Saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin bioavailability increases in future oceans
2019
Increasing atmospheric CO2 levels are largely absorbed by the ocean, decreasing surface water pH1. In combination with increasing ocean temperatures, these changes have been identified as a major sustainability threat to future marine life2. Interactions between marine organisms are known to depend on
biomolecules, although the influence of oceanic pH on their bioavailability and functionality remains unexplored. Here we show that global change substantially impacts two ecological keystone molecules3 in the ocean, the paralytic
neurotoxins
saxitoxinand
tetrodotoxin. Increasing temperatures and declining pH increase the abundance of their toxic forms in the water. Our geospatial global model predicts where this increased toxicity could intensify the devastating impact of harmful
algal blooms, for example through an increased incidence of
paralytic shellfish poisoning. Calculations of future
saxitoxintoxicity levels in Alaskan clams,
Saxidomus
gigantea, show critical exceedance of limits safe for consumption. Our findings for
saxitoxinand
tetrodotoxinexemplify potential consequences of changing pH and temperature on chemicals dissolved in the sea. This reveals major implications not only for
ecotoxicology, but also for chemical signals that mediate species interactions such as foraging, reproduction or predation in the ocean, with unexplored consequences for ecosystem stability and ecosystem services. Ocean warming and acidification will affect the structure and bioavailability of
biomolecules. The toxic form of two
neurotoxinswill increase with climate change, presenting an
ecotoxicologyrisk with global hotspots as exemplified by
saxitoxintoxicity in Alaskan butter clam.
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