LA Times: Neurotoxin is Poisoning Large Numbers of Sea Lions
- Domoic acid
- Climate change
- Population monitoring
An acute domoic acid outbreak is wreaking havoc among the marine mammals this summer along the California coast
Published in LA Times: August 13, 2024
By the time the rescue squad got to her, a small crowd had formed around the agitated California sea lion. As the team crept toward her — carrying large wooden shields and a giant net — the animal’s head weaved, craned and rocked back and forth in frenzied rhythms.
Lucille — as she was later named by the Marine Mammal Center’s Morro Bay field office — had barely registered her captors’ approach as the team of five animal rescue volunteers pounced on her. A small struggle ensued as the creature’s body went rigid with seizures, but the team managed eventually to push her into an XXL portable dog crate.
“It’s really hard when they’re not acting like sea lions,”
“It’s really hard when they’re not acting like sea lions,” said Jake Roth, a 22-year-old volunteer who helped with the rescue.
It was the first of dozens of frantic rescue phone calls made by horrified beachgoers that day, as an acute domoic acid outbreak continued to wreak havoc along the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara coasts this summer.
Please note this article is behind a paywall.
The imagery shown in the domoic acid piece in the Los Angeles Times, especially the front page, is deeply emotional and strikes at the heart of how nasty this disease can be for marine life. While we don’t have control of what the LA Times publishes, the photos are an honest and transparent image of the impact this disease can have on marine life.
Learn More About Marine Mammal Conservation & Care
Learn More About Domoic Acid
{"image":"\/Animals\/Patients\/California sea lions\/2019\/cropped-images\/csl-pammysue-by-bill-hunnewell-c-the-marine-mammal-center-405-0-2354-1838-1603243352.jpg","alt":"California sea lion Pammysue","label":"Research Library","title":"Domoic Acid Toxicosis","link_url":"\/science-conservation\/research-library\/domoic-acid-toxicosis","type":"page"}
{"image":"\/Animals\/Patients\/California sea lions\/cropped-images\/csl-by-bill-hunnewell-c-the-marine-mammal-center-2-0-1031-1794-1401-1603916128.jpg","alt":"California sea lion","title":"Evaluating Sense of Smell in California Sea Lions and Relevance to Domoic Acid","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/publications\/evaluating-sense-of-smell-in-california-sea-lions-and-relevance-to-domoic-acid","label":"Research Paper","type":"publication"}
Evaluating Sense of Smell in California Sea Lions and Relevance to Domoic Acid
Read More{"image":"\/Misc\/Graphics\/domoic-acid-attack.png","alt":"Domoic Acid Attack","title":"Domoic Acid Attack","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/publications\/domoic-acid-attack","label":"Online Learning Resource","type":"publication"}
{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/California sea lion\/cropped-images\/sea-lion-pup-shutterstock-451-142-3018-2358-1603915228.jpg","alt":"California sea lion pup","title":"Domoic Acid in Fetal Fluids of California Sea Lions","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/publications\/domoic-acid-in-fetal-fluids-of-california-sea-lions","label":"Research Paper","type":"publication"}
Yes, I want to save a life!
Yes, I want to save a life!
You’ll be giving sick and injured animals the best possible care at the Center’s state-of-the-art hospital. With your gift today, you are giving a patient a second chance at life in the wild.
See Our Latest News
{"image":"\/Animals\/Patients\/Harbor seals\/cropped-images\/hs-group-with-hats-photo-by-bill-hunnewell-c-the-marine-mammal-center-34-0-1270-992-1750873865.jpg","alt":"Four harbor seals with small ID tags on their heads swim in a rehabilitation pool.","title":"How Our Patients are Named and Identified","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/how-our-patients-are-named-and-identified","label":"Patient Update","date":"2025-06-26 02:00:00"}
{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Gray whale\/cropped-images\/gray-whale-oreo-by-josie-slaathaug-c-the-marine-mammal-center-108-0-1270-992-1750880575.jpg","alt":"Gray whale fluke above the water","title":"Los Angeles Times: The numbers of gray whales migrating along the California coast continue to plummet","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/los-angeles-times-the-numbers-of-gray-whales-migrating-along-the-california-coast-continue-to-plummet","label":"In the News","date":"2025-06-25 02:00:00"}
Los Angeles Times: The numbers of gray whales migrating along the California coast continue to plummet
June 25, 2025
Read More{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Harbor seal\/cropped-images\/harbor-seal-pup-photo-by-Ruvim-Miksanskiy-251-0-1270-992-1750880392.jpg","alt":"Harbor seal pup resting on the beach","title":"ABC7 San Francisco: Animal trauma could be linked to bad human behavior, Bay Area marine mammal experts say","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/abc7-san-francisco-animal-trauma-could-be-linked-to-bad-human-behavior-bay-area-marine-mammal-experts-say","label":"In the News","date":"2025-06-24 02:00:00"}
ABC7 San Francisco: Animal trauma could be linked to bad human behavior, Bay Area marine mammal experts say
June 24, 2025
Read More{"image":"\/People\/Action\/Response\/cropped-images\/mbo-crew-es-rope-rescue-photo-by-lesley-simms-c-the-marine-mammal-center-2-0-0-1270-992-1749571082.jpg","alt":"MBO crew carrying a crate up a cliff","title":"The Marine Mammal Center reports high levels of marine mammal disturbance in Central and Northern California for third year in a row","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/the-marine-mammal-center-reports-high-levels-of-marine-mammal-disturbance-in-central-and-northern-california-for-third-year-in-a-row","label":"Press Release","date":"2025-06-10 02:00:00"}
The Marine Mammal Center reports high levels of marine mammal disturbance in Central and Northern California for third year in a row
June 10, 2025
Read Moreclimate change
population monitoring
Jeff Boehm
Aliah Meza
California Sea Lion