10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS Monterey Bay has seen an uptick in California sea lions sickened with domoic acid poisoning, a neurotoxin that causes the marine mammal to exhibit erratic behaviors that include unusual head bobbing, twitching, disorientation and seizures. The Marine Mammal Center in Castroville has been serving as the triage center for which to handle these animals, most of which are subadults and adult California sea lions weighing anywhere from 125 to more than 300 pounds. “We’re getting anywhere from 300-600 calls to our hotline every single day,” says Giancarlo Rulli, spokesperson for the nonprofit. He adds that it takes anywhere from four to six volunteers to respond to each sea lion. Domoic acid is a neurotoxin produced by blooms of the algae Pseudo-nitzschia. In June, the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a health advisory after detecting high levels of the neurotoxin in Monterey Bay fish. Rulli says that although the cases of sickened sea lions have been relatively spread out, it has been most pronounced in Monterey County. Cases have largely been reported in Pajaro Dunes State Beach, Seaside and Del Monte beach, “mainly south of Watsonville,” Rulli says. While domoic acid is often associated with warmer water temperatures, Rulli says this is a misnomer, and that domoic acid toxicosis has been seen throughout the year and can thrive in both cold and warm conditions. “What has changed is that this neurotoxin has become more unpredictable and less seasonal than what we discovered back in 1998,” Rulli says. “Outbreaks trend more intense and more unpredictable.” Sea Sick Monterey County sees a surge in California sea lions sickened with domoic acid. By Katie Rodriguez A cheery poster of characters from Disney’s Lilo and Stitch adorns one wall and a smiling Squishmallow plush toy decorates one of the bunkbeds inside a family’s guestroom on Tuesday, Sept. 8, at the SHARE Center in Salinas. Open since 2021, the center, created in partnership between the County of Monterey and the City of Salinas, hosts families and individuals experiencing homelessness. The room this family occupies is one of 12 family guestrooms inside the shelter, situated in the center of the building, with rooms for unaccompanied men lining the building to the right of the family area and rooms for unaccompanied women to the left, for a total of 128 beds. With no ceilings, all the rooms are open to the building and some of the rooms only have a curtain for a door. Noise travels easily throughout. “It can get a lot with a lot of guests,” says Flor Stoudenmire, a program manager with Community Human Services, which cares for guests inside the County building, during a tour that included a sparse patio with a lone picnic table where families can get away from the bustle inside. “Theoretically, integrating people into one space is a positive thing, but programmatically it’s nice to have separation between families and single adults living in a congregant shelter,” says Julius Mills-Denti, CHS’ chief operating officer. Ideally it’s good for children to be away from the noise, in more of a home-like atmosphere, he says. County officials are now planning to offer that atmosphere, by adding 12 sleeping cabins to the shelter property. Each cabin would hold families of five to six people, with bunk beds and full-size beds for parents, says County Homeless Services Director Roxanne Wilson. The hope is to include full bathrooms in each cabin, but that depends on water capacity, still to be determined. The proposed budget for the project is $6 million. If the budget allows, they’ll add a small outdoor play area to the project. Moving families to the cabins opens up an opportunity for a 30-bed recuperative care area where people without homes can recover after being released from nearby Natividad Medical Center. The plan is to create 30 recuperative care beds. “Living on the streets is not optimum for recovery,” says Mills-Denti. Readmission to the hospital is common—a place to recover is a much less expensive alternative for the County. Care guests would be offered interim housing for up to six months and care coordination with physicians, pharmacy services and other referrals. Care coordinators would also look for permanent housing. The plan for the cabins and recuperative care area are still in the early stages. It has yet to go to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, which could happen in the next month. Should the Board approve the project, Wilson estimates it would take about a year to finish the additions. A community meeting to discuss the possibility is scheduled for 5:30-7pm Wednesday, Sept. 16, in the Whitney Room of the Monterey County Health Department, 1270 Natividad Road, Salinas. To learn more, email HomelessServices@ countyofmonterey.gov. A bedroom at the SHARE Center in Salinas, where a mom and her kids were staying on Sept. 8. A plan is in the works to move families into private sleeping cabins. Rest Stop County officials seek to offer family sleep cabins and recuperative care at the SHARE Center. By Pam Marino Volunteers at the Marine Mammal Center in Castroville load up sea lions to be transported to the nonprofit’s headquarters in Sausalito for rehabiliatation. “It can get a lot with a lot of guests.” DANIEL DREIFUSS KATIE RODRIGUEZ
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