Birds and seals in the Bering Sea are starving despite the abundance of fish in the area. The warming waters of the Bering Sea are causing toxic algae to bloom, which is affecting the food chain. The two most common strains of toxic algae, saxitoxin and domoic acid, attack the nervous system and can cause illness or death. The toxins are suspected to be involved in some of the bird die-offs and seal deaths. The cysts of these algae have been found in large amounts on the ocean bottom in northern Alaska waters. As ice recedes and water temperatures climb, the cysts unleash blooms, which in the years ahead are expected to become more intense and more widespread. The lack of monitoring makes it difficult to know the extent of the problem.