Several times in recent history, including right now, a neurotoxin called domoic acid has caused sea lions, dolphins and seabirds to get sick along the shores in both Southern and Northern California.

The toxin is caused by algal blooms of Pseudo-nitzschia, which produces the potent neurotoxin. The neurotoxin accumulates in the fish the animals eat and can cause seizures, disorientation and other symptoms, and even death.

Through existing monitoring programs scientists already know there is elevated toxin production when cold nutrient-rich water meets warm nutrient-depleted water. But marine chemical biologist Steffaney Wood Rocca, a doctoral candidate at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, is hoping to find clues in the bloom that could help predict when a toxin will be coming, before it is produced.

Her study is ongoing, but said her initial data has shown two naturally occurring elements in the ocean may offer clues.

“Limited silicate relative to an excessive amount of nitrate we do see a lot of domoic acid production,” Wood Rocca said.

Bradley Moore of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography helped identify the genes that make up the toxin. Through DNA sequencing, Moore said he was able to help find four genes out of nearly 40,000 that are responsible for making the toxin.

Wood Rocca said this gave her research a blueprint to work off of.