Tag Archives: UC Santa Cruz’s Long Marine Laboratory

California sea lions suffering from brain damage caused by algal blooms

The thousands of sea lions stranded on California beaches every year may be suffering from brain damage caused by algal blooms, according to a study of animal behavior by UC Santa Cruz researchers. The wave of sick sea lions has baffled scientists and beach-goers, who find them weak, confused or trembling due to seizures. The research, presented Monday at the bi-annual Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in San Francisco, revealed evidence of poisoning by domoic acid, a toxin produced by naturally occurring marine algae. Read the article here 16:02