Summary "Some species of algae in the bloom-part of a group called Pseudo-nitzschia, produce a toxin known as domoic acid,which can harm or even kill seabirds, mammals and humans.There's still a lot about the algae bloom that scientists don't understand- but some of what they have learned has them concerned."-Ferris
A toxic algae is blooming off the West Coast of North America, from the Monterey Bay off the central coast of California all the way up to to the Aleutian Islands in the southern region of Alaska. This algae is very toxic to marine life and humans. Scientist first believed that the domoic acid was water soluble but recent discoveries show that the algae is not. This algae will cost millions of dollars to local businesses.One example of businesses closing up is in Washington state is the Dungeness crab fishery, which closed after losing millions of dollars in the crab fishing industry. There are concerns that this algae will be making its way into the food web: "Plankton is a major food source for many varieties of small fish and shellfish.Seabirds, larger fish and even mammals accumulate the toxin when they eat shellfish or small plankton-eating fish, such as anchovies and sardines."-Ferris. But not to worry, seafood lovers, because Vera Trainer, manager of the marine biotoxin program at NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center, said that the store-bought seafood is still safe to eat, because it is regulated and sourced from unaffected areas. The real threat is eating the fish that are locally caught. The algae has brought trouble to the crab fishing industry. The state fish and wildlife management agencies have closed off fisheries affected by the bloom, resulting in millions of dollars of loss for the local economies. The Washington state crabbing industry is worth eighty-four million dollars, and this amount does not include the revenue from canning, transportation, retail and the other industries that serve crab fishing. The crab industry is not the only industry being affected. |
My Reflection |
The reason I chose this article is because I love the ocean, and I like learning about the ocean. This article makes me sad, because there is an algae that is toxic to marine life and poses a threat to both the ocean and the human population.The most interesting part is that the author focuses on how the crab fishing industry will be losing millions of dollars.This part is interesting to me because it demonstrates how we need other species to be economically stable.
This article is very interesting and informative. I would recommend people to not eat fish that are locally caught. I would also recommend people to read this article for more details. This article is very recent, and it explains what problems the toxic algae is causing and who is threatened by it. Immediately affected are the fish, and then the seabirds and mammals (including us) that eat those mammals. I personally don’t like fish anyway, so as long the shrimp are safe and far away from the toxic algae, I will be enjoying my shrimp cocktails. |