() The number of current marine animals that are likely affected by toxic algae bloom has gone up noticeably, one California care center said last week.

“Over the last week, the number of current MMCC patients likely impacted by the toxic algal bloom has more than tripled,” the Marine Mammal Care Center said last Wednesday on Instagram.

Marine Mammal Care Center said it does not know how long the domoic acid outbreak will last, but if it continues to bring in 3 to 5 animals per day, “these numbers will add up quickly.”

The organization, based in San Pedro, California, warned that because it is also the time of year when starving young elephant seal pups start to strand along the Los Angeles County Coastline, the MMCC’s hospital could see capacity issues.

In 2023, the Marine Mammal Care Center had 70 sea lions in its care by July, KNBC reported. Now, the center is already half full. John Warner, CEO of the Marine Mammal Care Center, said in an interview with KNBC that they have room for about 120 animals and are now at more than 50.

“While we are concerned about the long-term health of marine mammals and the ocean environment due to the toxic chemical runoff from the recent fires, we believe the current situation on our coast is due solely to domoic acid toxicosis (DA) and the confirmed prevalence of Pseudo-nitzschia australis (the type of algae that produces DA) along the Southern California Coast,” the Marine Mammal Care Center said.

Domoic acid, according to the center, is a neurotoxin that accumulates in small fish, which are eaten by marine mammals. Eating the toxin attacks the brain and heart, which can cause seizures, heart failure and, if left untreated, permanent brain damage.

Clarissa Anderson, a biological oceanographer at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, told The Guardian that scientists have seen a “steep change” in how intense toxic algae blooms are and how long they last.

“In the last four years, the impacts have been really heavy on the marine mammal side, both sea lions, some fur seals, and quite a few long-beaked common dolphins,” Anderson said.

However, heavy rains and nitrate-rich organic runoff do feed these algae blooms and can contribute to their size and severity. These acidic blooms used to occur every 4 to 7 years. The frequency of these blooms has increased in recent years, exacerbated by climate change, warming ocean temperatures and other human activities.⁠

If people see a stranded animal, they can report it to the Marine Mammal Care Center by calling 1-800-39-WHALE.