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Ice seals as sentinels for algal toxin presence in the Pacific Arctic and subarctic marine ecosystems |
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| Authors: | Alicia M. Hendrix Kathi A. Lefebvre Lori Quakenbush Anna Bryan Raphaela Stimmelmayr Gay Sheffield Gabriel Wisswaesser Maryjean L. Willis Emily K. Bowers Preston Kendrick Elizabeth Frame Thomas Burbacher David J. Marcinek |
| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington;2. Environmental and Fisheries Science Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington;3. Arctic Marine Mammal Program, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, Alaska Contribution: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing;4. North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management, Utqiaġvik, Alaska Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska Contribution: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing;5. Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Nome, Alaska Contribution: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing;6. Environmental and Fisheries Science Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington Contribution: Data curation, Investigation, Writing - review & editing;7. Environmental and Fisheries Science Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington Contribution: Data curation, Writing - review & editing;8. Environmental and Fisheries Science Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington Contribution: Data curation, Investigation, Visualization, Writing - review & editing;9. Departments of Radiology and Pathology and Bioengineering, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, Washington Contribution: Data curation, Investigation, Writing - review & editing;10. Aquatic Toxicology Unit, King County Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, Washington Contribution: Data curation, Investigation, Writing - review & editing;11. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington Contribution: Funding acquisition, Supervision, Writing - review & editing;12. Departments of Radiology and Pathology and Bioengineering, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, Washington Contribution: Funding acquisition, Supervision, Writing - review & editing |
| Abstract: | Domoic acid (DA) and saxitoxin (STX)-producing algae are present in Alaskan seas, presenting exposure risks to marine mammals that may be increasing due to climate change. To investigate potential increases in exposure risks to four pagophilic ice seal species (Erignathus barbatus, bearded seals; Pusa hispida, ringed seals; Phoca largha, spotted seals; and Histriophoca fasciata, ribbon seals), this study analyzed samples from 998 seals harvested for subsistence purposes in western and northern Alaska during 2005–2019 for DA and STX. Both toxins were detected in bearded, ringed, and spotted seals, though no clinical signs of acute neurotoxicity were reported in harvested seals. Bearded seals had the highest prevalence of each toxin, followed by ringed seals. Bearded seal stomach content samples from the Bering Sea showed a significant increase in DA prevalence with time (logistic regression, p = .004). These findings are consistent with predicted northward expansion of DA-producing algae. A comparison of paired samples taken from the stomachs and colons of 15 seals found that colon content consistently had higher concentrations of both toxins. Collectively, these results suggest that ice seals, particularly bearded seals (benthic foraging specialists), are suitable sentinels for monitoring HAB prevalence in the Pacific Arctic and subarctic. |
| Keywords: | domoic acid exposure risks harmful algal blooms marine mammals saxitoxin |