Toxin Taints Crabs and Kills Sea Mammals, Scientists Warn

Many diatoms in the genus Pseudo-nitzschia produce domoic acid (DA) – a potent neurotoxin that bioaccumlates in marine food chains.  Persistent warm temperatures along the Pacific Coast of the US may be contributing to increased growth of Pseudo-nitzchia and increased toxin levels in invertebrates.  High levels of domoic acid create health problems for animals that consume them.  According to sources quoted in this NY Times article, DA monitoring networks are  “seeing much higher contamination in the marine food web this year in this huge geographic expanse than in the past,”

Source: Toxin Taints Crabs and Kills Sea Mammals, Scientists Warn