Hi Howard

See if anyone beats me to this. With regards to your question, yes the
dinoflagellates and some diatoms produce potent neurotoxins which if
eaten through the food web, can take out a marine mammal or a person.
Most often the vector for humans is shellfish, but there have been cases
of toxins in fish livers which could explain the ceteacean mortalities.
Paralytic toxins can paralyze breating and the animals would asphixiate
and drown, or beach.

Consultant Scientist
Institute of Environmental Science
& Research Limited
Communicable Disease Centre
Kenepuru Drive
PO Box 50-348
Porirua
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-4) 237-0149
Facsimile (64-4) 237-2370
E-mail [log in to unmask]


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From:  Academic forum on fisheries ecology and related
topics[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:  Wednesday, 30 April 1997 17:06
To:  FISH-ECOLOGY
Subject:  dolphin deaths in the Gulf of California

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I find the reports of dolphin deaths due to toxic algae rather
surprising.
My understanding was that red tides (toxic dinoflagelates) stress marine
ecosystems by depleting the oxygen in the water.  If so, I can understand
the stress on invertebrates and fishes, but how does this relate to
mammals?  Does anyone have any information on direct toxicity to the
algae?
Howard Teas