Overview

• An aggressive sea lion chased surfers out of the water and onto the beach in Newport Beach, reportedly due to severe domoic acid poisoning.
• Domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced by harmful algal blooms, accumulates in fish and causes neurological damage in marine mammals, leading to disorientation and aggression.
• The current algal bloom off Southern California is unprecedented, also producing saxitoxin, which further sickens marine life and exacerbates behavioral changes.
• The Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro has admitted over 100 poisoned sea lions, with at least one euthanized due to severe illness.
• Experts warn that warming ocean temperatures and nutrient pollution are driving increasingly frequent and severe toxic blooms, posing escalating threats to marine ecosystems and human safety.