Latest news with #Pseudo-nitzschiaaustralis
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Lethal algae bloom is over, but sickened marine mammals aren't safe yet
It was one of the largest, longest and most lethal harmful algae blooms in Southern California's recorded history, claiming the lives of hundreds of dolphins and sea lions between Baja California and the Central Coast. And now, finally, it's over. Levels of toxic algae species in Southern California coastal waters have declined in recent weeks below thresholds that pose a threat to marine wildlife, according to the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System, or SCCOOS, which monitors algae blooms. lthough this provides a much-needed respite for marine mammals and the people working to save them from neurotoxin poisoning, scientists warned that the coastal ecosystem is in the clear yet. Just as January's firestorms struck well outside Southern California's typical fire season, this explosion of harmful algae appeared earlier in the year than have previous blooms. Further outbreaks are still possible before the year is up, said Dave Bader, a marine biologist and the chief operations and education officer for the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro. 'It's definitely over, but we still have the work of rehabilitating the [animals] that we have saved,' Bader said Wednesday. 'And we're not out of the woods with this year at all.' Bader was among a group of ocean specialists who gathered at the AltaSea complex at the Port of Los Angeles to brief Mayor Karen Bass on the coastal effects of January's fires. That disaster didn't cause the algae blooms. This is the fourth consecutive year such outbreaks have occurred along the Southern California coast, fueled by an upwelling of nutrient-rich waters from the deep ocean. Yet multiple research teams are currently investigating whether the surge of additional runoff into the sea resulting from the firestorms may have contributed to the recent bloom's intensity. No data on the subject are available yet. But given the relationship between nutrients and harmful algae species, Mark Gold of the Natural Resources Defense Council said he would not be surprised if the fires played a role in this year's severity. 'As a scientist who's been looking at impacts of pollution on the ocean for my whole career, … one would expect that [fire runoff] is also having impacts on harmful algal blooms, from the standpoint of the intensity of the blooms, the scope, the scale, etc.,' said Gold, the organization's director of water scarcity solutions. 'We'll find that out when all this analysis and research is completed.' In terms of animal mortality, this year's bloom was the worst since 2015-16 outbreak that killed thousands of animals between Alaska and Baja California, said SCCOOS director Clarissa Anderson of UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Four different algae species were present this year. The two most dangerous produce powerful neurotoxins that accumulate in the marine food chain: Alexandrium catenella, which produces saxitoxin, and Pseudo-nitzschia australis, which produces domoic acid. The toxins accumulate in filter-feeding fish, and then poison larger mammals who gobble up the fish in mass quantities. (This is why the blooms don't pose the same health risks to humans — very few people eat up to 40 pounds of fish straight from the sea each day.) Beginning in February, hundreds of dolphins and sea lions started washing up on California beaches, either dead or suffering neurotoxin poisoning symptoms such as aggression, lethargy and seizures. A minke whale in Long Beach Harbor and a gray whale that stranded in Huntington Beach also succumbed to the outbreak. Scientists believe countless more animals died at sea. The outbreak was more lethal than those in recent years, Bader said, and veterinarians were able to save fewer animals than they have in the past. Researchers are still grappling with the catastrophe's full impact on marine mammal species. The outbreak was particularly deadly for breeding females. California sea lions typically give birth in June after an 11-month gestation. At the blooms' peak, 'they were actively feeding for two,' Bader said. Domoic acid crosses the placenta. None of the pregnant animals the center rescued delivered live babies, he said. 'We don't really know what the environmental impact, long term, is of [blooms] four years in a row, right during breeding season,' Bader said. 'The full impact of this is going to be hard to know, especially at a time when research budgets are being cut.' As climate change has shifted the timing and intensity of the strong wind events that drive upwellings, 'we're coming into a future where we unfortunately have to expect we'll see these events with recurring frequency,' Bader told Bass at the roundtable. 'The events that drove the fires are the events that drove the upwelling.' This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Lethal algae bloom is over, but sickened marine mammals aren't safe yet
It was one of the largest, longest and most lethal harmful algae blooms in Southern California's recorded history, claiming the lives of hundreds of dolphins and sea lions between Baja California and the Central Coast. And now, finally, it's over. Levels of toxic algae species in Southern California coastal waters have declined in recent weeks below thresholds that pose a threat to marine wildlife, according to the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System, or SCCOOS, which monitors algae blooms. lthough this provides a much-needed respite for marine mammals and the people working to save them from neurotoxin poisoning, scientists warned that the coastal ecosystem is in the clear yet. Just as January's firestorms struck well outside Southern California's typical fire season, this explosion of harmful algae appeared earlier in the year than have previous blooms. Further outbreaks are still possible before the year is up, said Dave Bader, a marine biologist and the chief operations and education officer for the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro. 'It's definitely over, but we still have the work of rehabilitating the [animals] that we have saved,' Bader said Wednesday. 