title: Mortality of sea lions along the central California coast linked to a toxic diatom bloom.
abstract: Over 400 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) died and many others displayed signs of neurological dysfunction along the central California coast during May and June 1998. A bloom of Pseudo-nitzschia australis (diatom) was observed in the Monterey Bay region during the same period. This bloom was associated with production of domoic acid (DA), a neurotoxin that was also detected in planktivorous fish, including the northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), and in sea lion body fluids. These and other concurrent observations demonstrate the trophic transfer of DA resulting in marine mammal mortality. In contrast to fish, blue mussels (Mytilus edulus) collected during the DA outbreak contained no DA or only trace amounts. Such findings reveal that monitoring of mussel toxicity alone does not necessarily provide adequate warning of DA entering the food web at levels sufficient to harm marine wildlife and perhaps humans.
authors.affiliation: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, California 95039, USA. scholin@mbari.org
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Scholin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gulland
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Doucette
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Busman
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Chavez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cordaro
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: DeLong
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Vogelaere
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haulena
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lipscomb
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Loscutoff
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Lowenstine
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: McLellan
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Moeller
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rowles
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Silvagni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Silver
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Spraker
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Trainer
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Van Dolah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000382:microbiology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary; D002140:California; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D017377:Diatoms; D005068:Eutrophication; D005399:Fishes / Q000382:microbiology; D020387:Food Chain; D006801:Humans; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009026:Mortality; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning; D011041:Poisoning / Q000662:veterinary; D046070:Sea Lions / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D008387:Marine Toxins; D009498:Neurotoxins; C012301:domoic acid; D007608:Kainic Acid