California sea lions that survive acute domoic acid poisoning often face long-term neurological challenges, and understanding recovery trajectories informs better rehabilitation and release decisions.
Domoic acid rehabilitation decisions involve genuine welfare complexity around release versus long-term care. A sea lion released with severe hippocampal damage may survive in the short term but face a life of recurring seizures, reduced foraging ability, and repeated stranding that imposes ongoing welfare costs. Alternatively, permanent captivity imposes its own welfare costs through spatial restriction and behavioral limitation. The welfare-centered approach uses neurological assessment including MRI where available to predict post-release welfare trajectory and make evidence-based release versus retention decisions. Animals assessed to have good recovery potential benefit from rehabilitation and release. Those with severe permanent neurological damage may have better welfare outcomes in appropriately designed permanent care facilities than in the wild.