Toxin found in sardines that clogged US marina

[CountAllVotes]

Source: Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – The millions of sardines that were found floating dead in a Southern California marina this week tested positive for a powerful neurotoxin, researchers said Friday.

High levels of domoic acid were found in the sardines, which may have distressed them off the Los Angeles coastline and caused them to swim into the Redondo Beach marina, University of Southern California biologist David Caron wrote in a summary of his laboratory's findings which were reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Caron said that he still believes that critically low oxygen levels in the water caused the sardines to suffocate, but it's possible the toxin may have been one explanation for why they crowded into the marina.

The California Department of Fish and Game has blamed the die-off on oxygen deprivation and is also testing fish for toxins at its animal forensics laboratory. Results are not expected until next week.h

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110312/ap_on_re_us/us_fish_die_off

---

This is a toxic event and it isn't getting any better any time soon as long as there are people out there that claim it is "normal occurrence". Every instinct in me said this was anything but normal!

[upi402]

1. Birds dropping from the sky, and fish ...

Nothing to see here, move along, don't worry be happy
:tinfoilhat:




:sarcasm:

[CountAllVotes]

3. seal lions "gourging" on the fish

Just great huh? :argh:

:kick:

[OhioChick]

2. A toxin?

Interesting....I didn't buy the normal occurrence BS.

[Gormy Cuss]

4. A toxin that occurs in algal blooms (AKA "red tides"), for what it's worth. n/t

[MineralMan]

5. Yeah. That toxin is made by certain algae.

You've heard of "red tides?" Algal blooms. If a bloom of a domoic acid generating algae happens, this can be the result. And yes, algal blooms can be of natural cause. They can also be due to man-made conditions, usually from runoff containing fertilizers.

You can learn about this at the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domoic_acid

Knowledge is good.

[OhioChick]

7. "Knowledge is good."

No need for snark.

[MineralMan]

10. But knowledge is good. And it is so readily available today

that there is little excuse for not getting it. You read toxin and assumed that it was a man-made poison. Many toxins are made many living things, both plant and animal. The assumption that "toxin" means "of human origin," is basic misinformation.

The specific toxin was named in the OP. Opening a new browser window and typing "Domoic Acid" in the box will give you knowledge about that chemical. It is, indeed, of natural origin.

My comment was not snark. It was a statement of fact. It was also an allusion to a movie. You can look up the name of that movie using the same technique I suggested above. Many people will recognize the allusion.

[CountAllVotes]

12. you are the one that said it was natural

and it was deemed viewing a normal cycle of life.

I'm sorry, but I don't think millions of fish up to 2 feet high stacked, dead animals and birds dropping dead out of the sky is the least bit "normal".

I cry BULLSH*T and will continue to do so.

BP KILLS DAMNNIT and we are killing ourselves by ignoring the grim realities that face us.

Try reading the Night of the Red Sky, a vision of an old Apache medicine man c. 1920:

http://www.wolflodge.org/visibiliti/prophecy/redsky.htm

:scared: you better believe it.

[MineralMan]

14. You may say anything you wish.

BP had nothing to do with this fish kill in California. The Gulf is nowhere near California and the water in the Gulf does not reach the California coast. There are a couple of continents in the way. You are misinformed, I'm afraid.

[CountAllVotes]

15. BP KILLS

When the next accident in who knows where happens, tell me again. I guess that fish don't swim any longer eh?

Why is it that a tsunami in Japan can ruin a harbor on the west coast of California? It is no where near the west coat of California is it? Or is it? :crazy:

[MineralMan]

17. Actually, Japan is on the same ocean as California, unlike the

Gulf of Mexico. I'm not defending BP. I'm defending factual information. And yes, fish do swim, but they do not swim from the Gulf of Mexico to the coast of California. Atlantic and Pacific fish are quite different.

[yardwork]

39. Who said that BP had anything to do with this?

[MineralMan]

20. No, my friend, I did not say that. I described algal blooms, which are

natural and often cause fish kills. I did not say that was what killed these fish. I said it was most likely what did it, along with the very low oxygen levels in that harbor. Now we know that it was, indeed, a toxin from an algal bloom that poisoned those fish. So, that's what killed them, and yes, that toxic occurs naturally. So, there you are. Facts trump guesses.

[ChromeFoundry]

28. Results of the tests are not expected until next week...

Yet you already know the reason that they died? Maybe you should save the taxpayers some money by informing the scientists of your test results and explain Google to them with your plethora of attained "knowledge"...