'And we're not out of the woods with this year at all.' Bader was among a group of ocean specialists who gathered at the AltaSea complex at the Port of Los Angeles to brief Mayor Karen Bass on the coastal effects of January's fires. That disaster didn't cause the algae blooms. This is the fourth consecutive year such outbreaks have occurred along the Southern California coast, fueled by an upwelling of nutrient-rich waters from the deep ocean. Yet multiple research teams are currently investigating whether the surge of additional runoff into the sea resulting from the firestorms may have contributed to the recent bloom's intensity. No data on the subject are available yet. But given the relationship between nutrients and harmful algae species, Mark Gold of the Natural Resources Defense Council said he would not be surprised if the fires played a role in this year's severity. 'As a scientist who's been looking at impacts of pollution on the ocean for my whole career, … one would expect that [fire runoff] is also having impacts on harmful algal blooms, from the standpoint of the intensity of the blooms, the scope, the scale, etc.,' said Gold, the organization's director of water scarcity solutions. 'We'll find that out when all this analysis and research is completed.' In terms of animal mortality, this year's bloom was the worst since 2015-16 outbreak that killed thousands of animals between Alaska and Baja California, said SCCOOS director Clarissa Anderson of UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Four different algae species were present this year. The two most dangerous produce powerful neurotoxins that accumulate in the marine food chain: Alexandrium catenella, which produces saxitoxin, and Pseudo-nitzschia australis, which produces domoic acid. The toxins accumulate in filter-feeding fish, and then poison larger mammals who gobble up the fish in mass quantities. (This is why the blooms don't pose the same health risks to humans — very few people eat up to 40 pounds of fish straight from the sea each day.) Beginning in February, hundreds of dolphins and sea lions started washing up on California beaches, either dead or suffering neurotoxin poisoning symptoms such as aggression, lethargy and seizures. A minke whale in Long Beach Harbor and a gray whale that stranded in Huntington Beach also succumbed to the outbreak. Scientists believe countless more animals died at sea. The outbreak was more lethal than those in recent years, Bader said, and veterinarians were able to save fewer animals than they have in the past. Researchers are still grappling with the catastrophe's full impact on marine mammal species. The outbreak was particularly deadly for breeding females. California sea lions typically give birth in June after an 11-month gestation. At the blooms' peak, 'they were actively feeding for two,' Bader said. Domoic acid crosses the placenta. None of the pregnant animals the center rescued delivered live babies, he said. 'We don't really know what the environmental impact, long term, is of [blooms] four years in a row, right during breeding season,' Bader said. 'The full impact of this is going to be hard to know, especially at a time when research budgets are being cut.' As climate change has shifted the timing and intensity of the strong wind events that drive upwellings, 'we're coming into a future where we unfortunately have to expect we'll see these events with recurring frequency,' Bader told Bass at the roundtable. 'The events that drove the fires are the events that drove the upwelling.'
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
No more demon sea lions? Good news for those who've been afraid to go to the beach
After a brutal spring of toxic algae blooms turning some sea lions into sick, snarling seaside hazards, anxious beachgoers can breathe a sigh of relief as experts say the worst of the poisoning is over. This week, the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro excitedly announced that they had seen no new patients with domoic acid poisoning nor any recent signs of Pseudo-nitzschia algae in Southern California waters. "This was the longest, most toxic, and deadliest bloom we've ever experienced," the center announced on social media. "Because of your support and advocacy, we got through it, and hundreds of marine mammals received a second chance at life!" This year's poisoning event pushed the center to its limits as it treated more than 400 marine animals, including scores of sick sea lions and dolphins. It was also marked by several reports of aggressive sea lions attacking people in the water. Read more: 'Feral, almost demonic': Surge in poisoned sea lions threatens SoCal beachgoers, burdens rescuers A 15-year-old girl was bitten by a sea lion while completing a swim test for her Junior Lifeguards program in Long Beach at the end of March. A few weeks prior, a surfer was reportedly accosted by a 'feral, almost demonic' sea lion that he said dragged him off his board in Oxnard and stalked him in the water. The California coastline can experience large-scale blooms of an algae called Pseudo-nitzschia australis when warm water combines with excess nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Researchers say that climate change and an increase in agricultural runoff, wastewater discharge, and urban stormwater have increased the scale and frequency of these blooms in recent years. Small fish including anchovies and sardines ingest the toxic algae, which then bioaccumulates in larger marine mammals like sea lions that eat the fish. Ingesting domoic acid can cause sea lions to have seizures or to crane their heads in a motion known as 'stargazing.' They can also fall into a comatose state. Experts advise people not to interact with animals believed to be sick because they might aggressively lunge or even bite. Southern California saw another major poisoning event in 2023, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 sea lions. If taken in for prompt treatment, poisoned sea lions have a 50% to 65% survival rate, according to the Marine Mammal Care Center. Although the worst of this year's crisis appears to be over, the center still has its work cut out to tend to the sick animals and prepare for the next bloom. In order to meet the growing regional need, the center says it is expanding its hospital facility, increasing its rescue capacity and securing research funding to better understand toxic algae blooms. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
