Sea lions continue to wash ashore on California coast amid toxic algae bloom
An increasing number of sea lions are washing up on the California coast due to toxic algae that experts say could be the result of human-caused climate change.
Stress has always been part of the job for Dr. Cara Field. But lately, it's been bordering on frantic.
"I'm going to start look at some of our patients and assess their neurologic responses," she said.
For the last three weeks, Field, the Director of Conservation Medicine at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, has been in a race against the clock treating dozens of sea lions that have washed up along the California coastline.
"When we get our patients here in the hospital one of the most important things is figuring out what the heck is going on with them," she said.
Since July 19, the center has taken in nearly 150 sea lions exhibiting symptoms consistent with what's known as Domoic acid poisoning, a neurotoxin that gets into the fish the animals eat.
Almost every single pen at her hospital is filled with patients in different stages of recovery.
Field has the unenviable job of determining which ones can be returned to the wild and which will have to be euthanized.
"Unfortunately, some animals do suffer permanent brain damage that usually manifests in a form of epilepsy. Those animals will not survive in the wild," she said.
One female sea lion called Wavey came in two weeks ago, lethargic and disoriented.
While her pen mate seems to be responding well to treatment, Wavey is still struggling. This is her second test. If she fails the next one, she may have to be put down.
Strong upwelling of water from the deep ocean is driving a bloom of harmful algae that has affected sardines and shellfish and is causing harm not to just sea animals but potentially to humans as well.
"We have the same type of receptors in our brain. Exactly what happens to sea lions can happen to us," she said.
Clarissa Anderson, an oceanographer with UCSD, said these Domoic outbreaks have been happening for centuries. But in recent years, they seem to be getting more frequent and intense.
"We've had one major event three years in a row, and we need to understand if the changes that we're seeing in the water, which might associated with climate change, are the reason we're seeing more of these blooms," she explained.
Meanwhile, back at the center, against all odds, eight of the sea lions, were being returned to the wild.
"Seeing them recover that's the huge reward for us and it's a really good day," Field said.
If you encounter a sea lion on the beach, whether it's impacted by the disease or not, the center recommends keeping a safe distance of at least 50 yards and to please call the center's hotline at 415-289-seal (7325).