San Pedro’s Marine Mammal Care Center will receive more funding, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved Tuesday after an unusually large number of confused marine mammals have been discovered diseased by toxic algae flowers along the Southern California coast.
The nonprofit will receive $100,000 this year for medical services that provide $600,000 in rescue and treatment of the $600,000 sick seal lion, and another $600,000.
Director Janice Hahn and supervisor Lindsey Horvas, who wrote the allegations to promote funding for the Marine Mammal Care Center, said this year was worse than experienced ones in 2023.
John Warner, CEO of Marine Mammal Care Center, told NBC Los Angeles that 2025 will be the deadliest year as it appears to be more intense and widespread this year.
When algae bloom, a neuroacid toxin called domain acids becomes ill with sea lions and elephant seals, and they are chained with seizures or lethargy.
“We have room for about 120 animals and are already at 50 plus,” Warner said in March. “This could soon become a real capacity issue where we run out of space. That’s what happened in 2023.”
Horvath also warned at a board meeting Tuesday that LA County was facing a “unprecedented polytoxic event.”
“The hundreds of sea lions, dolphins and other animals reported in recent weeks have appeared in both sand fatalities or serious illnesses, astounding rescuers and beach fans,” Horvath said.
Horvath said the incident was worse than the event he experienced in 2023, calling it “a not only a sustainability and environmental crisis, but a public safety crisis.”
“With over 50 million people visit the beach each year, measures need to be taken to keep the public safe,” Horvath said.
Officials said the nonprofit receives more than 4,000 calls each year, and rescue hotlines and calls regarding the county-operated beaches accounting for all responses for rehabilitation and 60% of animal hospitalizations.
“(This) is the only organization for doing important, often and unfamiliar jobs of providing care to marine mammals suffering from donoractic toxicity,” Hahn said.
The organization has cared for at least 410 marine mammals so far in 2025, but according to Horvath and Hahn, it highlights the need for increased funding as it only houses 300 animals per year.
The center now needs to raise between $3 million and $3.5 million a year to operate, most of which comes from private charity, officials said.
Warner argued that the center’s original proposal called for $750,000, but the county only supports 60% of the county’s beaches and asked for funding cuts.
“I want to support (requests), but we’re not alone, especially when we support nonprofits. We’re looking at cuts to oversee the county’s department,” added Mitchell.
The motion on Tuesday added that the animal centre took over animal rescue operations and responses from marine animal rescue, which was shut down in 2022, increasing costs by $600,000.
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