Saxitoxin linked to deaths of northern fur seals in the Southeast Bering Sea.

Abstract

In August 2024, a northern fur seal mortality event was observed on St. Paul Island, AK in the southeast (SE) Bering Sea. Ten seals in good body condition were found dead along with large accumulations of dead fish on Benson Beach located on St. Paul Island. Full necropsies of the five available adult seals, one pup and several fish did not reveal any overt causes of death. Testing of tissues for the algal neurotoxins domoic acid (DA) and saxitoxin (STX) confirmed the presence of STX in multiple tissues and physiological exposure in all five adult NFS and the two fish available for testing. DA was not detected in any samples. Complimentary samples of the SE Bering Sea ecosystem during the same time frame and location as the die off revealed bloom densities of <i>Alexandrium catenella</i> (the dinoflagellate that produces STX), large <i>A. catenell</i>a cyst beds, and high prevalences of STX in fish (100%, <i>n</i> = 22), zooplankton (93%, <i>n</i> = 28), clams (100%, <i>n</i> = 10) and worms (93% <i>n</i> = 15) in the foraging area of NFS. High STX concentrations were observed in fish, clams, worms, and NFS urine providing compelling evidence for a STX poisoning event.