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Friday, February 20, 2009

Chow / Enviro Science Finds Swirling Vortex of Poison off Washington Coast

Posted by on Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 4:55 PM

Take it away, NOAA:

A new study funded by NOAA and the National Science Foundation reveals that a part of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which separates Washington state from Canada’s British Columbia, is a potential “hot spot” for toxic harmful algal blooms affecting the Washington and British Columbia coasts.

Scientists concluded that under certain conditions, toxic algal cells from this offshore “initiation site” break off and are transported to nearshore areas, where they can trigger blooms that can ultimately force the closure of Washington state shellfish beds on beaches.

Students, scientists, and other seafaring dorks have been measuring toxic algae content all over the place and found "a circular water mass rotating approximately 30 miles off the northern coast of Washington" that is full of bad news.

It's infested with Pseudo-nitzschia, which makes domoic acid, which concentrates in sardines and shellfish and kills pelicans.

On June 22, 2006, a California brown pelican, possibly under the influence of domoic acid, flew through the windshield of a car on the Pacific Coast Highway. The acid is found in the local seas.

Domoic acid poisoning, says Wikipedia, might also have caused the 1961 bird freak-out in which thousands of "frantic seabirds" invaded Santa Cruz, California. Which inspired this:


Domoic acid also causes amnesia and death in humans by turning calcium into your worst enemy:

In the brain, domoic acid especially damages the hippocampus and amygdaloid nucleus. It damages the neurons by activating AMPA and kainate receptors, causing an influx of calcium. Although calcium flowing into cells is a normal event, the uncontrolled increase of calcium causes the cell to degenerate.

Freezing or cooking does not lessen the toxicity.

4258/1235175980-washington_sea_2004275.jpg

Photo of toxic algae death-tides courtesy of NASA.

 

Comments (13) RSS

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1
The Birds in 90 seconds and it's 1.23 minutes long? No wonder there is a toxic algae bloom off the coast. No one knows how to count anymore.
Posted by Sargon Bighorn on February 20, 2009 at 5:06 PM
2
Want to get high?
Posted by Will in Seattle on February 20, 2009 at 5:17 PM
3
I say we nuke it from space. It's the only way to be sure.
Posted by eclexia on February 20, 2009 at 5:26 PM
4
I kept reading it as "demonic" acid. (I think I had that trip in high school). I prefer my way.
Posted by rara avis on February 20, 2009 at 5:31 PM
5
oooooohhh!
pretty colors!
Posted by ! on February 20, 2009 at 7:42 PM
6
The birds in 5 seconds:

Alfred Hitchcock: I love blonde actresses, be in my movie at all costs.

Tippi Hedren: Ok, but I will never kiss you.

Alfred Hitchcock: I will pout all the way through then.

Tippi Hedren: I will now have a daughter who will marry a man who plays a Miami cop. She will have lego-surgery to take fat from her legs and use it for her face.

Alfred Hitchcock: The end.
Posted by 5s on February 20, 2009 at 8:30 PM
7
Can't they use all of those plastic bags from the big toxic grocery bag death tide vortex to just scoop it all up?
Posted by 1Timothy523 on February 20, 2009 at 9:27 PM
8
On a serious note - any connection to the highest cases of MS in Washington related to this in any way???
Posted by flinga on February 20, 2009 at 11:51 PM
9
Wow, that's really scary.
I wish there was a history brush for the Olympic Peninsula.
I grew up on the Bogachiel River and I have creepy dreams about it nearly every night.
Posted by sD on February 21, 2009 at 12:20 AM
10
Oh man, I'm doing my next nursing school project on this.
Posted by kuribo on February 21, 2009 at 6:02 AM
11


Blah, blah, blah, algae, blah
Posted by formanoreasta on February 21, 2009 at 8:19 AM
12
Wow. Every day the evidence mounts that the Earth would be way better off without humans screwing it up! :( Sorry Earth. :(
Posted by KristinBellKittySadEarthFace:( on February 21, 2009 at 9:27 PM
13
how are we going to push this over to Canada?
Posted by flailaholic on June 22, 2010 at 11:16 AM

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