A coast-wide surveillance program that identifies algal toxin exposure in marine wildlife populations.
Algal toxin exposure can impact many marine mammals, including dolphins, whales, sea otters, and sea lions. WARRN-West is a coast-wide surveillance program that identifies algal toxin exposure in marine wildlife populations. We monitor for domoic acid (the toxin responsible for Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning) and saxitoxin (the most potent toxin of the Paralytic Shellfish Toxins).
The sampling network consists of federal, state, public, private, and academic partners and the major marine mammal stranding networks on the US West Coast. We test all species of marine mammals and make the results available in near real-time.
In a complementary study funded by ECOHAB, we use a biomedical model (zebrafish) to find biomarkers indicative of chronic disease caused by domoic acid exposure. This marriage of the biomedical model and field exposed sentinel species help us develop effective biomarkers of disease. We can use these biomarkers to assess “at-risk” human and wildlife populations.
Network partners include:
If you would like to submit marine mammal samples for testing, please contact Maryjean Willis via email: maryjean.l.willis@noaa.gov or phone: (206) 860-3315.
Sample collection instructions and submission forms:
*Submission forms are required for all samples.
NOAA’s Ocean and Human Health (OHH) Traineeship program
ECOHAB (Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms) program
NOAA’s Office of Protected Resources
Kathi Lefebvre, Marine Microbes and Toxins Program
Marine Microbes and Toxins Research in the Pacific Northwest
A NOAA aerial survey crew gathers in front of a NOAA Twin Otter aircraft during a stop in Astoria, Oregon in 2014. From left: Lt. Michael Sandor Silagi, Office of Marine and Aviation Operations; Joel Schumacher, Scott Benson, and Tomoharu Eguchi, Southwest Fisheries Science Center; Camryn Allen, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Dan Prosperi, Southwest Fisheries Science Center; and Lt. Shanae Coker, Office of Marine and Aviation Operations.
