Blooms of the toxic microbes can adversely affect marine life, seafood and water quality.
Late spring and early summer in California bring thousands of marine mammals to the state’s beaches, as groups of California sea lions, elephant seals and harbor seals give birth along the shore. Visitors to places such as the Carpinteria Harbor Seal Preserve can observe portly cubs lounging in sand, awaiting the return of their mothers from fishing expeditions in the Pacific Ocean.
Not all of the seals and sea lions are surviving, however. Toxic algal blooms are increasingly poisoning these marine mammals.
In the ocean, microscopic algae called phytoplankton provide energy at the base of marine food webs. However, some phytoplankton can produce potent toxins that adversely affect organisms that consume them.
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