Cancer at Sea

Scientists at the Marine Mammal Center in California are studying a mysterious and aggressive cancer afflicting California sea lions to better understand the causes of cancer in all animals, including humans. The disease, which starts in the reproductive organs of adult males and females, has an unusually high prevalence rate—more than a quarter of adult sea lions that die at the center have cancer, one of the highest rates observed in wild animals. Through necropsies and tissue analysis of deceased marine mammals, researchers are gaining insights that could advance cancer research across species.