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Mortality of sea lions along the central California coast linked to a toxic diatom bloom

Nature volume 403, pages 80–84 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

Over 400 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) died and many others displayed signs of neurological dysfunction along the central California coast during May and June 1998. A bloom of Pseudo-nitzschia australis (diatom) was observed in the Monterey Bay region during the same period. This bloom was associated with production of domoic acid (DA), a neurotoxin1 that was also detected in planktivorous fish, including the northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), and in sea lion body fluids. These and other concurrent observations demonstrate the trophic transfer of DA resulting in marine mammal mortality. In contrast to fish, blue mussels (Mytilus edulus) collected during the DA outbreak contained no DA or only trace amounts. Such findings reveal that monitoring of mussel toxicity alone does not necessarily provide adequate warning of DA entering the food web at levels sufficient to harm marine wildlife and perhaps humans.

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Figure 1: Abundance of Pseudo-nitzschia species, DA activity in plankton and fish, and nutrient concentrations.
Figure 2: Satellite image of Monterey Bay, California, P. australis cell density and DA activity.
Figure 3: Histological sections of the anterior ventral hippocampus from normal and DA-poisoned California sea lions.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the many volunteers who assisted The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC), members of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Beach COMBERS programme, the crew of the RV Pt. Lobos, R. Kudela for providing the processed SeaWiFS image, and P. Walz for nutrient analyses. This work was supported in part by NOAA/NOS operational funds, NOAA Saltonstall-Kennedy grant programme, the many supporters of TMMC, and The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. All authors contributed equally to the work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 770 Sandholdt Rd, Moss Landing, 95039, California, USA

    Christopher A. Scholin, Francisco P. Chavez, Roman Marin III & Peter E. Miller

  2. The Marine Mammal Center, Marin Headlands, Sausalito, 94965, California, USA

    Frances Gulland & Martin Haulena

  3. Marine Biotoxins Program, NOAA/National Ocean Service, 219 Fort Johnson Rd, Charleston, 29412, South Carolina, USA

    Gregory J. Doucette, Mark Busman, Peter D. R. Moeller, Christine L. Powell & Frances M. Van Dolah

  4. Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, PO Box 450, Moss Landing, 95039, California, USA

    Scott Benson & James Harvey

  5. National Marine Fisheries Service, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4,200, Long Beach, 90802, California, USA

    Joe Cordaro

  6. National Marine Mammal Laboratory, 7,600 Sandpoint Way NE, Seattle, 98115, Washington, USA

    Robert DeLong

  7. Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, 299 Foam St., Monterey, 93940, California, USA

    Andrew De Vogelaere

  8. Institute of Marine Science, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, 95064, California, USA

    Kathi Lefebvre & Mary Silver

  9. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Veterinary Pathology, Washington, 20306, District of Columbia, USA

    Tom Lipscomb

  10. California Department of Health Services Food and Drug Branch, PO Box 942732 MS 357, Sacramento, 94234-7320, California, USA

    Susan Loscutoff

  11. Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, 95616, California, USA

    Linda J. Lowenstine & Paul Silvagni

  12. Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Willmington, 601 S. College Rd., Willmington, 28403, North Carolina, USA

    William A. McLellan

  13. National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, 20910, Maryland, USA

    Teri Rowles

  14. College of Veterinary Medicine, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, 80523, Colorado, USA

    Terry Spraker

  15. NOAA/NMFS/ECD, 2,725 Montlake Blvd., Seattle, 98112, Washington, USA

    Vera Trainer

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  1. Christopher A. Scholin
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Correspondence to Christopher A. Scholin.

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Scholin, C., Gulland, F., Doucette, G. et al. Mortality of sea lions along the central California coast linked to a toxic diatom bloom. Nature 403, 80–84 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/47481

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