Rapid Downward Transport of the Neurotoxin Domoic Acid in Coastal Waters

Author(s)

Emily Sekula-Wood, University of South Carolina - Columbia
Astrid Schnetzer, University of Southern California
Claudia R. Benitez-Nelson, University of South Carolina - ColumbiaFollow
Clarissa Anderson, University of California, Santa Cruz
William M. Berelson, University of Southern California
Mark A. Brzezinski, University of California, Santa Barbara
Justina M. Burns, University of South Carolina - ColumbiaFollow
David A. Caron, University of Southern California
Ivona Cetinic, University of Southern California
John L. Ferry, University of South Carolina - ColumbiaFollow
Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, University of Southern California
Burton H. Jones, University of Southern California
Peter E. Miller, University of California, Santa Cruz
Steve L. Morton, NOAA/NOS Marine Biotoxin Program, Charleston, South Carolina
Rebecca A. Schaffner, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, California
David A. Siegel, University of California, Santa Barbara
Robert Thunell, University of South Carolina - Columbia

Document Type

Article

Subject Area(s)

Chemistry

Abstract

Toxic phytoplankton blooms threaten coastlines worldwide by diminishing beach quality and adversely affecting marine ecosystems and human health1,2 . The common diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia consists of several species known to produce the neurotoxin domoic acid3 . Recent studies suggest that algal blooms dominated by Pseudo-nitzschia are increasing in frequency and duration owing to changes in coastal nutrient regimes1,4,5 . However, few studies have examined the persistence or long-term biogeochemical cycling of domoic acid in marine waters6–8 . Here, we measure the concentration of domoic acid in surface waters and sediment traps—up to 800 m in depth—off the coast of Southern California. We show that peaks in Pseudo-nitzschia abundance and domoic acid concentrations in surface waters coincide with peaks in diatom and toxin abundance at depth, suggesting rapid downward transport of the toxin. In some cases, the sinking particles contain over five times the United States federal limit of domoic acid. Detection of domoic acid in bottom sediments indicates that the toxin may persist long after the Pseudo-nitzschia blooms. Our results indicate that vertical fluxes of domoic acid are a substantial source of the toxin to deep-ocean food webs, and could explain high levels of domoic acid previously observed in benthic organisms9,10 .

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo472

Publication Info

Published in Nature Geoscience, Volume 2, Issue 4, 2009, pages 272-275.

Rights

Sekula-Wood E, Schnetzer A, Benitez-Nelson CR, Anderson C, Berelson WM, Brzezinski MA, Burns JM, Caron DA, Cetinic I, Ferry JL, Fitzpatrick E, Jones BH, Miller PE, Morton SL, Schaffner RA, Siegel DA, Thunnel R. (2009). Rapid downward transport of the neurotoxin domoic acid in coastal waters.Nature Geoscience, 2(4), 272-275. doi:10.1038/ngeo472

APA Citation

Sekula-Wood, E., Schnetzer, A., Benitez-Nelson, C., Anderson, C., Berelson, W., Brzezinski, M., Burns, J., Caron, D., Cetinic, I., Ferry, J., Fitzpatrick, E., Jones, B., Miller, P., Morton, S., Schaffner, R., Siegal, D., & Thunell, R. (2009). Rapid Downward Transport of the Neurotoxin Domoic Acid in Coastal Waters. Nature Geoscience, 2(4), 272–275. https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo472