On the U.S. west coast, blooms of the potentially toxic diatom Pseudo-nitzschia can cause amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), resulting in economic impacts to coastal economies and public health concerns. The transfer of toxin, via filter feeding of Pseudo-nitzschia or ingestion of filter feeding organisms, to shellfish, crustaceans, seabirds, finfish, and marine mammals has led to mortalities of brown pelicans, Brandts cormorants, and sea lions. A unique problem on the outer coast of the Olympic peninsula in Washington State, is that the Pacific razor clam, Siliqua patula (Figure 1), can retain high concentrations of the algal toxin, domoic acid (DA), for over one year (Wekell et al., 1994; Adams et al., 2000). During toxic events, recreational, commercial, and tribal subsistence harvest of clams, valued at over $20 million annually (Anderson, 1995), is suspended and public health is threatened.
DATA/REPORT DETAILS
Monitoring Approaches for Early Warning of Domoic Acid Events in Washington State
- Published on:
- Science Area(s): Harmful Algal Bloom Detection and Forecasting, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation
- Region(s) of Study: U.S. States and Territories, Washington
- Primary Contact(s): marc.suddleson@noaa.gov, quay.dortch@noaa.gov
Citation:
Trainer, V.L., and M. Suddleson
Trainer, V.L., and M. Suddleson
Data/Report Type:
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Description
Note to readers with disabilities: Some scientific publications linked from this website may not conform to Section 508 accessibility standards due to the complexity of the information being presented. If you need assistance accessing this electronic content, please contact the lead/corresponding author, Primary Contact, or nccos.webcontent@noaa.gov.