Sea lions in California 'suffering and confused' likely from toxic algae bloom
Over four days, the California Wildlife Center said Saturday that it had received 14 calls of sea lions in distress.
"Though we have not confirmed the cause for these animals' illness, their signs and the recent rains make the situation highly suspicious for domoic acid toxicity," the center posted on Facebook Saturday.
"These animals are suffering and confused; do not interact directly with animals such as sea lions in distress as they may lunge and bite without warning."
Domoic acid toxicity is an algal bloom that came from a single-celled organism called Pseudo-nitzschia.
There are benign and toxic forms.
Animals may be exposed through ingestion of contaminated fish.
Sickness signs, according to the center, "include seizures, a craning head motion known as 'stargazing,' and highly lethargic or comatose states."
In 2023, hundreds of sea lions and dolphins died in one of the largest toxic algal blooms in Southern California's history.
The Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute, which serves Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, responded to more than 600 affected marine mammals.
In the summer of 2024, another outbreak popped up in the summer of 2024. It was the third consecutive year of a big algal bloom.
The Ocean Protective Council said Southern California wildfires are affecting coastal and ocean ecosystems.
"Persistent contamination, habitat degradation and biodiversity loss can disrupt ecosystems for years. Addressing these issues requires long-term monitoring and mitigation efforts, including sediment control, debris removal, and habitat restoration. These actions are critical for maintaining biodiversity, safeguarding economic stability, and preserving California's natural heritage.
The state-run agency provided $200,000 to the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, in partnership with the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, for a region-wide network to monitor the impacts of the fires.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
4 hours ago
- UPI
Justin Timberlake reveals Lyme disease diagnosis
Justin Timberlake arrives on the red carpet at the 2019 Songwriters Hall Of Fame at The New York Marriott Marquis in New York City. The pop singer and actor revealed Thursday that he has been diagnosed with Lyme disease. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo July 31 (UPI) -- Pop singer and actor Justin Timberlake has revealed that he is suffering from a "debilitating" case of Lyme disease during his Forget Tomorrow World Tour, he announced on social media. In an Instagram post Thursday, Timberlake said he wanted to "shed some light" on his battle and what he has been going through since his recent diagnosis. "Living with this can be relentlessly debilitating both mentally and physically," he wrote in the social media post. "When I first got the diagnosis I was shocked for sure. But at least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or just feeling crazy fatigue and sickness." Timberlake, 44, who is typically reserved about sharing personal details, said he was faced with the difficult decision to stop touring or push through the pain the disease was causing, and ultimately decided to stay on the road because "the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling." "I'm so glad I kept going," he wrote. The Grammy-winning performer also said in his post that he wanted to help others who may be experiencing symptoms of the disease. Lyme disease is typically transmitted through a tick bite and its symptoms can include flu-like conditions, dizziness, chest pain, palpitations, arthritis, facial nerve paralysis, ongoing joint pain, fatigue, depression and other neurological, rheumatological and cardiovascular symptoms. Timberlake began his most recent tour inApril 2024, and performed the final show Wednesday in Istanbul.
UPI
6 hours ago
- UPI
Report: Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack
Retired professional wrestler Hulk Hogan reaches out to fans as he arrives at Randall's Wines and Spirits for a signing appearance in St. Louis in 2024. Hogan, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea, died July 24. His cause of death, a heart attack, was announced Thursday. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo July 31 (UPI) -- Former pro wrestling star turned political activist Hulk Hogan, who died a week ago at the age of 71, was the victim of a heart attack officials announced Thursday. Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, died of a myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, according to cremation reports obtained by ABC News through the Pinellas County Forensic Science Center. Hogan's cause of death was certified by his primary care physician. The report indicated that the former WWE star also suffered from atrial fibrillation and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, known as CLL, a type of blood cancer of the blood and bone marrow, according to the National Cancer Institute. A heart attack is typically associated with coronary artery disease which causes severe blood vessel blockages that prohibit enough blood from getting to the heart, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hogan's wife, Sky Daily, wrote on social media that the wrestling star also suffered complications leading up to his death, but she did not specify what they were. "He had been dealing with some health issues," but I truly believed we would overcome them," she wrote in the July 25 social media post. "I had so much faith in his strength. I thought we still had some more time. "This loss is sudden and impossible to process. To the world, he was a legend... but to me, he was my Terry. The man I loved. My partner. My heart." Clearwater, Fla. police and medical personnel responded to a "cardiac arrest" medical call at 9:51 a.m. EDT on July 24 at Hogan's home in Clearwater Beach on the Florida Gulf Coast, near Tampa. He was treated on the scene and then transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
UPI
8 hours ago
- UPI
You might inhale ight Inhale 68,000 microplastics per day
The French team used high tech equipment to measure concentrations of microplastics in 16 air samples from their own apartments and cars. Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay July 31 (UPI) -- Scientists say the average person may be inhaling microscopic, lung-penetrating plastic particles at a rate that's 100 times what was previously assumed: 68,000 per day. "Everywhere we look, we find microplastics, even in the air we breathe inside our homes and cars," said the French team that conducted the study. "The biggest concern is how small these particles are, completely invisible to the naked eye. We inhale thousands of them every day without even realizing it." The study was led by Nadiia Yakovenko of the University of Toulouse and published July 30 in the journal PLOS One. As the researchers noted, prior research has sought to estimate how many microplastics people breathe in daily. But those studies focused on relatively large particles -- about 20 to 200 micrometers in diameter. Yakovenko's team tracked even more minute plastic particles, ranging from 1 to 10 micrometers across - far smaller than a human hair. Their incredibly small size means these invaders can penetrate deep into the lungs. The French team used high tech equipment to measure concentrations of microplastics in 16 air samples from their own apartments and cars. They found that in their apartments, an average of 528 microplastic particles per cubic meter floated in the air they breathed. That rose to 2,238 particles per cubic meter for car interiors, tested under normal driving conditions. Most (94%) of these particles were very tiny -- between 1 to 10 micrometers in diameter. Yakovenko's team estimated that people breathe in 3,200 larger (10 to 300 micrometers in diameter) microplastic particles per day and 68,000 smaller ones (1 to 10 micrometers). The findings point to "indoor air as a major and previously underestimated exposure route of fine particulate microplastic inhalation," the researchers said. Just how harmful are these microplastics? The jury is still out on that. However, in a study presented in April at a meeting in Chicago of the American College of Cardiology, researchers from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland reported that high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke rates are higher in coastal or lakefront areas of the U.S. with greater concentrations of microplastics in the environment. Research presented at meetings is typically considered preliminary, until published in a peer-reviewed journal. Microplastics might even be harming the brain. In a study published in 2024, researchers in Germany and Brazil found that 8 of 15 autopsied adults had microplastics detected within their brain's smell centers, the olfactory bulb. Particles have also been detected in human lungs, intestines, liver, blood and testicles, and even in semen. More information Find out more about microplastics at Stanford University. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
