Item talk:Q226928
From geokb
{
"@context": "http://schema.org/", "@type": "WebPage", "additionalType": "Research", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/centers/alaska-science-center/science/harmful-algal-bloom-toxins-alaska-seabirds", "headline": "Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins in Alaska Seabirds", "datePublished": "January 3, 2024", "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Caroline R Van Hemert, Ph.D.", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/caroline-r-van-hemert", "identifier": { "@type": "PropertyValue", "propertyID": "orcid", "value": "0000-0002-6858-7165" } }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sarah K Schoen", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/sarah-k-schoen", "identifier": { "@type": "PropertyValue", "propertyID": "orcid", "value": "0000-0002-5685-5185" } }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matthew M Smith", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/matthew-m-smith", "identifier": { "@type": "PropertyValue", "propertyID": "orcid", "value": "0000-0002-2259-5135" } }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mayumi L Arimitsu, Ph.D.", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/mayumi-l-arimitsu", "identifier": { "@type": "PropertyValue", "propertyID": "orcid", "value": "0000-0001-6982-2238" } }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Naomi Bargmann", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/naomi-bargmann", "identifier": { "@type": "PropertyValue", "propertyID": "orcid", "value": "0000-0002-6962-9769" } }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Piatt, Ph.D.", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/john-piatt", "identifier": { "@type": "PropertyValue", "propertyID": "orcid", "value": "0000-0002-4417-5748" } }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Danielle Gerik", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/danielle-gerik", "identifier": { "@type": "PropertyValue", "propertyID": "orcid", "value": "0000-0002-2906-1195" } } ], "description": [ { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "USGS Alaska Science Center biologists are also studying changes in the food web that have contributed to recent seabird die-offs and consequences of marine heat waves for fish and wildlife populations." }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "We work closely with partners and stakeholders to respond to their questions about HABs in Alaska ecosystems. Learn more about ongoing research on how harmful algal toxins affect wild seabirds in a recorded talk by Sarah Schoen and Matt Smith: Harmful algae and seabirds - Strait Science, March 30 2023. Our current HAB toxin research includes both field and laboratory studies to address the following topics:" }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "Certain species of phytoplankton produce biotoxins that can injure or kill fish and wildlife. When blooms of these phytoplankton occur, toxins become distributed throughout the food web. These events, termed harmful algal blooms or HABs, are often related to higher seawater temperatures and changes in ocean currents and nutrient levels. There are two primary marine HAB toxins of concern in Alaska: saxitoxin (STX), which is responsible for causing paralytic shellfish poisoning, and domoic acid (DA), which can cause seizures and other neurological distress." }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "Return to Ecosystems >> Wildlife Disease and Environmental Health" }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "Seabirds in Alaska are commonly exposed to STX and DA in the marine environment. How much toxin birds ingest depends on what they eat, where they live, and whether local environmental conditions are suitable for producing HABs. We don\u2019t yet know how sensitive seabirds are to STX but results from a laboratory study of Mallards and Zebra Finches suggests that current levels of exposure in Alaska may be harmful to some species. We are working to address this question for seabirds, which will help us determine the threat of HABs to wild bird populations in Alaska." }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "Since 2014, widespread seabird die-off events have been observed annually throughout Alaska; although starvation has been commonly reported, other underlying factors remain unknown. The USGS is the scientific research agency for the Department of the Interior and has developed studies and testing capabilities to address concerns around seabird die-off events. Recent studies in Alaska, including those by USGS, have found STX and DA throughout the marine ecosystem, including in marine mammals, birds, and other wildlife. Increased occurrence of HABs is predicted with changing environmental conditions, including warming ocean temperatures." }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "Elevated ocean temperatures are linked to the development of harmful algal blooms (HABs). Toxins from these blooms may pose health threats to marine organisms, including seabirds. Since 2015, the USGS has worked with a variety of stakeholders to develop testing methods and research projects to better understand the geographic extent, timing and impacts of algal toxins in Alaska marine ecosystems, including possible links to recent seabird die-offs." }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "We\u2019ve tested nearly twenty Alaska seabird species\u2014including Common Murres, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Northern Fulmars, Short-tailed Shearwaters, and Arctic Terns\u2014for STX and DA. We\u2019ve also tested a variety of forage fish and marine invertebrates. We\u2019ve detected STX commonly in seabird tissues, forage fish, and marine invertebrates throughout Alaska waters, including in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, and Chukchi Sea. DA has been present less frequently in our samples. In most cases, STX concentrations measured in seabird tissues have been relatively low. We investigated the potential role of HAB toxins in a massive die-off of Common Murres in Alaska in 2015 and 2016 and detected STX in both die-off and healthy birds. However, starvation appeared to be the primary cause of death and the role of HAB toxins is unclear. To date, the highest concentrations of STX have been observed in Northern Fulmars in the Northern Bering Sea and Arctic Terns in Southeast Alaska. Although we don\u2019t know whether STX caused acute mortality in these birds, tissue concentrations were similar to those observed in other bird mortality events attributed to STX, suggesting potentially harmful effects. Within the seabirds we\u2019ve tested, STX has been present in multiple tissues, with the highest concentrations typically found in the gastrointestinal tract." }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "Because humans also consume marine organisms, and in some cases rely heavily on these resources for subsistence, economic, and cultural purposes, HABs have the potential to impact human health. Although our testing and diagnostic tools cannot evaluate food safety, results from seabird research help inform general patterns of HAB occurrence. Our results suggest that bird tissues other than the gastrointestinal tract typically have very low toxin concentrations. Like other recent studies, we have detected algal toxins in wildlife across large geographic areas in Alaska, suggesting that HABs should be considered for any harvesting efforts throughout the state." }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "See information in the tabs at the top of this page." } ], "funder": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Alaska Science Center", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/centers/alaska-science-center" }, "about": [ { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ecosystems" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Pacific Marine Heatwave" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Terrestrial Wildlife Diseases" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "starvation" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Energy" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "harmful algal blooms" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Environmental Health" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Geology" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Wildlife Disease" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Die-off" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arctic Tern" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Science Technology" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Northern Fulmar" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "HABS" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Methods and Analysis" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "diseases of wild birds" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "common murre" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Black-legged Kittiwakes" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Birds" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fish and Wildlife Disease" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Biology" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "horned puffin" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Water" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Information Systems" } ]
}