Oh wait, "knowledge" is different than just regurgitating partial information found in a wiki?

Maybe you can also explain to those stupid scientists that agricultural run off, global temperatures on the rise and water from foreign ship's ballasts... had absolutely nothing to do with the increase of this neurotoxins levels in the affected fish.

Thanks for showing us all, once again, that you know everything about everything (that Wikipedia has a page for)!
...and doing it in your own special breed of "classy"!

[No Elephants]

36. Algae blooms are natural, but, as you said, causes of algae are not natural always.

Humans are involved, indisputably, not merely our sparkling, waters, unharmed by humans.

[LanternWaste]

25. Seems almost impossible to get one without the other these days...

Seems almost impossible to get one without the other these days... :)

[upi402]

8. Thank you for helping me connect the dots

doh! I'm no chemist or even naturalist. I just see so much damage we're causing I tend to assume the worst.
Thanks again.

[MineralMan]

11. No problem. Wikipedia is a great resource for looking up

factual information when a term occurs that you don't know. They have an entry for almost everything, and their science-based articles are generally very good. Now, if you want political information, Wikipedia isn't so hot, but for science, it's great.

[upi402]

13. I think Wikipedia is valid too

My kid is not allowed to use it as a research tool, however, in school. But I use it all the time.

[pinto]

19. Apparently DA poisoning was the cause for a '61 bird frenzy / kill in CA and basis for Hitchcock's

"The Birds".

[upi402]

24. Well I guess

truth is stranger than fiction...

"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't." -Twain

[No Elephants]

35. People generate water pollution which causes formation of more algae

Even home laundry and dishwashing detergents can do that.

Maybe algae forms naturally as well, but that is not the only reason it forms. It's not "either-or." People are a factor, without question.

So, your instincts and commn sense are very good.

[pinto]

6. Domoic Acid and Harmful Algal Blooms (Channel Islands/NOAA fact sheet) -

Focus of this fact sheet is recent marine mammal beach strandings, but gives a good background, overview of DA. ~ pinto

http://channelislands.noaa.gov/focus/pdf/daf.pdf

[Bluenorthwest]

22. Yeah, Pinto, that's the scoop, right there....

This is in fact part of an unusual mortality event, ongoing. Everyone reading this thread should read the noaa link.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

9. Domoic acid is also suspected in the recent rise in marine mammal strandings along the west coast.

It's also thought to be effecting seabirds in a similar fashion. It's all due to the strong increase in this toxic algae.

This is another incident in a growing list of incidents related to the the increasing red tides.

[CountAllVotes]

16. how long will it be before the gourging sea lions die?

They pigged out and ate all they could of this same fish. It will kill them too. :argh:

[MineralMan]

18. Some of them will probably die from eating those fish.

It all depends on how much of the domoic acid they take in. You know, the stuff that comes from algal blooms offshore.

[KoKo]

31. Some info on "What is Domoic Acid? and Effects here:

http://www.cimwi.org/stranded_domoic.html

Domic Acid Information and History

What is Domoic Acid? / Impact on Marine Mammals / Impact on Humans / Download CIMWI's .pdf on Domoic

What is Domoic Acid?

Domoic Acid (DA) is a naturally occurring marine toxin. It is the result of an extreme proliferation of marine algae, usually (but not always) of the genus Pseudonitzschia. These toxic species have been found on the East and the West Coasts of the U.S., as well as the Gulf of Mexico.

Domoic Acid is a chemical that is produced by algae or plankton when it blooms. Higher ocean temperatures trigger the seasonal algae bloom. This proliferation of marine algae blooms is an annual event occurring between March and June. The algae containing DA is eaten by sea life and passed along up through the food chain. Both shellfish and filter feeding fish (clams, mussels, anchovies, sardines, krill, etc.) can accumulate this toxin without apparent ill effects. However, in marine mammals and humans, DA is a tricarboxylic acid that acts as a neurotoxin.

It is generally accepted that the incidence of problems associated with toxic algae is increasing. Possible reasons to explain this increase include natural mechanisms of species dispersal (currents and tides) to a host of human-related phenomena such as nutrient enrichment (agricultural run-off), climate shifts or transport of algae species via ship ballast water.
The Impact of Domoic Acid on Marine Mammals

Domoic Acid was first pinpointed as a problem in marine mammals in 1998, when many California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) died along the Central California coast. There were an exceptionally high number of DA cases in 2003.

