By the time the rescue squad got to her, a small crowd had formed around the agitated California sea lion. As the team crept toward her — carrying large wooden shields and a giant net — the animal’s head weaved, craned and rocked back and forth in frenzied rhythms.

Lucille — as she was later named by the Marine Mammal Center’s Morro Bay field office — had barely registered her captors’ approach as the team of five animal rescue volunteers pounced on her. A small struggle ensued as the creature’s body went rigid with seizures, but the team managed eventually to push her into an XXL portable dog crate.

“It’s really hard when they’re not acting like sea lions,” said Jake Roth, a 22-year-old volunteer who helped with the rescue.

It was the first of dozens of frantic rescue phone calls made by horrified beachgoers that day, as an acute domoic acid outbreak continued to wreak havoc along the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara coasts this summer.

“The levels we’re finding inside these animals is off the charts,” said Giancarlo Rulli, a spokesman for the Sausalito-based Marine Mammal Center. “It’s all hands on deck.”

Domoic acid is a neurotoxin released by Pseudo-nitzschia, a common phytoplankton species found in coastal waters. Sea lions — and other marine mammals — become poisoned when they eat large amounts of fish or invertebrates that have been chowing on the contaminated diatoms.

Symptoms include lethargy, vomiting, unusual behavior, seizures, loss of pregnancy and death.

Domoic acid, which is an amino acid, is not always produced by the phytoplankton. It is only manufactured under certain conditions — ones which scientists are still trying to determine. But upwelling of seawater seems to be a common factor — and strong upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water is currently hugging the Central California coastline.

The outbreak has been at crisis levels since late July.

“One of the things that has come out again and again in a lot of our studies… is that, yes, when you get upwelling — which is typified by colder water temperatures and lots of nutrients — you will stimulate a bloom of diatoms,” said Clarissa Anderson, director of Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System and the Cooperative Institute for Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Systems, which are operated out of UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

“But then the bigger question — the one we’ve not been able to totally wrap our heads around — is, when does it produce the toxin? What is the mixture of conditions that requires that? Because this organism is around all the time,” she said.

Domoic acid outbreaks are not new. They have been happening for decades, if not millennia. And although it wasn’t identified in California waters until 1991, it is believed to have been behind outbreaks before that — including the 1961 “invasion” of chaotic sea birds in Capitola that partly inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 film, “The Birds.”

What has changed, said Anderson, are the frequency, timing and location of the events.

“We know that upwelling season in California has always been a great time to expect a Pseudo-nitzschia bloom and potentially a domoic acid event, and that can start as early as March,” she said. As a result, scientists had associated springtime with domoic acid outbreaks.

“But now we’re starting to see something different: These past three summers there have been these intense, long, lasting blooms,” she said.

And while Monterey and Humboldt Bay had been considered the classical hot spots, it’s Southern California that has been clobbered since 2022.

She said climate change is likely playing a role in these changes — but not necessarily because of warm water temperatures.

Marine Mammal Center veterinarian Greg Frankfurter inspects a newly admitted California sea lion that was rescued from a beach showing signs of domoic acid poisoning in Sausalito.

(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

“One of the things we have seen in our years and years and years of data is that it’s the mixture of nutrients that come with upwelling that is potentially responsible for turning the toxin on or off,” she said. “And that mixture of nutrients may be impacted by global climate change, because climate change is changing ocean circulation physics at the basin scale — like the Pacific Ocean scale — and that can have ramification on what kinds of water — the flavor of water — that is upwelling onto the coast in California.”

Raphe Kudela, a professor of ocean science at UC Santa Cruz, said there might also be a connection to heat and runoff from inland rivers.

He said in the last few years, really wet winters have contributed to an increase in river runoff — and a resulting dump of nutrients into California’s coastal waters.

“So you get a pulse of upwelling, which brought some cool water with even more nutrients to the surface, and then everything warmed up. That’s just absolutely perfect conditions for a bloom like this,” he said.

It’s also a perfect recipe for creatures like sardines and anchovies, who feast on the diatoms, algae and phytoplankton in these cool, nutrient-rich waters. And those fish bring in predators, such as sea lions, dolphins, fur seals, birds and other fish that then proceed to feast on these “toxic bullets.”

Anderson said people will occasionally ask her if they, too, could get sick from eating anchovies.

“I’m like, are you planning on eating as many anchovy as a sea lion?” she said, noting that sea lions eat roughly 5% to 8% of their body weight per day. For a 150-pound person, that would be 7.5 to 12 pounds of anchovy.

