Bay Area polluters (that's all of us, kids) are responsible for contaminating the Bay with such nasty toxic materials as sewage, flame retardants, and Teflon. Mother seals who eat contaminated fish, pass the chemicals through placenta, and then through milk to those adorable little seal pups we all love so much.

Harbor seals near the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge are now being studied to determine the effects of such exposure. Researchers hope that this new study will enlighten the scientific world, not just in terms of how toxic chemicals affect harbor seals, but how such chemicals can affect harbor seals and the people who love them, or don't (aka Canadians).

So, if you see any harbor seals out there with yellow or orange tags glued to their heads (we kid you not), help out the Marine Mammal Center (we totally heart them) by writing down the number and color of the tag. Give the MMC (not Mickey Mouse Club) a call and tell them where you saw the harbor seal, and what condition the seal appeared to be in.

For more information on volunteering, giving, or for tips on how you can help reduce what you pollute, visit the Marine Mammal Center's website.

Find out more about the harbor seal study at SFGate.

Image Credit: Marine Mammal Center