DA binds to a glutamate receptor that help nerves cells control the flow of ions across their cell membranes. The receptor no longer works correctly and the uncontrolled flux of ions damages and eventually kills the nerve cell.

The toxin affects the parts of the brain known as the hippocampus and amygdale and causes rapid neurological deterioration. Affected sea lions exhibit head weaving and bobbing, bulging eyes, mucus from the mouth, disorientation and atax (“drunken”) movements. Seizures are also prevalent.

The neurological impacts make it difficult for the animals to stay afloat and breath in the water. In many cases, marine mammals that are affected by Domoic Acid will beach (haul out of the water) in effort to rest and survive. Seabirds are also affected by DA.

In severe cases, permanent brain damage and eventually death are likely to occur.

The Impact of Domoic Acid on Humans

Domoic Acid Poisoning does affect humans. Mild cases arise within 24 hours of consumption of contaminated fish. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Neurological symptoms occur in the more severe cases these symptoms include headaches, hallucinations, confusion, short-term memory loss, respiratory difficulty, seizures, coma and, in extreme cases, death.

The first reported outbreak of Domoic Acid Poisoning occurred in 1987 when shellfish from Prince Edward Island, Canada was consumed. In this outbreak, three people died and over 100 people developed various toxic symptoms.

According to the California Department of Health Services (CDHS), there have not been any reported cases of human poisoning from Domoic Acid in California.


Channel Islands Marine Sactuary website at: http://www.cinms.nos.noaa.gov/focus/dom.html

[cognoscere]

21. So...are the Koch brothers, or some other wealthy parasites, going

to take all the dead sardines and process them for human consumption?

[lumpy]

23. The fish will be used for fertilzer. How will that effect edible

plants?

[MineralMan]

26. Plants do a great job of filtering out what they need from what

they don't. A tomato is a tomato.

[lob1]

27. Then there's no need for organic gardening because a

plant doesn't absorb poisons?

[fascisthunter]

32. excellent point

[Star]

37. Of course plants can absorb poisons.

Organic gardening is best because 1) it maintains nutrients and micronutrients in the soil, which means plants are healthier, (chemical fertilizers don't maintain optimum soil conditions and can frequently deplete nutrients from the soil); 2) it recycles plant material, making the nutrients available to the next generations of plants (typically, non-organic farming and gardening methods clear old plant material from the soil and discard it rather than recycling it); 3) chemicals that are potentially harmful to humans are not sprayed on the leaves and fruits of the plants (chemical pesticides and herbicides are sprayed on the leaves and fruits of plants, and their residue may cause problems for humans).

I don't know if fertilizers containing DA could contaminate the plants and make them unsafe for human consumption, but if it did, it would most likely be as a residue on the leaves and fruits.

Algal blooms typically happen every spring when the seawater warms up enough to trigger the algae's reproductive cycle. A lesser bloom occurs in the fall. As the algae begin to die off, bacterial decomposition depletes oxygen levels in the water because the bacteria use oxygen. I don't know if that is what's happening with this fish kill, but its certainly a possibility. Its also a possibility that increased seawater temperatures due to global warming have caused the algal bloom to occur earlier than normal, which may have something to do with the affect on these particular fish. That's just my own hypothesis, though, and not based on any personal knowledge of this situation.

There are many human-produced environmental toxins that are damaging the Earth, but if we go off the deep end every time there is some kind of mass die-off and claim that the problem is human-induced, we run the risk of damaging our credibility. Better to wait until all the facts are known, and then act appropriately.

[ChromeFoundry]

29. Spinach and salmonella...

don't mix when it's in the waste water from the pork processing plant, upstream?
They don't filter that out too well, now do they?

Wow, you are both an aquatic scientist and a botanist?
Amazing how you find the time to also fill the role of a full-time sarcasmist.

[Peace Patriot]

30. "The hip bone's connected to the thigh bone...," etc.

Thanks to Mineral Man for the info on the toxic algae, but domoic acid may NOT be the full explanation for why millions of sardines crowded into a harbor area and suffocated themselves. It is much too early--and Mother Nature is much too complex--to be able to say this. It may comfort us to believe that the horrendous amount of pollutants we human beings pour into the oceans and into the atmosphere (which of course affects the oceans), and also the tremendous over-fishing that we do, are not really all that harmful, and that the dead zones in the ocean, and the islands of garbage in the ocean, and the fast-dying coral reefs (once abundant with life), and the vast species extirpations that are occurring in all environments, are not our problem. Scientists sometimes feed this comfortableness by broadcasting easy explanations that leave us--or rather leave the private corporations and war profiteers that we have permitted to rule over us--blameless.

