Contrary to the original story, the million + dead sardines in California did not die due to the weather but rather from being forced into a harbor while under the influence of domoic acid. The harbor was warmer than their habitat, warmer water has less dissolved oxygen and they suffocated. Domoic acid, a powerful neurotoxin, had accumulated in the fish. Researchers believe that this could have caused them to become disoriented and swarm to King's Harbor, they also are looking into the possibility of oxygen deprived sea-water. What was domoic acid doing in the ocean? It is often the byproduct of algae blooms (sometimes red-tide), a toxic algal bloom did occur 12 miles south at Redondo beach. Changing ocean conditions often bring on these blooms. Unseasonably warm water, nutrient run-off, plankton die-off, and many other things can cause algal blooms.
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