About Sea Lions
- Family: Otariidae, which includes five species.
- Habitat: Found along the western coasts of North America, from southeast Alaska to central Mexico, mainly on rocky shores and sandy beaches.
- Physical Traits: They possess external ear flaps, long foreflippers, mane-like fur in males, and can weigh up to 1200 pounds (approx. 545 kg).
- Behavior: Typically non-aggressive and social, sea lions are now showing lethal aggression due to neurotoxin-induced neurological disorders.
- Lifespan: The Average lifespan is 20 to 30 years.
What is causing the Sea Lions' Aggression?
- Sea lions, typically non-aggressive marine mammals, have shown violent and erratic behaviour, attributed to exposure to a neurotoxin called domoic acid.
- Domoic acid is secreted by the toxic diatom algae Pseudo-nitzschia, which blooms excessively under nutrient-rich conditions in the ocean.
- Once released, this neurotoxin enters the marine food chain, affecting not just small fish, but also larger predators like sea lions that consume these fish.