I am reminded of the massive bee die-off's which have now been attributed to "a virus and a fungus" working mysteriously together to kill off 40% to 50% of the U.S. bee population, if you can believe a Bayer Corp researcher working together with the U.S. military (and not even posing the issue of pesticides). Here's a sample of the corporate reporting on this one:

http://theweek.com/article/index/208013/the-great-honeybee-die-off-mystery-solved

But WHY? WHY does a population that functioned so well, for so long, suddenly become vulnerable to a disease or toxin or parasite that didn't phase those populations before?

We must learn to ACKNOWLEDGE, RESPECT and UNDERSTAND the complexity of Mother Nature--the intricate interdependency of all parts of an ecosystem--BEFORE we introduce radical new elements and changes into the ecosystem.

I am also reminded of the near extirpation of the coho salmon that has occurred in northern California. Timber corporations hire "scientists" to blame the demise of this species on "over-fishing." And that may be a factor (as might ocean pollution). But the Timber corporation is meanwhile destroying the streamside vegetation that shades the streams where the coho salmon (which require cold water) spawn. They also cloud the water with sediment. The coho salmon require clear water. So, the coho salmon population, depleted by over-fishing, then can't spawn in its home streams or its eggs die. Fewer and fewer fish come upstream. This, in turn, affects the quality of the soil in the adjacent forest, for the coho salmon--which used to swarm upstream in the millions--died after spawning, and their carcasses were spread by birds and bears and other critters all over the forest floor. The depleted soils then affect tree growth and tree health, and so on. (A species of native tree in these same forests has also been hit with a mystery disease, called "sudden oak death.")

The timber corporation is served by the simplest explanation. It exonerates them, satisfies "bought-and-paid for" government regulatory agencies and completely ignores the complexity of what is happening, so that they can cut down profitable trees on hillsides above salmon streams.

You simply cannot say that the coho salmon are going extinct due to "over-fishing." We have disadvantaged them in so many ways that it is clearly a multiplicity of impacts and interconnections that are bringing about the demise of a once abundant species that lived in the ocean and spawned in northern California streams for ten thousand years.

One of the first questions that need to be answered about this sardine die-off is: Is the toxic algae population of the ocean increasing and WHY? This is an usual event. It needs investigating with the ECOSYSTEM in full view, not just a one-off connection between the sardines and the algae. A second question might be: WHY did the sardines ingest the toxin? Do sardines have suicidal tendencies? Why didn't the swarm swim away from the algae?

(The above corporate article even suggests--although it doesn't quite say--that bees might be "insane." "The virus appears to provoke a 'kind of insect insanity,'" one of their experts comments. We'll hear that next about the sardines, I imagine. They just one day decided to all eat poison and commit suicide. )

I know that it is rather hopeless to expect a "cautionary principle" on human activity, with our corporate rulers now dismantling labor rights and all other advances of our once-progressive country, including science education, and with their having gained control even of our voting system, with electronic machines run on 'TRADE SECRET' code. But we should try to promote the "cautionary principle" anyway, as well as promoting restoration of natural systems, because we are in considerable peril of losing this planet--our only home--altogether.

The evidence is overwhelming that our impacts are radically affecting the resilience of natural systems. We need to understand this and take responsibility for it, even if our corporations and their bought-and-paid-for government won't. And we have to do what we can to restore democratic government--the best system that humans have ever devised--when it is working right--for wisdom and intelligence to "rise to the top." You wouldn't know this from what is happening in Wisconsin and in the scumbag Congress and elsewhere in this country among the Diebold/ES&S-(s)elected corporate tools who are running things. But it is true. Our people want good government, including strong environmental regulation, but the natural outcomes of democracy have also been grossly interfered with, by the truly insane humans for whom profit is all.

[BeFree]

34. What Peace said....

Fish die offs are rarely 'natural'.

If it is DA, and one can consider the acidification of the oceans due to human atmospheric depositions, then you may even be able to add 1 + 1. Or is that too snarky?

[petronius]

33. There was a warning last fall about high DA levels in our local lobsters,

and wasn't it just last summer that there was an unusually large number of pinniped deaths and strandings? Was that DA, or something else? (To the Google!)

[defendandprotect]

38. As capitalism poisons us all -- and our children -- !!

Without capitalism, we'd still have our planet and lives!!

Time to bury this economic system before it's much too late!!