29-05-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
No more demon sea lions? Good news for those who've been afraid to go to the beach
After a brutal spring of toxic algae blooms turning some sea lions into sick, snarling seaside hazards, anxious beachgoers can breathe a sigh of relief as experts say the worst of the poisoning is over. This week, the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro excitedly announced that they had seen no new patients with domoic acid poisoning nor any recent signs of Pseudo-nitzschia algae in Southern California waters. 'This was the longest, most toxic, and deadliest bloom we've ever experienced,' the center announced on social media. 'Because of your support and advocacy, we got through it, and hundreds of marine mammals received a second chance at life!' This year's poisoning event pushed the center to its limits as it treated more than 400 marine animals, including scores of sick sea lions and dolphins. It was also marked by several reports of aggressive sea lions attacking people in the water. A 15-year-old girl was bitten by a sea lion while completing a swim test for her Junior Lifeguards program in Long Beach at the end of March. A few weeks prior, a surfer was reportedly accosted by a 'feral, almost demonic' sea lion that he said dragged him off his board in Oxnard and stalked him in the water. The California coastline can experience large-scale blooms of an algae called Pseudo-nitzschia australis when warm water combines with excess nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Researchers say that climate change and an increase in agricultural runoff, wastewater discharge, and urban stormwater have increased the scale and frequency of these blooms in recent years. Small fish including anchovies and sardines ingest the toxic algae, which then bioaccumulates in larger marine mammals like sea lions that eat the fish. Ingesting domoic acid can cause sea lions to have seizures or to crane their heads in a motion known as 'stargazing.' They can also fall into a comatose state. Experts advise people not to interact with animals believed to be sick because they might aggressively lunge or even bite. Southern California saw another major poisoning event in 2023, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 sea lions. If taken in for prompt treatment, poisoned sea lions have a 50% to 65% survival rate, according to the Marine Mammal Care Center. Although the worst of this year's crisis appears to be over, the center still has its work cut out to tend to the sick animals and prepare for the next bloom. In order to meet the growing regional need, the center says it is expanding its hospital facility, increasing its rescue capacity and securing research funding to better understand toxic algae blooms.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Whales and dolphins keep washing up dead in Southern California — scientists say this is responsible
Whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals are washing up dead along the California coastline. A team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has collected more than 50 dolphins since March, and four whales have washed ashore in Southern California counties. After examining the animals, scientists have found that the animals were the victims of neurotoxins produced by a harmful algae bloom. Neurotoxins can affect the nervous system, sometimes leading to death. 'Hundreds of additional dolphins and sea lions have also died in other areas of California since the first domoic acid impacts were detected near Los Angeles in February,' NOAA said in an update this week. NOAA said that its impacts were not likely to affect dolphins or sea lions at a population scale. More than one million short-beaked common dolphins live around the Golden State, in addition to approximately 250,000 California sea lions. Most of the dolphins were adult male long-beaked common dolphins, with a few short-beaked common dolphins. However, two were pregnant females. 'The details provide a snapshot of how the ongoing harmful algal bloom is affecting one of the most popular stretches of the Southern California coastline. Of the 14 dolphins tested so far, 11 have had high levels of domoic acid,' NOAA said. 'One showed both domoic acid and saxitoxin, a different neurotoxin produced by another marine microorganism that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning.' Domoic acid is produced by a type of algae called Pseudo-nitzschia australis. The algae's growth can be driven by the wind-driven upwelling of deep ocean water. The neurotoxin accumulates in fish, which are eaten by marine mammals. The neurotoxin then attacks the brain and heart, causing seizures and permanent brain damage. The animals can be treated with fluids if they are cared for before significant damage occurs — although there is little that first responders can do to help the dolphins. This event may have been the result of upwelling in mid-February, when the first marine life was reported to have been affected near Malibu. In March, NOAA said there were upwards of 100 calls a day from people reporting sea lions and dolphins affected by domoic acid. 'We are having to do triage on the beach as we try to identify those animals where we have the greatest chance of making a difference,' John Warner, chief executive officer of the Marine Mammal Care Center in Los Angeles, said. Beachgoers should remain at a minimum of 50 yards from affected animals, and report stranded marine mammals to the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network hotline at (866) 767-6114. This marks the fourth consecutive year with a harmful algal bloom off Southern California, and the current bloom began earlier in the year than prior blooms. As ocean temperatures rise, these harmful blooms are becoming more frequent and intense. 'It does take an emotional toll in the field,' Warner said. 'Year after year, it's getting tough. Each of our organizations is trying hard to get to as many animals as we can, but we don't have the resources to rescue every one that is out there.'
