bringing one down, very few people get to see them," he added. Two specimens of the Acrophylla alta were added to the Queensland Museum's collection to aid future research, according to Reuters. "To conserve any ecosystem, we actually need to know what's there and what makes it tick before we can think about the best ways to conserve it," Emmott said. Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch: Heaviest stick insect in Australia discovered
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Trump administration to expand price support for US rare earths projects, sources say
By Ernest Scheyder and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) -Top White House officials told a group of rare earths firms last week that they are pursuing a pandemic-era approach to boost U.S. critical minerals production and curb China's market dominance by guaranteeing a minimum price for their products, five sources familiar with the plan told Reuters. The previously unreported July 24 meeting was led by Peter Navarro, President Donald Trump's trade advisor, and David Copley, a National Security Council official tasked with supply chain strategy. It included ten rare earths companies plus tech giants Apple, Microsoft and Corning, which all rely on consistent supply of critical minerals to make electronics, the sources said. Navarro and Copley told the meeting that a floor price for rare earths extended to MP Materials earlier this month as part of a multibillion-dollar investment by the Pentagon was "not a one-off" and that similar deals were also in the works, the sources said. U.S. critical minerals firms, which complain that China's market dominance makes investing in mining projects risky, have long sought a federally backed price guarantee. Rare earths, a group of 17 metals used to make magnets that turn power into motion, and other critical minerals are used widely across the electronics sector, including the manufacture of cell phones and weapons. The officials detailed Trump's desire to quickly boost U.S. rare earths output - through mining, processing, recycling and magnet production - in a manner that would evoke the speed of 2020's Operation Warp Speed, which developed the COVID-19 vaccine in less than a year. Navarro confirmed the meeting to Reuters. He said the administration aims to "move in 'Trump Time,' which is to say as fast as possible while maintaining efficiency" to remedy perceived vulnerabilities in the U.S. critical minerals industry. Navarro did not comment on whether he mentioned the price floor at the meeting. "Our goal is to build out our supply chains from mines to end use products across the entire critical mineral spectrum, and the companies assembled at the meeting have the potential to play important roles in this effort," Navarro said. China - the world's largest producer of rare earths for more than 30 years - halted exports in March as part of a trade spat with Washington that showed some signs of easing late last month, even as the broader tensions remain. Beyond the price floor, Navarro and Copley advised attendees to avail themselves of existing government financial support, including billions of dollars worth of incentives in Trump's tax and spending bill approved on July 4, the sources said. Copley did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Apple signed a supply deal with MP after the Pentagon's investment this month. At the Washington meeting, Navarro and Copley said Trump would like to see more tech companies invest in the rare earths sector, either through seed investing or by making buyouts, all of the sources said. Apple and Corning did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Microsoft declined to comment. EXPORT BAN REQUEST While the attendees asked Navarro to support a ban on exports of equipment containing rare earth magnets to spur domestic recycling, Navarro told them he would push for that only after the U.S. rare earths industry is more developed so as not to prematurely give China leverage in the ongoing trade spat, according to the sources. When asked about a potential ban, Navarro told Reuters: "All policy options are on the table. As President Trump loves to say, 'Let's see what happens.'" Attendees included Phoenix Tailings, which is building a rare earths processing facility in New Hampshire, Momentum Technologies, which developed a modular battery and magnet recycling system, Vulcan Elements, which has built a pilot facility for rare earth magnets, and rare earths recyclers REEcycle and Cyclic Materials. "These guys are serious about fixing the problem," said Vulcan CEO John Maslin. "They want companies to partner." Redwood Materials and Cirba Solutions, two of North America's largest battery recyclers, also attended. TechMet, which invests in mining projects across the globe and in which the U.S. government holds a minority stake, also attended the meeting, as did Noveon, a Texas-based rare earths magnet company. Phoenix, Momentum, Cirba, TechMet, Noveon, Cyclic, ReElement and REEcycle, all of which are privately held, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Redwood declined to comment. The administration officials plan to meet again with the companies in roughly four to six weeks, a truncated timeline aimed at underscoring the administration's desire to quickly support a U.S. minerals industry, the sources said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CNBC
2 days ago
- CNBC
Pandemic darlings Moderna, BioNTech are now on two different paths
