March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025 · Derik Rush

Viz: 0-10ft

Surf: 2-4ft

Water Temp: 59F

The swell has continued to drop making surface conditions much more manageable today around La Jolla. Visibility is still pretty poor in the shallows but we will get a live reading of how it's looking at depth once our Sunday line divers are out of the water.

"What to know about the major harmful algal bloom impacting Southern California waters, according to Scripps Oceanography biological oceanographer Clarissa Anderson, director of the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS).

The bloom of the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia began in February—likely related to moderate upwelling conditions—and is still currently active in late March. Researchers have detected domoic acid in shellfish in Santa Barbara and south LA, while also detecting dangerous levels of saxitoxin, which causes Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, in shellfish in Santa Barbara. While the bloom is mostly impacting Southern California, it appears to extend as far north as Monterey Bay.

Pseudo-nitzschia is a type of plankton that can produce a neurotoxin known as domoic acid. When these plankton are consumed, domoic acid can accumulate in the tissues of shellfish and fish. When consumed by larger mammals, like sea lions or even humans, domoic acid can cause memory loss, seizures, and even death.

More than 330 sea lions and over 100 dolphins have been reported stranded as a result of the bloom. This event has caused more dolphin and seabird strandings than in the past three years, with the potential to surpass prior events in total strandings.

If you encounter a sick sea animal in San Diego, keep your distance and notify SeaWorld San Diego at 1-800-541-7325. To report a dead, injured, or stranded marine mammal along the West Coast, call National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s West Coast Region Stranding Hotline at 1-866-767-6114."