It is one of the largest, longest, and deadliest harmful algae blossoms recorded in Southern California, claiming the lives of hundreds of dolphins and sea lions between Baja California and the Central Coast. Now, it's finally over.

According to the threat of marine wildlife, toxic algae levels in coastal waters in Southern California have dropped Southern California Coastal Ocean Observation System or SCCOOS, It monitors algae blossom.

Although this provides a much-needed breath for marine mammals Those who work hard to save them From neurotoxin poisoning, scientists warn that coastal ecosystems are not yet clear.

Just as the January fire broke out outside the typical fire season in Southern California, the explosion of this harmful algae bloomed earlier this year than before. Marine biologist and chief operating and education officer Dave Bader said there was still further outbreaks before the year ended.

“It’s definitely over, but we still have the work to recover and we save[animals],” Badell said Wednesday. “And we’re not in the woods at all this year.”

Bader is one of a group of marine experts who gathered at the Altasea complex in the port of Los Angeles to introduce the coastal effects of the January fire to Mayor Karen Bass.

That disaster did not cause algae to bloom. This is the fourth consecutive year that has occurred on the Southern California coast, driven by the rise of nutrient-rich waters in the deep sea.

However, multiple research teams are currently studying Additional runoff to the sea surge The fire caused may have led to the intensity of the nearest Bloom.

No data on this topic yet. But given the relationship between nutrition and harmful algae species, Mark Gold of the National Defense Commission of Natural Resources said he would not be surprised if the fire plays a role in the severity of this year.

“From the perspective of blooming intensity, range, scale, etc., we have been studying the effects of pollution on the ocean throughout our career, and hopefully (fire diameter) also has an impact on harmful algae blooms as well.” “We will find this when all of these analyses and studies are completed.”

In terms of animal mortality, this year’s Bloom was the worst outbreak since the 2015-16 outbreak, killing thousands of animals, said Clarissa Anderson, director of SCCOOS at the UC San Diego Scripps Oceanography Institute.

Four different algae Present this year. These two most dangerously produce powerful neurotoxins accumulated in the marine food chain: Alexandrium Catenellaproduce saxi toxins, and Nizella camouflageproduce polysaccharide acid.

Toxins accumulate in filter-fed fish, which then poisons a large number of larger mammals that devour fish. (That's why flowering does not pose the same health risk to humans - few people eat it Up to 40 pounds of fish Direct from the sea every day. )

Starting in February, hundreds of dolphins and sea lions began washing on California beaches, whether it was death or suffering from symptoms of neurotoxin poisoning such as aggression, lethargy and seizures. one Minke Whale In Long Beach Harbor, A gray whale The troubled situation at Huntington Beach also succumbed to the outbreak. Scientists believe that more animals die at sea.

Bud said the epidemic is more deadly than the outbreak in recent years.

Researchers are still working to address the full impact of the disaster on marine mammal species. The outbreak is particularly deadly for breeding women. California sea lions usually give birth in June after 11 months of pregnancy. On the peak of Blooms, “they are actively feeding two people,” Bud said.

Polysaccharide passes through the placenta. He said none of the living babies rescued at the center were pregnant.

"We really don't know that during the breeding season, the long-term environmental impact is (long-term) for four consecutive years (flowering)," Bard said. "It will be hard to know, especially once When cutting research budgets. ”

As climate change changes the timing and intensity of strong wind events that drive upward activity, “we are entering a future and unfortunately we have to expect that we will see these events at a recurring frequency,” Bud told Bath at the roundtable. “The events that drive the fire are events that drive the upward flow.”