Latest news with #domoicacid
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Sea lions released back into Pacific Ocean as toxic algal blooms move out of Southern California
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Scripps scientists have confirmed that the harmful algal blooms (HABs) that have been responsible for sickening hundreds of marine mammals in the Pacific Ocean along the California coast this spring have moved out of the area, and rescue organizations in Southern California have been busy releasing the last of the rehabilitated sea lions. Scientists with Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego report the harmful algal blooms (HABs) that produce domoic acid — which accumulates in fish and shellfish, sickening sea lions, dolphins and birds that eat them, and overwhelming local rescue organizations — are gone. California sea lions are getting sick, but what's causing it? SeaWorld San Diego Rescue teams this past spring were getting upwards of 100 calls per day for sea life in need of help as a result of the toxic algal blooms. According to the County of Los Angeles, four injured sea lion pups — Brownie, Sprinkles, Peachick and Spiderling — that were rehabilitated and cared for by the Marine Mammal Care Center, were recently released at Venice Beach with help from the Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division and marine mammal experts. In San Diego, the SeaWorld San Diego Rescue team said the last seal lion suffering from domoic acid poisoning, and rehabilitated at SeaWorld, was returned to the Pacific Ocean on May 30. Sick sea lion rescued from busy road near Carlsbad beaches VIDEO: SeaWorld San Diego releases rescued and rehabilitated sea lions back into ocean Scripps reports that although the HABs are not in Southern California anymore, they did detect some presence around Santa Cruz in late May. NASA launches revolutionary PACE satellite to study Earth's oceans, changing climate From mid-February to mid-May, SeaWorld San Diego reports its Animal Rescue Team rescued 69 sea lions and 60 birds suffering from domoic acid symptoms. Rescue teams were overwhelmed by cases this year, but say marine rescue calls have dropped over the last three weeks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
6 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Officials in Southern California celebrate end of domoic acid outbreak with release of sea lion pups back into water
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and members from the Marine Mammal Care Center LA celebrated the end of the longest toxic domoic acid outbreak with the release of sea lion pups back into the wild in Venice on Wednesday. Although the sea lions being released did not suffer from domoic acid, John Warner, CEO at the Marine Mammal Care Center, said they were being returned to safer waters. Warner explained that domoic acid is a naturally occurring toxin that is produced by certain types of algae, but this year's levels and length of time were significantly long. Wildlife officials say algae blooms usually begin in June, but this year's bloom spread a few months early, causing thousands of sea lions, dolphins, pelicans and whales to experience seizures or die. Over the first four months of the year, Warner said the care center fielded over 8,000 calls to their hotlines, responded to more than 1,000 animals on the beach and rescued and treated over 500 animals. "Over the past several months, Southern California, with LA County being the epicenter, has experienced the worst stranding event due to domoic acid toxicosis that we've ever had before, beating the record in 2023," Warner said. Horvath said during the domoic acid event, the county was committed to investing in the resources that were helping support animals. She introduced a motion which was unanimously approved by the board, which issued a $100,000 purchase order to the MMCC to support emergency medical care, launch a public education campaign and develop a long-term funding strategy for future events. "This motion delivers critical support to the frontline responders rescuing and caring for these animals, while also helping us prepare for a future where these events will be more frequent and more severe due to climate change," Horvath said. "We must act urgently and continue to invest in solutions to protect both public health and our coastal ecosystem." On Wednesday afternoon, Biologist Dave Bader said recent samples of ocean water do not show signs of the algae that create the toxic domoic acid. Bader and his team have triaged and treated thousands of animals over the past three months from Ventura to Orange County. Bader blamed humans for creating the crisis and said they are the ones responsible for ultimately solving it. In mid-April, wildfire and ocean experts determined domoic acid was the cause of death of at least two whales, including a juvenile humpback and minke. The humpback was stranded in Huntington Beach on Jan. 24 and the other lingered in Long Beach's Rainbow Harbor on April 6. Humpback and minke whales, along with other marine mammals, feed on small schooling fish, like sardines and anchovies, which are known to accumulate domoic acid. Warner said it is important for the public to do everything it can to support marine life. Some ways people can help are by donating supplies or funds, volunteering and adopting a patient.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Toxic algae threat eases along Southern California coastline
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Southern California's coastline may finally be seeing relief as domoic acid—the toxin recently devastating marine life—begins to subside. The rescue team at SeaWorld San Diego is finally starting to catch their breath after weeks of responding to calls about sick or disoriented sea animals at some of our local beach communities. 'They're eating fish, they're gaining weight, we haven't seen signs of seizures,' said Jeni Smith, rescue program curator at SeaWorld San Diego. The road to recovery looks good for these sea lions thanks to Smith and her team at SeaWorld. They're getting treatment for domoic acid poisoning caused by a toxic algae bloom devastating the Southern California coast this year. Once marine mammals are rescued, recovery times can vary. 'Six to eight weeks is the general time that it takes to rehabilitate a California sea lion, but for some of these domoic acid patients, it has been a little bit sooner,' Smith said. Dr. Clarissa Anderson, Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System Director at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, says climate patterns drive the toxic algae blooms. 'This has been a really cold La Niña and it has been a very long event of cold water,' Anderson said. That environment fuels plankton which produce the harmful toxin. But experts are tracking a change in ocean conditions. 'They're not really great for most plankton to grow right now so we're seeing everything kind of going down simultaneously and so with that the toxins go down,' Anderson said. Since calls started flooding the phone lines at the end of February, SeaWorld has rescued over 60 sea lions, over 60 seabirds and several dolphins. NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center reports more than 50 dead dolphins have been recovered from San Diego beaches in recent months. 'We brought them back to SeaWorld and performed animal necropsies on them. There's always something we can learn from every single animal,' Smith said. While rescue crews are seeing fewer sick animals coming in lately, they're fully prepared to respond. And with health restored, these flippers will soon be waving goodbye to their rescuers. 'We are starting to formulate a list of animals that are ready for the next return trip,' Smith said. See a sea lion in trouble? Stay back and call SeaWorld Rescue at 1-800-541-SEAL. They'll take it from there. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
