California sea lion strandings from domoic acid toxicosis reflect harmful algal bloom intensification — a climate-linked welfare crisis requiring integrated response.
Domoic acid sea lion welfare represents the individual animal face of ocean ecosystem change. Affected sea lions experience seizures, disorientation, and progressive neurological damage — significant suffering caused by a toxin whose proliferation is being intensified by climate change. The Marine Mammal Center and NOAA stranding networks provide rescue, stabilization, and rehabilitation for recoverable cases, but the scale of HAB events can overwhelm response capacity in peak years. Individual animal welfare is addressed through rescue and treatment; population-level welfare requires addressing the climate and nutrient pollution drivers of HAB intensification. Investment in both acute response capacity and upstream prevention — through climate action and coastal water quality management — is needed to address the welfare challenge at both scales.