Domoic Acid Blooms: Threatening Our Southern California Lifestyles and heritage.

In view of the last episode of a second dead  whale on the shores of Huntington Beach yesterday I felt the urgency to write this blog about what has been going on lately in our oceans and how it is affecting us. I hope this will give you a better understanding of the situation and help resolve some questions you might have on how we can help.

As Southern California natives, my family lives for the ocean. We’re surfers, riding waves at Orange County’s iconic beaches—Laguna, Newport, Huntington—part of the coastal “Premier League” of vibrant, ocean-loving communities. But domoic acid blooms, caused by toxin-producing Pseudo-nitzschia diatoms, are casting a shadow over our beach life, harming wildlife and raising health worries for us all.

What’s Happening?

These blooms explode when warm waters and nutrient runoff (from farms or cities) fuel diatom growth. Domoic acid, a neurotoxin, poisons shellfish and fish, sickening sea lions and dolphins—and potentially humans via contaminated seafood. For my family, paddling out severs times a month, it’s a stark reminder: our ocean’s at risk.

Hits to Our Coast

• Wildlife Suffering: We’ve seen sea lions seizing at Bolsa Chica, with Laguna’s Pacific Marine Mammal Center swamped by rescues.

• Beach Disruptions: Fishery closures, like 2023’s lobster ban, hit local markets we love, dimming the coastal buzz.

• Health Risks: Eating tainted shellfish can cause amnesic shellfish poisoning—nausea, memory issues, or worse. As surfers, we worry about water exposure too, though risks are unclear.

  
  

Real Examples

• 2025 Bloom: Early this year, a bloom from Malibu to Huntington Beach left hundreds of animals stranded. We skipped surf sessions to avoid sick sea lions.

• 2023-2024 Crises: Lobster shutdowns at Doheny shook our beaches, with toxin levels spiking past safe limits.

What Now?

Blooms are worsening—maybe from warmer seas or runoff, maybe both. Monitoring protects us, but wildlife needs help. If you want to get involved and help, you can call (1-800-399-4253) and support rescues. For my family, the ocean’s our heart. These blooms warn us to care for it—before the waves and the tides we love turn against us.