And that’s part of the tragedy of this latest outbreak.

Barbie Halaska, a necropsy specialist with the Marine Mammal Center, showed visitors the milk-rich tissue enveloping the single six-inch incisions she had made in the chests of six of the dead sea lions that had died at the Morro Bay center.

All six were adult, lactating females, she said, with thick layers of fat.

“You can see how big she is. She’s gorgeous,” said Halaska, pointing at the dead but otherwise healthy-looking animal. “They’ve got a great food supply. It just happens to be tainted. When they’re lactating, and they find a good food stock, they just go and go and go. Unfortunately, that means the neurotoxin just bioaccumulates.”

She said female sea lions tend to give birth around June 15 — “we call it sea lion birthday” — which means these females most likely had a young, dependent pup with them before they were stranded. Sea lion pups are dependent on their mothers until they are about 9 months old.

Research shows that pups growing inside contaminated pregnant females suffer brain damage. Milk from contaminated females also carries the toxin, suggesting it could be transmitted to pups.

By early afternoon, Lucille and three other sea lions were being treated for domoic acid poisoning.

Lucille was passed out, snoring on the cement floor of the pen. Soon after she arrived, a center staff member had delivered a shot full of phenobarbital and midazolam into her back haunch, to control the seizures. Staff then hooked her up to an IV bag of fluid to help flush the toxin out of her body.

But one of the three newer arrivals, a large, adult female named Yippee, arrived with a broken and dislocated jaw. Staff concluded she’d die if she was returned to the wild. They made the hard decision to medically euthanize her.

She struggled to flee from the small team that came in to deliver the shot, but was finally backed into a corner and succumbed. Her breathing slowed and within a few minutes, she was still.

Rulli said such episodes are always painful, and the center works hard to support staff who respond to these events. Repeated encounters with suffering animals can take a toll.

Roughly 30% of the animals that have come to the center in this latest outbreak — which began at the end of July — have died, said Aliah Meza, operation manager of the Morro Bay field office.

Farther south, where staff from the Channel Islands Marine Wildlife Institute are responding to animals along the Santa Barbara and Ventura coasts, the number exceeds 50%, said Sam Dover, founder and chief veterinarian of Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute.

To keep these facilities running and these teams operating, both institutions rely on donations and some level of state and federal funding.

State funding was nearly pulled last year when the governor’s office struck $2 million in funding from the state budget. For smaller operations, such as Dover’s, that would have been a 50% hit on its operating budget. The groups were able to convince lawmakers to replace the funding.

“I don’t envy the sharpened pencil and eraser work that they were doing,” said Jeffrey Boehm, the marine center’s chief external relations officer, who said he and others went to Sacramento to make the case that their work is in the public interest. “Having an entity that is prepared, skilled and professional to respond to wildlife that might be having a seizure on a public beach, that’s in the public interest. As is the science we advance through doing this work… Because at the end of the day, it’s all just one system.”

Lucille, who recovered from her seizures, was transported to the center’s Sausalito hospital via air-conditioned truck the following day. She died in transport.

Veggie, another sea lion who was rescued the same day, did make it to Sausalito however. She is now undergoing a seven-day protocol at the hospital, where roughly 50 other sea lions are being treated.

Rulli said that two sea lions were recently released back into the wild at Point Reyes National Seashore, where there is no sign of an outbreak and where humpback whales are currently feeding — an indication that there’s plenty of food available.

“Let’s just hope they stay up here,” he said.

The past two weeks of Olympic competition in Paris have brought us amazing stories of athletic skill, speed, triumph and redemption.

Perhaps they’ve left you newly inspired to train for a 10K or win your weekend basketball league.

Even if you’re not destined to compete on a world stage, learning how to fuel your body and mind like some of the country’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes may help you boost your own game.

Frederick Richard helped the U.S. men’s gymnastics team win a bronze medal, their first Olympic hardware in 16 years. San Diegan Tate Carew finished fifth in the men’s skateboard park final, and swimmer Ali Truwit — who lost part of her leg in a shark attack last year — will hit the pool in the coming weeks.

All three told The Times about the habits that earned them their spots on Team USA. Their comments have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How do you psych yourself up to work out on days when you just aren’t feeling it?

Frederick Richard: I have been in the gym since I was about 4 years old. I’m there because I love it but even so, there are days when I’m a little less inspired. On those days, I try to remember that it is the process that I enjoy and trust, which keeps me focused.

