Algal blooms are affected by things like temperature and nutrients introduced into the ocean from industrial and agricultural runoff. And as climate change ramps up, these blooms stand to get a lot bigger. Warmer temperatures will boost growth and likely push it farther north while more storms and heavier rainfall wash more of those nutrients -- like nitrogen -- into rivers and streams.

So far, the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California has taken in 70 sea lions since the beginning of July. That's how many the center took in during the entirety of 2016. "August and September are peak times for us as well," said Field, so it's likely more animals will be affected. "[It's] more pronounced than we've seen in the past few years," a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokesperson told the Associated Press. And the bad news isn't limited to sea lions. They eat a lot of the same seafood we do. "So if they are getting these seizures and these gastro issues, we can as well," Field said.