A sign advises beachgoers to avoid disturbing marine wildlife after an unusual number of ill or deceased marine wildlife washed up on Ventura and Santa Barbara county beaches. (36220749811)

OXNARD, Calif. (May 1, 2017) - A sign advises beachgoers to avoid disturbing marine wildlife after an unusual number of ill or deceased marine wildlife washed up on Ventura and Santa Barbara county beaches. Biologists were first alerted to the unusual mortality event by BeachCOMBERS volunteers, who survey and record data about marine mammals or birds that have died along a shoreline, contributing to long-term information about the health of a marine ecosystem. (Photo by Andrea Dransfield.)