Algae Blooms with Deadly Domoic Acid "They are Really Responsive to Iron."

UC Santa Cruz scientists find toxic algae in open ocean

Excerpts:

The scientists found toxin-producing algae almost everywhere they looked within open regions of the Pacific. The scientists also detected domoic acid, the toxin that the algae produces. The toxicity exploded whenever iron was added to the water, producing a population boom.

“They grew like a fury,” said UCSC ocean scientist Mary Silver, who designed the research. “They are really responsive to iron.”

Algae blooms visible from the moon grew during previous studies fertilizing open ocean waters with iron.

Using iron fertilization as a remedy for global warming would be dangerous.”

Domoic acid attacks the nervous system. During blooms, the algae that produces it become a dominant food for small fish and shellfish. Animals higher up in the food chain amass poisonous amounts of the toxin because the algae lodges in the guts of their prey.

“With high algae levels, fish pick them up,” said Silver. “With their stomachs loaded with cells, they can be quite toxic.”

Harmful algae blooms occur seasonally along California’s coast, leading to a ban on shellfish harvesting between May and November to protect public health. In humans, the toxin attacks the brain, producing confusion, memory loss and hallucinations.

Marine mammals with domoic acid poisoning rarely recover….Read more…mercurynews.com

~~~

A area in California was found to be toxic last week and put off limits to gatherings.

It has been said that The Corexit sprayed may have contained iron to speed the growth of the modified oil eating microbes. We know that many heavy metals came from the blown-out well, how much Iron did the well spew into the Gulf as well ?

EPA recent serious concern over Algae in the Gulf of Mexico has become front stage ! ???

Article here:

This is a serious environmental problem… EPA administrator says
By xdrfox (Bio|Stories) on Monday, November 15, 2010

UPDATE:

Posted: November 19, 2010  

 Scientists Use “ESP” to Track Harmful Algae