An unusually high number of disoriented marine mammals, ill due to a flowering of toxic algae, is located along the southern coast of California, which causes concerns that 2025 could be the most fatal year so far.
As a flowering of algae, formed from the coast of California, including Malibu and DockWeiler Beach, a neurological toxin called domoic acid of the algae has already become already sick of marine lions and elephant seals only this year, which makes them organizations of the organization of marine care spotlights, according to the rescue of maritime care Non -Fronta Rescue.
While algae flowers are natural phenomena, the last four years have been more intense and extended due to the warmer temperature of water, the rescue group said.
The most worrying this year compared to 2023 is that algae flowering is starting in early February.
In 2023, the Marine Mammal Care Center had 70 marine lions to his care for July. At the beginning of March 2025, the center is almost half full.
“We have space for about 120 animals, and we are already in more than 50 years,” said John Warner, CEO Del Marine Mammal Care Center. “This can add to a real capacity problem quickly, where we run out of space, and that is what happened in 2023.”
The animal rescue organization has been taking up to eight marine lions or marine mammals per day in recent weeks, Warner said.
Marine biology experts also fear that algae flowers affect the conservation of mammals in stamps. As the Canal Islands are the cultivation broth for almost 85% of all the marine lions of California, many females will not be able to carry the full term of their pregnancy.
“Their bodies are so shattered that they will have spontaneous abortions or aborted fetuses,” Warner explains, saying that most marine female rescued this year were pregnant. “We are not sure what are the long -term effects of this convulsive activity and neurological toxin, but we are seeing less births this year on the Canal Islands.”
There is a lack of scientific data that explain what can be intensifying algae flowers, but experts fear Ash of the forest fires of Los Angeles, or even the fire retardant used to turn off the fires, they can have something to do with that.
“The fire, both the brush and the organic material will definitely also contribute to that,” Warner explained. “The fire retardant is something we really need to understand in terms of what it may or may not do in this particular damage.”
As more people will go to the beach in the next spring and summer, the mammalian center is renewing a warning against interaction with animals stranded on the beach.
“When you have an animal that has a neurological toxin and has a seizure, you are condemning the animal when you go to it, take a selfie, caress it or put your child,” Warner said. “Spring is especially when these animals reproduce. Literally, it is life and death when you interfere and stress. ”
When detecting a stranded animal, people are encouraged to inform the Marine Mammal Care Center in 1-800-39-Whale.
