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Seal Aid: Wet Seal has come to the aid of wet seals, and dry ones, too.

Employees of the women’s apparel chain based in Irvine have contributed almost $2,500 to aid seal rescue efforts at the Friends of the Sea Lion Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach.

It’s been a hard year for our flippered friends, what with the warm water spawned by the El Nino weather conditions that has reduced their feeding areas and led to starvation. The center has an unusually large number of ailing seals.

“All of us at Wet Seal are very sensitive to the plight of our mascot and are eager to do what we can to help. We hope other individuals and organizations will do the same,” said Stacie Wightman, a Wet Seal executive assistant who organized the effort.

Wet Seal employs 100 people at its central distribution center in Irvine, which serves stores in California and six other states.