title: Brevetoxicosis: red tides and marine mammal mortalities.
abstract: Potent marine neurotoxins known as brevetoxins are produced by the 'red tide' dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. They kill large numbers of fish and cause illness in humans who ingest toxic filter-feeding shellfish or inhale toxic aerosols. The toxins are also suspected of having been involved in events in which many manatees and dolphins died, but this has usually not been verified owing to limited confirmation of toxin exposure, unexplained intoxication mechanisms and complicating pathologies. Here we show that fish and seagrass can accumulate high concentrations of brevetoxins and that these have acted as toxin vectors during recent deaths of dolphins and manatees, respectively. Our results challenge claims that the deleterious effects of a brevetoxin on fish (ichthyotoxicity) preclude its accumulation in live fish, and they reveal a new vector mechanism for brevetoxin spread through food webs that poses a threat to upper trophic levels.
authors.affiliation: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St Petersburg, Florida 33701, USA.
authors.forename: Leanne J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Flewelling
authors.forename: Jerome P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Naar
authors.forename: Jay P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Baden
authors.forename: Nélio B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Gregory D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Bossart
authors.forename: Marie-Yasmine D
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Bottein
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: Elsa M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Haubold
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Heil
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: Henry M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Jacocks
authors.forename: Tod A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Leighfield
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.forename: Thomas D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Pitchford
authors.forename: Sentiel A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rommel
authors.forename: Paula S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Karen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Steidinger
authors.forename: Earnest W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Truby
authors.forename: Frances M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Van Dolah
authors.forename: Jan H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Landsberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004141:Dinoflagellida / Q000737:chemistry*; D004289:Dolphins / Q000378:metabolism; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism; D020387:Food Chain; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008322:Mammals / Q000378:metabolism*; D008386:Marine Biology; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000032:analysis*; D035964:Oxocins / Q000032:analysis*; D020455:Trichechus / Q000378:metabolism; D000095702:Polyether Toxins
chemical_list: D008387:Marine Toxins; D035964:Oxocins; C053342:brevetoxin; D000095702:Polyether Toxins