Toxic algae bloom suspected in death of dolphins, sea lions

Hundreds of sea lions and dolphins washed up dead on the shores of Southern California in recent weeks, and marine life experts are blaming green algae blooms.

Last week, the state of California warned against catching and eating shellfish caught off the coast of Santa Barbara due to the toxic algae. Algae poisoning in humans can cause headaches, fever, cramps and dizziness.

Rapidly growing Pseudo-nitzschia algae produces a neurotoxin domoic acid that leads to the death of the animals that ingest it. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates that hundreds of sea lions and at least 60 dolphins have died from the algae this month.

Algae outbreaks occur every year and kill dozens of sea lions and dolphins, but this year’s outbreak is larger and more significant farther offshore.

“I have never seen anything this intense in terms of the numbers of animals in my 20 years of responding to strandings in this area,” Michelle Berman Kowalewski, founder and director of the Channel Islands Cetacean Research Unit, told NOAA.

Last year, the outbreak was closer to shore and only impacted sea lions.

Now, researchers are taking tissue samples of stranded animals to confirm outbreaks of the algae neurotoxin.

“We are trying to learn as much as we can as fast as we can,” Kowalewski said. “As difficult as it is to see these animals die, we want to gather information to help understand how and why this is happening the way it is.”

NOAA has warned beach goers to stay away from stranded sea lions, dolphins and other marine animals.

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