Ali Truwit: Knowing the deeper meaning of what I’m doing and why is my source of mental toughness on the days I’m not feeling like practicing. Right now, that larger purpose for me is turning trauma into hope and showing the world what people with disabilities are capable of. It drives me forward, even when I’m feeling sad or exhausted or in pain.

Is it OK to skip warming up or cooling down if you’re short on time?

Tate Carew: I rarely go into skating without stretching or warming up in some way. I’d rather have a shorter session knowing that I am preventing petty injuries.

FR: The warm-up and cool-down is not something to miss. You have to take care of your body.

What do you eat when you need a quick nutrition boost?

TC: A peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

FR: Celsius is my go-to drink when I need a little boost.

AT: I like to compete with a light stomach, so I like gluten-free pretzels or sometimes an apple. I love some mini Starbursts right before my race — a little sugar kick.

Do you have any tips about how to space out your meals and snacks?

FR: I definitely try not to eat too close to when I am going to bed.

TC: When I’m hungry, there is no such thing as a bad time to eat.

Any tips for staying properly hydrated? If you get sick of drinking water, is there anything you substitute instead?

AT: I carry a water bottle everywhere, all the time and try to just always be drinking. I also love Gatorade Zero!

TC: Watermelon has been a great substitute for me if I don’t feel like drinking water.

How do you get over jet lag when you travel for competitions?

FR: We generally try to get to places a day or two prior to the competition so that we can adjust to the time and the surroundings. For the Olympics we got to France about a week in advance.

AT: The way to handle conditions that aren’t ideal is to have handled them many times before in your practices. Then you know and believe you can do well anyway.

If you have trouble falling asleep the night before a high-stakes competition, what do you do?

AT: I’ve learned to put habits in place — like warm showers, relaxing mantras and funny shows — that take my mind to a more peaceful place.

FR: I try not to get too stressed, which I can do if I keep the big picture in mind. Trusting in the process is the key for me. I did bring my own mattress to Paris though!

Are there any mindfulness or meditation exercises that you find helpful?

TC: Whenever my mind feels extremely cluttered, I ask myself, “What problem do I have at this very moment?” Meaning, even if you are dealing with a lot in your home life, relationships, work, etc., what problems are you dealing with at that very moment?

AT: I love calm.com and Tamara Levitt! She has a very soothing voice, helpful big-picture insights, and breathwork. I also use progressive muscle relaxation as I’m trying to fall asleep, and I think that encourages the mind and body to let go.

How do you filter out distractions when it’s time to compete?

TC: I made my goals this year so clear that nothing would get in the way of me succeeding.

AT: I remind myself that work works and I’ve done the work. That helps a lot. One of the many reasons I train so hard is so that I can say that to myself before races.

I also just love racing so when I’m in a race, it’s often the only time of day for me that my mind is totally clear and focused.

If you make a mistake in the middle of a competition, how do you move forward instead of dwelling on it?

FR: I know that gymnastics is a judged sport so perfection is difficult. I also know that everyone is going to have some mistakes.

TC: Everything happens for a reason. In a way, it’s motivating for me.

Are there any other tips you’d like to share?

AT: Focus on what you love about competing — the people, the places, the habits you’ve ingrained in yourself, the joys of the process — and the rewards will be there no matter what.

These comments have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

It sounds like the plot to a cheesy black-and-white movie from the 1940s.

A lunk of a guy goes out to the barn behind his house every night and tosses a metal ball as far as he can. Over and over. He tries shifting his feet, turning his body in different directions, tinkering.

And, just like that, he revolutionizes the sport of shot put.

But this isn’t a Hollywood story. Ryan Crouser used his innovative “Crouser Slide” to make history at the 2024 Paris Olympics this weekend, joining a select group of athletes who have dominated their event thoroughly enough to win gold at three consecutive Games.

The 31-year-old native of Boring, Ore., called it “kind of a testament to the total dedication and hard work that has gone into it … it’s a 365-day a year job.”

With all the superstars competing here in the last few days — gymnast Simone Biles, swimmer Katie Ledecky, sprinter Noah Lyles — it might be easy to overlook Crouser. It would also be a mistake.

His story exemplifies the best aspect of the Olympics: The range of obscure and semi-obscure sports filled with athletes who devote their lives to something with no guarantee of fortune or fame.

To fully appreciate what Crouser accomplished, it helps to know more about the shot put.

The only way to heave a 16-pound ball more than 70 feet is to generate momentum by spinning your way to the release, which can be especially tricky for very large people trapped inside a seven-foot ring.

So it makes sense that, despite all their girth and grunting, shot putters tend to be science geeks.

