Temporal and spatial distribution of Azadinium spp. in the Salish Sea
Presentation Abstract
Azaspiracids, produced by species of dinoflagellate genera Azadinium and Amphidoma, can cause a syndrome in humans called azaspiracid shellfish poisoning. In 1995, mussels from the Irish west coast contaminated with azaspiracids were first linked to this human illness that causes symptoms of nausea, vomiting, severe diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Similar symptoms reported by consumers of Puget Sound shellfish with no detectable diarrhetic shellfish toxins or Vibrio contamination motivated our study of the distribution of Azadinium species in Washington State. During the summer months of 2014-2017, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis using probes specific to species of Azadinium from the North Sea detected the presence of Azadinium poporum, A. spinosum, and A. obesum in Puget Sound and on the outer coast of Washington State. In 2016 and 2017, standard curves developed using Azadinium isolates from Puget Sound (A. poporum) and the North Sea (A. spinosum and A. obesum) were used to quantify concentrations of up to 410, 250 and 150 cells/L of A. poporum, A. obesum, and A. spinosum, respectively. In some samples where these three species were not detected, an Amphidomataceae specific qPCR assay indicated that other species of Azadinium or Amphidoma were present. Further work is needed to isolate these species of Azadinium and/or Amphidoma and develop qPCR probes for their detection and quantification. The identification of Azadinium species in the Salish Sea region demonstrates the need to assess their toxicity and to incorporate their routine detection in monitoring programs.
Session Title
Harmful Phytoplankton in the Salish Sea: Part II
Conference Track
SSE5: Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation, and Research
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE5-161
Start Date
4-4-2018 3:45 PM
End Date
4-4-2018 4:00 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)
Poisonous shellfish--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Dinoflagellates--Detection--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
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
Temporal and spatial distribution of Azadinium spp. in the Salish Sea
Azaspiracids, produced by species of dinoflagellate genera Azadinium and Amphidoma, can cause a syndrome in humans called azaspiracid shellfish poisoning. In 1995, mussels from the Irish west coast contaminated with azaspiracids were first linked to this human illness that causes symptoms of nausea, vomiting, severe diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Similar symptoms reported by consumers of Puget Sound shellfish with no detectable diarrhetic shellfish toxins or Vibrio contamination motivated our study of the distribution of Azadinium species in Washington State. During the summer months of 2014-2017, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis using probes specific to species of Azadinium from the North Sea detected the presence of Azadinium poporum, A. spinosum, and A. obesum in Puget Sound and on the outer coast of Washington State. In 2016 and 2017, standard curves developed using Azadinium isolates from Puget Sound (A. poporum) and the North Sea (A. spinosum and A. obesum) were used to quantify concentrations of up to 410, 250 and 150 cells/L of A. poporum, A. obesum, and A. spinosum, respectively. In some samples where these three species were not detected, an Amphidomataceae specific qPCR assay indicated that other species of Azadinium or Amphidoma were present. Further work is needed to isolate these species of Azadinium and/or Amphidoma and develop qPCR probes for their detection and quantification. The identification of Azadinium species in the Salish Sea region demonstrates the need to assess their toxicity and to incorporate their routine detection in monitoring programs.
