Sick Sea Lions, Dead Seabirds Wash Ashore Along Bay Area Coast: Report

HALF MOON BAY, CA — A growing number of sick sea lions and dead seabirds are washing ashore along San Mateo County beaches, prompting concern from wildlife rescue organizations as experts point to toxic algae and warming ocean waters as possible causes, according to a report by NBC Bay Area.

Half Moon Bay has emerged as a primary hotspot for sea lion strandings in recent weeks, Giancarlo Rulli, a spokesperson for the Marine Mammal Center, told NBC. Many of the sea lion deaths are linked to domoic acid, a naturally occurring neurotoxin produced by algae that can accumulate in small fish and poison marine mammals that eat them.

The problem is particularly pronounced in San Mateo County, even as calls for sea lion rescues have declined elsewhere, Rulli told the news outlet.

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The crisis also is affecting seabirds. Since mid-August, International Bird Rescue has taken in about 300 sick birds, primarily common murres, which have experienced high mortality rates, CEO of International Bird Rescue JD Bergeron told NBC Bay Area.

Biologists suspect many of the birds are starving as warmer ocean temperatures push their usual prey deeper into the water or into different areas, making fish harder to find. A marine heat wave off California, combined with El Niño conditions, could further complicate conditions for marine wildlife, experts said.

“There is this collective of unknown moving forward, but what we can prepare is that things will continue to be more unpredictable moving forward,” Rulli told NBC Bay Area.

Wildlife officials urge beachgoers to keep their distance from sick or dead animals, keep pets away and report stranded wildlife to the Marine Mammal Center or International Bird Rescue.

Read the full story at NBC Bay Area.