A toxic algae bloom that has crept down the coast of California from San Luis Obispo County has been sickening and killing hundreds of sea lions and dolphins. Animals began washing up along the coastline earlier this month in alarming numbers.
The massive bloom produced by a species of marine plankton fueled with a toxin called domoic acid has struck the hardest off Santa Barbara and Ventura counties – staff at the Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute have struggled to keep up, officials said Monday – but affected animals have been seen as far south as Los Angeles and Orange County.
The impacted animals – mostly sea lions and dolphins, but also whales and other marine mammals – are feeding on smaller fish, such as squid, sardines and anchovies, that have eat the poisonous plankton. The toxins can cause seizures and severe brain inflammation and often leads to death by causing irreversible brain damage.
Ruth Dover, co-founder and managing director of the Channel Islands center, said just between June 8 and 14, there were more than 1,000 reports of sick or dead animals, including more than 100 dolphins.
The Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles put out a notice on Monday warning beachgoers to stay away from stranded animals, saying they should call the center if they see an animal exhibiting neurological symptoms such as side-to-side head movement or their heads extended back for a long time. The lethargic animals might appear more approachable on the beach, but also pose a greater bite risk to people and their pets.
“We’re in the middle of creating emergency space at our center,” said John Warner, the rescue center’s CEO, adding new patients coming in are in addition to the 55 animals the staff were already caring for. “We’re taking our parking lot and creating pens for patients that are more sedate.”
As of Tuesday, the center had taken in 60 animals showing evidence of neurological impacts. Two died.
Stranded sea lions appeared…
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