Shellfish become contaminated after feeding on toxic Pseudo-nitzschia blooms and can act as a vector to transfer domoic acid to humans upon ingestion.
DA acts as a potent glutamate agonist and is responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning in humans.
Effects can be as minor as vomiting, cramps, and a headache, or as severe as permanent short-term memory loss, coma, and death.
So, monitoring systems and management practices for recreational and commercial fishing are important to ensure the health of marine animals and their predators.

Photosynthesis is essential for the production of domoic acid.
Periods of darkness or chemical inhibition of photosynthesis has been shown to inhibit toxin production.
Additionally, DA production peaks in the stationary phase of the growth cycle when cell division is slowed or absent.
Production is minimal or nonexistent during the exponential phase, and ceases completely during the death phase of the growth cycle.
Shellfish become contaminated after feeding on toxic Pseudo-nitzschia blooms and can act as a vector to transfer domoic acid to humans upon ingestion. DA acts as a potent glutamate agonist and is responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning in humans. Effects can be as minor as vomiting, cramps, and a headache, or as severe as permanent short-term memory loss, coma, and death. So, monitoring systems and management practices for recreational and commercial fishing are important to ensure the health of marine animals and their predators.
Photosynthesis is essential for the production of domoic acid. Periods of darkness or chemical inhibition of photosynthesis has been shown to inhibit toxin production. Additionally, DA production peaks in the stationary phase of the growth cycle when cell division is slowed or absent. Production is minimal or nonexistent during the exponential phase, and ceases completely during the death phase of the growth cycle.
Pseudo-nitzschia