A toxic algae bloom fueled by this winter's heavy rain is poisoning and killing sea lions - many of them pregnant - off of Southern California's coast.

Pregnant sea lions dying from toxic algae off SoCal coast

By Greg Lee
Wednesday, April 19, 2017 08:10PM
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. (KABC) --
The wet winter helped the drought, but is harming some marine life.

This month alone, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach has treated at least 25 pregnant sea lions who got sick from toxic algae.
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The toxin also causes the pregnant sea lions to give birth prematurely.

"Kind of a catch .22 because it actually makes the mother better, because it's flushing out all those toxins," Higuchi said. "Unfortunately the baby doesn't survive."
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