Toxin causing illness, death among California's sea lions
http://www.newutah.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=56275&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
"LOS ANGELES -- At least 21 sick or dead sea lions stricken with a debilitating toxin have washed up on southern California beaches in recent days, raising fears that the poison could kill hundreds more during summer.
Three dead sea lions believed to have ingested it were discovered Monday morning at beaches in the San Pedro area. "
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They don't say anything about WHAT toxin it was and how did the sea lions ingest it.
Why of course not! They wouldn't want to bother with details.
Thanks for posting the info FairOpinion.
False alarm -- another article said the toxin is released by algae.
Natural toxin in algae kills sea lions
http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=33592
Peter Wallerstein, a spokesman for the rescue group, said it appeared the sea lions were victims of domoic acid, a natural toxin produced by an algae that has sickened dozens of sea mammals off the Southern California coast in recent years. It attacks the nervous system and causes seizures.
"In 20 years, this is the hardest thing I've seen," Wallerstein said, "the look in the eyes of these sea lions while those neurotoxins are exploding in their brains." The rescue group has picked up 118 beached sea mammals so far this year, he said, and many of the young sea lions did not survive the domoic acid poisoning.