DOMOIC ACID CAUSES REPRODUCTIVE FAILURE IN CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS (<i>ZALOPHUS CALIFORNIANUS</i>)

Brodie, Erin C.; Gulland, Frances M. D.; Greig, Denise J.; Hunter, Michele; Jaakola, Jackie; Leger, Judy St.; Leighfield, Tod A.; Dolah, Frances M. Van

doi:10.1111/j.1748-7692.2006.00045.x

Cited by 108 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…California sea lion strandings in 2002 were mostly adult females; this is consistent with previous reports of DA toxicity in this species (Scholin et al, 2000;Gulland et al, 2002;Greig et al, 2005;Brodie et al, 2006) and contrasts with the demographics of sea lions stranding during epizootics of other types. Leptospirosis typically affects juvenile male sea lions in central and northern California during the fall (Gulland et al, 1996;Lloyd-Smith et al, 2007), and malnutrition associated with El Niñ o events typically affects yearlings .…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Neurologic signs were observed in all events of intoxication and were commonly characterized by abnormal behavior, disorientation, ataxia, seizures, reproductive failure, coma, and death (Perl et al, 1990;Work et al, 1993;Sierra-Beltrá n et al, 1997;Scholin et al, 2000;Gulland et al, 2002;Brodie et al, 2006). Domoic acid toxicity was also suspected during a UME of dolphin strandings in the Gulf of California during an identified Pseudo-nitzschia australis bloom; this has been the most frequently implicated DA-producing algal species associated with wildlife mortality (Ochoa et al, 1998;Bates, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Association of an Unusual Marine Mammal Mortality Event With Pseudo-Nitzschia Spp. Blooms Along the Southern California Coastline

Riva

Johnson

Gulland

et al. 2009

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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ABSTRACT:During 2002, 2,239 marine mammals stranded in southern California. This unusual marine mammal stranding event was clustered from April to June and consisted primarily of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) and long-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus capensis) with severe neurologic signs. Intoxication with domoic acid (DA), a marine neurotoxin produced during seasonal blooms of Pseudo-nitzschia spp., was suspected. Definitively linking harmful algal blooms to large-scale marine mammal mortalities presents a substantial challenge, as does determining the geographic extent, species composition, and potential population impacts of marine mammal die-offs. For this reason, time series cross-correlation analysis was performed to test the temporal correlations of Pseudo-nitzschia blooms with strandings occurring along the southern California coastline. Temporal correlations were identified between strandings and blooms for California sea lions, long-beaked common dolphins, and short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). Similar correlations were identified for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), but small sample sizes for these species made associations more speculative. The timing of the blooms and strandings of marine mammals suggested that both inshore and offshore foraging species were affected and that marine biotoxin programs should include offshore monitoring sites. In addition, California sea lionstrandings appear to be a very sensitive indicator of DA in the marine environment, and their monitoring should be included in public health surveillance plans.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association of an Unusual Marine Mammal Mortality Event With Pseudo-Nitzschia Spp. Blooms Along the Southern California Coastline

Riva

Johnson

Gulland

et al. 2009

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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“…Morphologic changes included hippocampal neuronal loss and mossy fibre sprouting (indicative of new synapse formation) in the rat neonates and the authors hypothesize that this reorganization provided a substrate for hippocampal excitability, resulting in the observed behavioural changes. Previous work has shown that domoic acid crosses the placenta of California sea lions as the toxin has been detected in amniotic fluid, foetal urine and foetal gastric fluid (Brodie et al 2006). Thus it is possible that in exposed cases where the sea lion foetus survives to birth, exposure to the toxin in utero could result in developmental abnormalities leading to neurological and behavioural deficits as the animals age.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel symptomatology and changing epidemiology of domoic acid toxicosis in California sea lions ( Zalophus californianus ): an increasing risk to marine mammal health

Mazet²,

et al. 2007

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Harmful algal blooms are increasing worldwide, including those of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. producing domoic acid off the California coast. This neurotoxin was first shown to cause mortality of marine mammals in 1998. A decade of monitoring California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) health since then has indicated that changes in the symptomatology and epidemiology of domoic acid toxicosis in this species are associated with the increase in toxigenic blooms. Two separate clinical syndromes now exist: acute domoic acid toxicosis as has been previously documented, and a second novel neurological syndrome characterized by epilepsy described here associated with chronic consequences of previous sub-lethal exposure to the toxin. This study indicates that domoic acid causes chronic damage to California sea lions and that these health effects are increasing.

