High levels of toxins in clams follows rapid warmup in Gulf of Alaska waters - Alaska Public Media

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Tests of razor clams gathered from Chignik Lagoon found levels of saxitoxin — the toxin that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning — nearly eight times the limit for safe consumption, according to testing arranged by the Knik Tribal Council.

Also gathered there and likely to have high levels of saxitoxin were butter clams, a species known for holding the toxins for extended time periods – and also an important food source for The high toxin reading coincided with a quick warmup of Gulf of Alaska waters, said Bruce Wright, senior scientist with the Knik Tribal Council., needs some warmth to bloom, Wright said. “Alexandrium blooms can take off when you have sea surface temperatures that are about 8 degrees Celsius,” or 46.

Wright has studied and monitored algal toxins for several years. He is a former University of Alaska professor, NOAA scientist and senior scientist for the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association. Now in his scientific role with the Knik Tribal Council, he coordinates the “I always want people to not eat the subsistence clams or mussels unless they’re sent in a sample for testing,” Wright said.

Along with monitoring shellfish safety, Wright is focusing this year on a related subject: the levels of algal toxins being encountered by salmon, a subject just starting to be Of particular concern are king salmon and silver salmon, which feed on sand lance, a type of fish known to absorb algal toxins. “Sand lance is a forage fish that moves the toxins through the food web,” he said.

 

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