Presentation Abstract
The Salish Sea is home to numerous shellfish species which are harvested for commercial, recreational, subsistence, and cultural uses. Shellfish bioaccumulate biotoxins which can cause harm to human health. Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) and Alexandrium spp., the marine phytoplankton that produce them, are regularly present in the Salish Sea, with the earliest written record from 1793. Indigenous people have experienced the effects of PSTs and other biotoxins for millennia. Traditional Indigenous knowledge and practices used to reduce biotoxin exposure include seasonal timing of harvest, observation of wildlife, and shellfish preparation methods. To further reduce the risk of shellfish poisoning, Coast Salish People traditionally prepare butter clams (Saxidomus gigantea) by cutting off the tip of the siphon and cleaning out the stomach of the clam before eating. Scientific literature also indicates that PSTs are more likely to be sequestered in the tip of the siphon for butter clams. In June 2016, butter clams were dug from Birch Bay State Park, WA during a Washington Department of Ecology PST closure of this area, and tested for PSTs using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. The clams were positive for PSTs, and a water sample from nearby Gooseberry Point, Lummi Nation had Alexandrium cells. Some clams were analyzed for PSTs by homogenization of the whole clam, while others were split into siphon tip, stomach contents/gills, foot, neck, and the rest of the clam to identify if removal of the siphon tip and cleaning of the stomach reduces human exposure to PSTs. We will present the distribution of PSTs in toxic butter clams, and compare the whole clams to the clams prepared with traditional cleaning.
Session Title
Harmful Phytoplankton in the Salish Sea: Part I
Keywords
Paralytic shellfish poison, Butter clam
Conference Track
SSE5: Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation, and Research
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE5-467
Start Date
4-4-2018 2:15 PM
End Date
4-4-2018 2:30 PM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Clams--Toxicology--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Testing; Seafood poisoning--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Prevention; Shellfish as food--Contamination--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Health risk assessment--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Subjects – Names (LCNAF)
Washington (State). Department of Ecology
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Distribution of paralytic shellfish toxins in whole and partial butter clams and comparison to traditional preparation methods
The Salish Sea is home to numerous shellfish species which are harvested for commercial, recreational, subsistence, and cultural uses. Shellfish bioaccumulate biotoxins which can cause harm to human health. Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) and Alexandrium spp., the marine phytoplankton that produce them, are regularly present in the Salish Sea, with the earliest written record from 1793. Indigenous people have experienced the effects of PSTs and other biotoxins for millennia. Traditional Indigenous knowledge and practices used to reduce biotoxin exposure include seasonal timing of harvest, observation of wildlife, and shellfish preparation methods. To further reduce the risk of shellfish poisoning, Coast Salish People traditionally prepare butter clams (Saxidomus gigantea) by cutting off the tip of the siphon and cleaning out the stomach of the clam before eating. Scientific literature also indicates that PSTs are more likely to be sequestered in the tip of the siphon for butter clams. In June 2016, butter clams were dug from Birch Bay State Park, WA during a Washington Department of Ecology PST closure of this area, and tested for PSTs using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. The clams were positive for PSTs, and a water sample from nearby Gooseberry Point, Lummi Nation had Alexandrium cells. Some clams were analyzed for PSTs by homogenization of the whole clam, while others were split into siphon tip, stomach contents/gills, foot, neck, and the rest of the clam to identify if removal of the siphon tip and cleaning of the stomach reduces human exposure to PSTs. We will present the distribution of PSTs in toxic butter clams, and compare the whole clams to the clams prepared with traditional cleaning.
