Marine biologists find nearly 200 sea lions poisoned by domoic acid along the coast

First it was a lack of food, now it’s food that’s potentially deadly. Since last year, more than 1,100 starving sea lion pups have been rescued along the California Coast after their mothers’ abandoned them. Now, marine biologists say sea lions are getting sick from toxic food sources. The Marine Mammal Center says some 75% of its animal patients are suffering from domoic acid, which attacks the brain.

Domoic acid is a neurotoxin that accumulates in small fish like sardines and anchovies. Those small fish are then eaten by sea lions in large quantities. The Marine Mammal Center says the toxic algae could be a result of warmer ocean temperatures, ocean acidiciation or runoff.

A male juvenile sea lion was rescued from a Moss Landing beach on Tuesday afternoon. The animal was later named Showdown. While he hasn’t been officially diagnosed with domoic acid toxicity, he was displaying classic symptoms.

“We see them on the beaches having seizures,” longtime Marine Mammal Center volunteer Zee Zaballos said. “Or with their heads kind of weaving or bobbing. They can be very lethargic. “

In fact, some beachgoers thought the animal was dead.

“He wasn’t moving at all,” Katie Mark said. “The waves were washing over him. His flippers were buried in the sand, there was no movement at all.”

Showdown was quite lethargic when rescuers reached him. However, during the rescue process, he got a second wind.

“It’s not unusual for them to have this burst of energy once netted,” Zaballos said. “So you never know what an animal is going to do.”

Rescued animals are brought to the Moss Landing facility, which is a triage of sorts. The animals are then brought to the main facility in Sausalito. Showdown will meet another rescued sea lion, Hopalong, who was found in Monterey on Labor Day. The female sea lion showed a lot of the same symptoms as Showdown but began to improve once given fresh water. The water helps to flush the toxins from their systems. Most patients recover within a few weeks before being released back into the wild.