By G. Jordan Granucci, Editorial Intern
I was discussing the current marine situation with David Bader, chief operating officer of the Marine Mammal Care Center, on June 23, when two separate families came into the facility to visit.
“Hey guys, I’m sorry,” Bader said. “We’re closed right now. We are responding to a crisis right now off our coast.”
Algae blooms off the coast of Southern California have resulted in a surge in domoic acid, harming marine mammals and putting strain on care facilities, with 103 patients currently undergoing treatment at the care center. These creatures have been brought in from all over Santa Monica Bay, from north of Santa Monica all the way down to Palos Verdes.
When asked what the public should do to help, Bader replied: “What we want the public to do is call 800 – 39 – WHALE — that’s our rescue hotline — if they see a marine mammal in distress. Staying 50 feet away, as much as you would want to help or support them, is the best thing to do. Remember that these are wild animals; they have bitten people, and it’s not something you want to happen to you.”
The algae off our coast have historically bloomed in this manner before, but it’s being seen now with higher frequency and potency due to climate change-associated temperature spikes and increased amounts of nutrients from both urban and agricultural runoff. The blooms produce a toxin known as domoic acid, which builds up in the food chain, working its way up to seals, sea lions, and dolphins.
“We have a large number of animals stranded off our coast and it’s more than our facility can handle at this moment,” Bader said. “So we’re working hard to build some temporary enclosures that can house additional animals. We’re working with the county to create a triage facility for those animals as well.”
The emotional attachment that many people have towards injured seals can interfere with rescue and recovery operations. A crucial element in the path toward recovery is public cooperation.
“The best thing that people can do is to stay away,” Bader said. “We need everybody to know that they need to stay at least 50 feet away from every animal — and it can be really hard.”
The crisis is far from over. These situations have happened before, and they will happen again. When examining historical algae bloom instances, patterns can be distinguished.
“These events typically last for six to eight weeks, and we’re about two weeks in, so we could see another six weeks or longer of the event happening off of our coast,” Bader said. “The next year is going to be another tough year for the winter, El Niño. We’re going to get much-needed rain for Southern California, and that is wonderful. The challenge will be the following summer, which typically comes with a change in weather conditions that can cause less availability of food for these animals.”
He rephrased it by saying, “So this year, they have an abundance of food — it’s just toxic. Next year, we might see a scarcity of food. Again, I guess I’m just thinking of this acute challenge right now. We are responding to domoic acid.”
Seals and sea lions are susceptible to illness caused by the acid.
“It affects the nervous system of those animals, causing neurological issues like seizures, extreme lethargy, aggressiveness, and changes in behavior,” Bader said.
Seals and sea lions do not drink water. Their diet — typically baitfish such as anchovies, mackerel, and sardines — is their primary source of hydration. It is through this route that the domoic acid begins to affect them.
Regarding the treatment process, Bader says, “The way that we treat the symptoms is to control seizures with the appropriate medications, and we also make sure the animals are hydrated. They aren’t eating, which means they’re not getting the water that they need. So we need to make sure that while they’re not eating, they are still being hydrated so that they’re calm and comfortable while we’re treating their symptoms, which are mainly those seizures.”
Despite the gripping urgency of the current situation, the fate of the animals in the care center looks positive.
“For the animals that we are able to get here, the prognosis is very good,” Bader said. “A majority of the animals that we’ll see will have a strong likelihood of being able to have a second chance of life out in the ocean. What we need to be able to do is to get to those animals right now.”
Public involvement is key. With issues like this, Bader explained, the most important aspect is for the public to care about the sea.
“We need (to care about the sea) all the time, and we can, by making sure we’re eating sustainable seafood,” Bader said.
He went on to say that in order to lessen our impacts on climate change, we need to work not just as individuals in our day-to-day lives, but as communities addressing these big systemic challenges we face.
“This is really the only way we can move the needle so that we can see the types of changes, and live in the type of environment that we want to live in, in the future,” Bader said. “I know that if Pedro’s got one thing, it’s community — and what we can do together as the community of San Pedro is work together and fight these kinds of ocean conservation challenges all day, every year, all the time.”