What's Killing the Marine Creatures?

I was visiting lovely beach

of Southern California.

It was spring,

and wildflowers bloomed

but there was a stench in

the air.

I knew a whale carcass

had floated ashore.

The cadaver was removed

but the smell lingered.

This spring again,

many beaches around

this region have witnessed

heart-wrenching scene of

dead whales and dolphins.

They investigated the cause

and it was a poison —

domoic acid — a neurotoxin,

from intense algal bloom.

While we know,

death is fate of mortals,

human role in algal infestation

is what makes it sad.

Agricultural runoff,

wildfire pollutants,

climate change,

and other causes

lead to ocean heating,

and acidification.

Algal explosion and the poison

disrupting the nervous system,

leading to neurological damage.

Domoic acid, an excitatory analog

of amino acid glutamate,

activates glutamate receptors

leading to by brain damage.

Can we be more mindful

of our actions,

for its unleashing catastrophes?