Rather than focus on brute force, they obsess over the physics of lateral velocity, rotational radius and acceleration paths. The biomechanically optimal angle of release — 36 degrees? 38 degrees? — can be a topic for debate.

“So it’s constantly changing and evolving,” Crouser says. “Kind of under the assumption of how do we maximize potential energy creation while minimizing room for error.”

American Ryan Crouser competes in the men’s shot put final at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.

(Matthias Schrader / Associated Press)

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Throwing runs in his blood. His father, Mitch, was an alternate on the 1984 U.S. Olympic discus team and uncle Brian threw javelin at two Games. After excelling at shot put in high school, Crouser won four NCAA championships for the University of Texas.

His first gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games came shortly after graduation.

In a sport where many top athletes stand about 6 feet tall, Crouser uses his 6-foot-7 frame for more leverage and force on throws. But height also makes him vulnerable to committing a foul by stepping outside of that claustrophobic ring.

In his early years at the international level, he employed a fairly standard technique, working to control his body by moving precisely. In 2021, he broke Randy Barnes’ 31-year-old record with a throw of more than 76 feet at the U.S. Olympic trials, then won his second gold at the Tokyo Games.

Still, he wasn’t content.

“I feel like I experimented for a number of years just with different techniques,” he recalls. “I try to think of a rational explanation for why it would help my throw and then I’ll implement it.”

The “Fosbury Flop,” the back-roll technique made famous by Dick Fosbury at the 1968 Summer Olympics, forever changing the high jump, ranks as track’s best-known stylistic breakthrough. Though subtler, the “Crouser Slide” has been revolutionary.

Restless for something better, the self-coached Crouser searched the internet for information and applied concepts from upper-level engineering courses he took in college before switching his major to economics.

All his tinkering, spread across thousands of practice throws, led to a “light bulb moment” in that Arkansas barn in December 2022. It was about 8 p.m. and he recalls thinking “Yeah, let’s try something new just to engage myself because shot put can be extremely monotonous.”

He focused on altering the conventional starting point, which has shot putters standing at the back of the ring, facing away from the field. Crouser shifted over to the right side of the circle, creating room to his left.

The adjustment allowed him to start his motion with a quick “slide step” to the left. It made his spin a little faster and gave his right leg more space to swing around. As he explained: “Speed is king in the shot put.”

Speed can also be unwieldy, so there were problems with consistency. But within a few months, at a springtime meet in Los Angeles, he became the first man to throw beyond 77 feet.

“It’s good for the sport,” rival Tom Walsh told reporters in his home country of New Zealand. “But we’ve got to keep our end of the bar up and keep pushing him, keep challenging him, because when someone is too dominant, the sport gets a bit dull.”

During the past 10 or so years, Crouser has amassed five of the top six — and 14 of the top 25 — throws ever.

As important as technique and mental approach can be, the shot put remains — at its core — physical and brutal.

“Throwing a 16-pound ball for a living beats you up,” Crouser said.

Doctors found two blood clots in his leg last summer. Cleared to fly at the last moment, he traveled to Budapest to defend his world championship.

Since then, a torn pectoral muscle and nagging elbow injury have forced him to adjust his practice routine. Sometimes he throws hard and takes a few days off, other times he strings together light workouts.

“I have had a bit of difficulty recognizing that I am getting older,” he says. “It makes me cherish this Olympic experience even more because I can see that I cannot do this forever.”

2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games

Heading into Saturday night’s final in Paris, it wasn’t clear if the elbow could hold up for six rounds. Rather than build his distances gradually, Crouser chased big throws early — a gamble — hoping his opponents might tighten up if they fell behind.

Throwing 74 feet 3 inches on his first attempt, he raised his arms and worked the crowd. His lead had widened by the third round, at which point nature intervened.

A storm blew in, drenching the stadium and making the shot put ring treacherously slippery. One after another, competitors started attempts only to have their feet slip and their throws fall harmlessly. U.S. teammate and longtime rival Joe Kovacs unleashed a gutty try in the final round but, for a third consecutive Olympics, finished with silver.

Speaking in the mixed zone, Crouser reflected on years of eating right, getting nine hours of sleep each night and forgoing alcohol except for a 10-day vacation at the end of each track season. He mused about winning a fourth gold at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

If his body lasts. If he can keep thinking up improvements for his technique.

A reporter asked him about a moment from earlier in the evening. Before the finals, the shot putters emerged from a tunnel, one by one, pausing in front of a television camera. Crouser dropped to one knee in an homage to French sculpture.

His pose? The Thinker.