title: Domoic Acid Poisoning as a Possible Cause of Seasonal Cetacean Mass Stranding Events in Tasmania, Australia.
abstract: The periodic trend to cetacean mass stranding events in the Australian island state of Tasmania remains unexplained. This article introduces the hypothesis that domoic acid poisoning may be a causative agent in these events. The hypothesis arises from the previously evidenced role of aeolian dust as a vector of iron input to the Southern Ocean; the role of iron enrichment in Pseudo-nitzschia bloom proliferation and domoic acid production; and importantly, the characteristic toxicosis of domoic acid poisoning in mammalian subjects leading to spatial navigation deficits. As a pre-requisite for quantitative evaluation, the plausibility of this hypothesis was considered through correlation analyses between historical monthly stranding event numbers, mean monthly chlorophyll concentration and average monthly atmospheric dust loading. Correlation of these variables, which under the domoic acid stranding scenario would be linked, revealed strong agreement (r = 0.80-0.87). We therefore advocate implementation of strategic quantitative investigation of the role of domoic acid in Tasmanian cetacean mass stranding events.
authors.affiliation: Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program (SOPOPP), Environmental Futures Research Institute (EFRI), School of Environment, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia. s.bengtsonnash@griffith.edu.au.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bengtson Nash
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Baddock
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, Information, Technology and Innovation (DSITI), Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program (SOPOPP), Environmental Futures Research Institute (EFRI), School of Environment, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.affiliation: School of Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cropp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002591:Cetacea; D017377:Diatoms / Q000737:chemistry; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000506:poisoning; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000506:poisoning; D011041:Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012621:Seasons; D013648:Tasmania
chemical_list: D008387:Marine Toxins; D007501:Iron; C012301:domoic acid; D007608:Kainic Acid
keywords: Aeolian dust; Cetacean mass stranding; Domoic acid; Iron fertilisation; Southern Ocean