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“…A similar effect of this toxin on North Atlantic right whales, while hypothetical, could enhance their susceptibility to other factors well-documented as primary causes of mortality in this population (e.g. ship collisions, fishing gear entanglement; Reeves et al 2001).Exposure to algal biotoxins such as DA is among the proposed contributors to reproductive challenges currently faced by Eubalaena glacialis (Kraus et al 2007) and is of particular interest given the recently reported link between California sea lion exposure to DA and reproductive failure (Brodie et al 2006). These animals experienced much higher toxin levels than those estimated herein for E. glacialis.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 1998 during a Pseudo-nitzschia australis bloom off the California coast, over 400 California sea lions Zalophus californianus stranded after being exposed to DA via ingestion of anchovies and sardines (Lefebvre et al 1999, Scholin et al 2000. Since then, many smaller scale mortality events associated with DA and involving mostly sea lions, but also other pinnipeds and cetaceans, have continued to occur in this region (reviewed by Van Dolah 2005).Recent work has indicated that DA exposure in California sea lions resulted in reproductive failure in 209 stranded females, with symptoms including abortion, death in utero, and premature parturition (Brodie et al 2006). Moreover, even low levels of exposure to this toxin have been proposed to cause fetal poisoning that manifests as neurological disease in adult animals later in life (Ramsdell & Zabka 2008).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure of the North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis to the marine algal biotoxin, domoic acid

Leandro¹,

Rolland²,

Roth³

et al. 2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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In addition to ship collisions and fishing gear entanglements, recovery of the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis has been challenged by reproductive abnormalities and compromised health. Of the factors hypothesized as contributing to the observed reproductive dysfunction in right whales, exposure to marine biotoxins such as domoic acid (DA) has received comparatively little consideration. The present study assessed the occurrence of DA in right whale feces, copepods, and krill collected from April through September of 2005 and 2006 on the whales' feeding grounds along the northeastern USA and eastern Canada. DA was detected by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in 69 right whale fecal samples, 6 krill samples, and 32 copepod samples. Many of the latter were dominated largely by Stage V Calanus finmarchicus copepodites. DA detection by SPR in fecal and zooplankton collections was verified by receptor binding assay and confirmed using liquid chromatography -tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Moreover, LC-MS/MS determined the presence of a putative methylated DA metabolite in all fecal and zooplankton samples analyzed. Frustules of several potentially toxic Pseudo-nitzschia spp. were identified in whale feces and phytoplankton samples by light and electron microscopy. Electron microscopy also revealed an abundance of C. finmarchicus mandibles in right whale feces. These findings confirm that E. glacialis was exposed to DA for several months, likely through ingestion of a DAcontaminated copepod vector. The extent to which this algal biotoxin may contribute to the failed recovery of the E. glacialis population warrants further investigation. KEY WORDS: Domoic acid · Eubalaena glacialis · Right whale · Pseudo-nitzschia · Calanus finmarchicus · Copepod · Biotoxin trophic transfer · Harmful algal blooms Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 398: 287-303, 2010 (Clapham et al. 1999, Knowlton & Kraus 2001). An overall low reproductive rate coupled with highly variable annual calving numbers represent further impediments to the recovery of this species (Kraus et al. 2001(Kraus et al. , 2007. Reproductive abnormalities were especially pronounced during the 1990s when the interval between calving for mature females increased from about 3.5 to almost 6 yr, and the age of first parturition also increased. Although causes of the apparent reproductive dysfunction in E. glacialis are not clear, reproductive success may be affected by habitat loss or degradation, nutritional stress, low genetic variability, disease, and sublethal exposure to pollutants as well as natural toxins such as paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) and amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) toxins produced by marine microalgae (Reeves et al. 2001).ASP is a syndrome resulting from human ingestion of seafood, primarily shellfish, contaminated with domoic acid (DA), a potent water-soluble neurotoxin produced by certain species of the diatom genus Pseudonitzschia. DA bi...

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DOMOIC ACID CAUSES REPRODUCTIVE FAILURE IN CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS (ZALOPHUS CALIFORNIANUS)

Cited by 108 publications

References 21 publications

Association of an Unusual Marine Mammal Mortality Event With Pseudo-Nitzschia Spp. Blooms Along the Southern California Coastline

Association of an Unusual Marine Mammal Mortality Event With Pseudo-Nitzschia Spp. Blooms Along the Southern California Coastline

Novel symptomatology and changing epidemiology of domoic acid toxicosis in California sea lions ( Zalophus californianus ): an increasing risk to marine mammal health

Exposure of the North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis to the marine algal biotoxin, domoic acid

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