CC0 - Vicki Beaver, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA FIsheries, Marine Mammal Permit#14245
CC0 - Vicki Beaver, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA FIsheries, Marine Mammal Permit#14245

Whale poo shows rising ocean temperatures linked to more algal bloom toxins entering the food chain

Embargoed until: Publicly released:
Peer-reviewed: This work was reviewed and scrutinised by relevant independent experts.

Poo samples from Bowhead whales, collected over 20 years in the Arctic, have revealled a link between rising ocean temperatures and increasing algal bloom toxins entering the food chain. The researchers measured toxins in poo samples from 205 bowhead whales from the Beaufort Sea, collected over 19 years and found that algal toxin concentrations changed with ocean temperatures, the amount of water that was ice-free, wind speed and atmospheric pressure. Higher toxin levels were linked with increased ocean warming and reduced sea ice extent. This finding suggests that more toxins are entering the food chain, affecting marine animals, and potentially humans who rely on marine resources for food, the authors conclude.

Journal/conference: Nature

Research: Paper

Organisation/s: NOAA Fisheries, USA

Funder: Research funding included: NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science ECOHAB grant no. NA20NOS4780195 (K.A.L. and D.M.A.), NIEHS R01 ES021930 (K.A.L.) and P01-ES028938-01 (D.M.A.), NSF R01s OCE-1314088 (K.A.L.) and OCE-1840381 (D.M.A.), NSF Office of Polar Programs grant no. OPP-1823002 (D.M.A.) and National Natural Science Foundation of China grant nos 42306251 and 42476262, National Key R&D Program of China 2024YFC2813202 and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (P.L.).

Media release

From: Springer Nature

Climate change: Whale faeces record warming-related toxic algal blooms

A link between increasing algal bloom toxins entering the food chain and rising ocean temperatures is detected in an analysis of bowhead whale faeces reported in Nature this week. The findings, based on nearly 20 years of data from the Arctic, may improve understanding of how warming oceans increase the algal toxin concentrations, which could threaten food security for native communities.

Over the past 20 years, the Arctic has experienced ocean warming and sea ice loss, which have changed the marine environment. Such changes may provide favourable growing conditions for harmful algal blooms, which produce toxins that can have detrimental effects for wildlife and humans. However, there are limited data on how exposure to these harmful toxins may be changing in the Arctic.

An assessment of the algal toxin presence in Arctic food webs through a detailed quantification of toxins in bowel samples from 205 bowhead whales from the Beaufort Sea, collected over 19 years, is presented by Kathi Lefebvre and colleagues. They find that algal toxin concentrations were strongly correlated with ocean temperature changes, as well as open water area (how much water is ice-free), wind speed and atmospheric pressure. Higher toxin levels were associated with increased ocean warming and reduced sea ice extent. This finding suggests that more toxins are entering the food chain, affecting marine animals, and potentially humans who rely on marine resources for food, the authors conclude. They recommend ongoing monitoring for harmful algal toxic bloom exposure in marine animals to protect Arctic communities that depend on these resources for food.

***

Springer Nature is committed to boosting the visibility of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and relevant information and evidence published in our journals and books. The research described in this press release pertains to SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water). More information can be found here

Attachments:

Note: Not all attachments are visible to the general public

  •  Research
    Springer Nature
    Web page
    Please link to the article in online versions of your report (the URL will go live after the embargo ends).

News for:

International

Media contact details for this story are only visible to registered journalists.