title: Climatic regulation of the neurotoxin domoic acid.
abstract: Domoic acid is a potent neurotoxin produced by certain marine microalgae that can accumulate in the foodweb, posing a health threat to human seafood consumers and wildlife in coastal regions worldwide. Evidence of climatic regulation of domoic acid in shellfish over the past 20 y in the Northern California Current regime is shown. The timing of elevated domoic acid is strongly related to warm phases of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the Oceanic Niño Index, an indicator of El Niño events. Ocean conditions in the northeast Pacific that are associated with warm phases of these indices, including changes in prevailing currents and advection of anomalously warm water masses onto the continental shelf, are hypothesized to contribute to increases in this toxin. We present an applied domoic acid risk assessment model for the US West Coast based on combined climatic and local variables. Evidence of regional- to basin-scale controls on domoic acid has not previously been presented. Our findings have implications in coastal zones worldwide that are affected by this toxin and are particularly relevant given the increased frequency of anomalously warm ocean conditions.
authors.affiliation: College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331; mmckibben@coas.oregonstate.edu.
authors.forename: S Morgaine
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: McKibben
authors.affiliation: Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR 97365.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403.
authors.forename: A Michelle
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA 98112.
authors.forename: Vera L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Trainer
authors.affiliation: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Astoria, OR 97103.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.affiliation: College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331.
authors.forename: Angelicque E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia; D002140:California; D002980:Climate; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000032:analysis*; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D009922:Oregon; D012758:Shellfish / Q000032:analysis; D014861:Washington
chemical_list: D008387:Marine Toxins; D009498:Neurotoxins; C012301:domoic acid; D007608:Kainic Acid
keywords: El Niño; Northern California Current; Pacific Decadal Oscillation; Pseudo-nitzschia; domoic acid