Hundreds of sick sea lions and dolphins have been poisoned by a neurotoxin produced by large algae blooms off the coast of Southern California, including Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
“They're seizing. They're dying on the beach," said Justin Viezbicke, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries representative.
Marine mammal facilities in Southern California are struggling to keep up with the overwhelming numbers of sick sea lions and dolphins.
“The reports have been staggering. I mean, the facilities literally can't even answer the phone and keep up with it when it was at its peak," Viezbicke said.
“Domoic acid is a poison that is released by algae and every year, The Marine Mammal Center sees this toxin being released. We get about 60 to 80 cases of animals with domoic acid poisoning at the center," said Aliah Meza, Operations Manager at The Marine Mammal Center.
The toxin targets the animal’s brain and heart, affecting their behavior. Animals can experience disorientation, erratic behavior, foaming at the mouth, and even seizures.
“We'll give subcutaneous fluids to help flush that toxin out of the animal's system. We will also give them medicine to help with reducing the seizures," Meza said.
Though the toxin isn’t new, experts are doing their best to collect data that could help find a solution in the future.
“The reality is every one of these animals that's got the poisoning from domoic acid is going to have long-term effects. We know that domoic acid poisoning affects the hippocampus. It affects their long-term memory abilities," Viezbicke said. "We're really curious to see those animals that did make it out of rehab, how they do in the future. We've got flipper tags on them all and so we'll hopefully get some re-sights that will help inform us better for the future.”
Support for inundated facilities has come from other rescue organizations and facilities throughout the country, including six staff and volunteers from The Marine Mammal Center.
“As kind of support through our stranding network partner agencies, we've been sending staff and volunteers to help support those folks as they're kind of working with these animals," Meza added.
Meza said there have only been a handful of cases in San Luis Obispo and Monterrey counties, but that doesn't mean the danger is over. Domoic acid cases can be seen through the summer and into the fall.
If you see an animal that appears to be in distress, keep your distance and call The Marine Mammal Center's 24-hour hotline number at (415) 289-SEAL.