The Covid-19 pandemic turned Moderna and BioNTech into household names almost overnight. Now the two companies are on different paths. Both Moderna and BioNTech helped pioneer mRNA, or messenger RNA, technology. Moderna staked its entire identity around mRNA, while BioNTech saw it as one piece of a broader portfolio focused on immunology and oncology. The pandemic gave both companies a chance to prove mRNA's promise of using the body's own immune system to protect against viruses or treat diseases. Covid vaccines have generated roughly $45 billion in sales for each company, earning them each about $20 billion since their rollout in late 2020. But despite parallel booms after the pandemic, the vaccine makers have since taken their businesses in different directions — and Wall Street has noticed. The two companies have spent their Covid vaccine windfall differently: Moderna doubled down on its mRNA pipeline, while BioNTech used the money to do deals and diversify, including into one of the hottest emerging areas of cancer drugs. Today, Moderna has about $8.4 billion in cash; the German-based BioNTech has €15.9 billion (or $18.2 billion). The divergence of the two companies is even more stark in their stock performance. Over the past year, Moderna shares have slid about 72%; BioNTech shares have gained nearly 29%. "Just their name was made based off the pandemic and the vaccines that they very quickly brought to people around the world to help get us through that period of time," said Evercore ISI analyst Cory Kasimov. "But the approach they're taking now and the outlook for these two companies is distinctly different at this point." Investors will get a fresh look at both companies' performance as they post quarterly results in the coming days. Moderna is set to report Friday morning, followed by BioNTech on Monday morning. Moderna used its Covid cash to build out its mRNA portfolio, particularly vaccines. It invested in shots for flu, RSV and lesser-known viruses like cytomegalovirus and norovirus. "From our perspective, the pandemic really showed that the science of what we're doing worked, and the natural sort of response to that was to continue down that path and do more," said Moderna President Stephen Hoge. Funding such a large pipeline wasn't cheap. The company has started slashing expenses as sales of its Covid vaccine slide and its RSV vaccine struggles to find a foothold. But the clock is running, said Leerink analyst Mani Foroohar. "We're moving into a time where being a vaccine company is going to be more expensive, tedious and onerous," Foroohar said, citing changes at the Food and Drug Administration under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has expressed skepticism about vaccines. Foroohar in 2022 pointed out what he saw as a Shakespearean tragic flaw in Moderna's business model. That shortcoming, in his view, is that Moderna scaled its pipeline assuming mRNA technology would be the tool for all problems instead of a solution for some problems. Hoge said Moderna's "really good at making mRNA medicines" and decided to focus on doing that. "The reality is that we think over the last 10 years, that focus has actually made us successful, and in the pandemic, it certainly had a big impact and obviously was something that sets us up for the more diverse pipeline we have right now," Hoge said. "So we recognize that we may be going through some cycles, but we're pretty confident in the long-term trajectory we're on, and we're looking forward over the years ahead to showing with all these additional medicines what we're really capable of." Meanwhile, BioNTech decided to use the proceeds from its Covid vaccine to diversify. Out of the limelight as partner Pfizer took the lead on selling the companies' shot, BioNTech expanded into promising new cancer technologies. Most importantly, it acquired a bispecific antibody targeting the proteins PD-L1 and VEG-F. That technology promises to build on – and possibly best – the success that Merck has found with Keytruda, a cancer drug with nearly $30 billion in sales last year alone. That thesis still needs to be proven in large, global clinical trials, but BioNTech is already seeing that deal pay off. Bristol Myers Squibb in June announced it would pay up to $11 billion to partner with BioNTech to codevelop the experimental drug, which BioNTech acquired for a fraction of that. BioNTech in 2023 initially paid Biotheus $55 million up front to license the drug outside China before acquiring the company outright earlier this year for up to $1 billion. "[BioNTech] found an asset, they developed it, and then they got a pharma partner, it's like a dream," said BMO analyst Evan David Seigerman. "So they're really strategic in that, and I think they're adding a lot of diversification, which makes the story a lot less risky if you're just focused on mRNA, vaccines and Covid, and that's super risky, in my view." At the same time, hopes are high that BioNTech's bispecific antibody drug will work, meaning any disappointment ahead could hurt the stock. Investors are watching forthcoming Phase 3 trial results from Summit Therapeutics, which is testing a similar drug for lung cancer. Those data could help — or hurt — BioNTech's stock while it awaits data from its own studies, which could take until 2028. For Moderna, investors want to see if sales of its Covid and RSV vaccines can rebound. The company is also seeking FDA approval for an mRNA flu shot. But at this point, the most intense focus is on Moderna's Phase 3 trial for a personalized cancer treatment for melanoma, said RBC Capital Markets analyst Luca Issi. Moderna may be able to share the first interim data as soon as next year, Hoge said, though the company can't promise an exact date since it's an event-driven study. That means enough people in the trial need to relapse before Moderna can analyze whether its treatment kept cancer from returning longer. If the treatment succeeds, it could launch in 2027 or 2028, Hoge said. That leaves Moderna largely dependent on its vaccines until then. An ongoing patent dispute over Moderna's Covid-19 shot could also eat into the company's cash, analysts say, adding they expect the legal proceedings to play out next year. Time will tell whether the divergent strategies win over Wall Street long term.
