SAN FRANCISCOA toxin produced by marine algae can impair sea lions' memory, scientists reported Monday, making it difficult for sick sea lions to find their way to food.

Large growths, or blooms, of the algae off the coast of California may have contributed to the unprecedented number of starving sea lions that have washed up on the state's beaches since 2013.

The algal toxin affects not only sea lions, but dolphins, fur seals, sea otters, and other species. And the problem is unlikely to go away, particularly because warming ocean waters and nutrient-rich agricultural runoff tend to fuel algal outbreaks.

“The blooms are just going to get bigger and bigger. Sea lions are just the tip of the iceberg,” says Peter Cook of