Its been a disturbing scene on a number of southern California beaches of late.

In recent weeks, hundreds of dead and sick seabirds, sea lions and other marine mammals have been washing up on the beaches in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

The cause of the die-off is believed to be domoic acid , a neurotoxin produced by a massive algal bloom that has formed in waters just off the coast.

While algal blooms themselves arent unusual for the region, the current situation is so extreme it was described by one expert as the worst year for domoic poisonings hed ever seen.

The broader problem isnt limited to the California coastline. Last summer, toxic algal blooms sprang up in more than 20 U.S. states , including South Florida, where the situation became so serious that authorities declared a state of emergency .

The main contributing factor to these blooms growth is nutrient runoff from both agricultural and residential lands. Though blooms across the country are made up of different types of cyanobacteria also known as blue-green algae the nutrients that feed them namely phosphorous and nitrates are the same. And experts believe blooms are becoming both more frequent and more intense due to climate change .

The blooms impact both local economies and public health to the tune of a conservatively-estimated $84 million annual price tag. In humans, algal blooms are known to cause rashes , stomach or liver issues and respiratory problems if ingested, swam in or even breathed in through mist.

The conditions are ripe for 2017 to see a similar number of the toxic blooms as last year. Pat Glibert, an environmental science professor at the University of Maryland, said the challenges contributing to the growing spread of the blooms are only increasing. The conditions are ripe for 2017 to see a similar number of the toxic blooms as last year.

I expect that we will have quite a number of blooms across the country, both in fresh waters and marine systems, Glibert told HuffPost. They will impact fisheries and they will impact jobs, so we need to be continuing to respond to these events.