‘Horrific' Scene On The California Coast: Largest Algae Bloom On Record Is Killing Thousands Of Marine Animals
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Toxic algae blooms along the California coast have been a problem off and on for the past four years, but what's been happening in recent months is unprecedented. This is now one of the largest harmful algae blooms ever recorded in this region and has led to thousands of marine animals and birds becoming sick or dying in recent months.
This includes at least two whale species, dolphins, birds and the biggest numbers have been from sea lions.
'It's horrific,' Glenn Gray, CEO of the Pacific Marine Mammal Center (PMMC) told weather.com. 'The number of dead dolphins we've gotten this year is just off the charts. We're all dealing with numbers within a two-month period of time that would normally represent the number of responses we would make in a year. It's been the worst that's on record in terms of how it's affecting the animals and the different species of animals.'
The toxin is called domoic acid poisoning, which is a neurotoxin produced by an algae called Pseudo-nitzschia. It attacks the nervous system of marine life, either killing them, or making them appear disoriented, according to scientists at the PMMC.
'It's like having a seizure,' explained Gray. 'I compare it to a pet having a seizure. It's very similar and heart-wrenching because the sea lions are kind and gentle. They're playing with each other and then the next moment, they're seizing.'
Gray explains that if these sea lions seize for more than 30 seconds, there's a good chance they will suffer irreversible damage to their brain. He says they can become unbalanced, and stay very unpredictable and potentially dangerous to others.
What's happening is that the domoic acid is collecting in the smaller fish species that the larger animals are feeding on. Scientists have revealed that this toxin is spreading throughout the food web, which is impacting more and more species, including whales.
'Each of these whale deaths is heartbreaking, and also deeply telling,' said Keith Matassa, CEO and Founder of the Ocean Animal Response & Research Alliance (OARRA). 'Whales are sentinels of ocean health, and their suffering signals a larger ecological imbalance driven by intensifying harmful algal blooms. These events are no longer isolated, they're increasing in scope, scale, frequency, and severity.'
Recent California Wildfires Possibly Played A Role
While no official scientific studies have been completed yet, the recent wildfires, including the Palisades Fire, could be contributing to the toxins. The fire burned more than 23,000 acres and destroyed nearly 7,000 structures. Scientists are currently investigating whether the fire retardant used to fight the fires could be contributing to the magnitude of this algae bloom.
'The toxic algae is essentially fed by pollution,' explained Gray. 'If you look at the fire retardant, the pink substance that was dumped, the two active ingredients of that are water and fertilizer.'
Shortly after the fires, atmospheric river conditions brought a lot of rain, and scientists are concerned that all the nutrient fertilizer that ran off into the ocean is a contributing factor. They are also looking into what negative contributions the runoff of charred debris may have had as well.
'We're running from daylight to sunset, from one end of the county to the other," said Gray. 'It's just been crazy with respect to the number of animals we have in our hospital. Our staff and our volunteers are putting in 14-18 hour days.'
What To Do If You Encounter A Sick Marine Animal
Algae blooms have been more frequent and more severe in the last few decades, because of warmer ocean temperatures being driven by climate change. But added pollutants only exacerbate the situation.
And while marine life is at the mercy of Mother Nature as to when this bloom will weaken, scientists worry about the impacts of this dragging out much longer.
'I'm worried that if this continues all the way through June as the last one did, there's just gonna be a lot more fatalities,' said Gray.
NOAA fisheries and their network rely on the public as its eyes and ears, urging beachgoers and others to report stranded animals to the Network hotline at 866-767-6114.
The PMMC says beachgoers should also make sure to stay clear of stranded animals and keep their pets away from marine mammals. These animals can bite and may carry diseases that may be harmful to humans and pets.
Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.
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