Here we show that fish and seagrass can accumulate high concentrations of brevetoxins and that these have acted as toxin vectors during recent deaths of dolphins and manatees, respectively. Our results challenge claims that the deleterious effects of a brevetoxin on fish (ichthyotoxicity) preclude its accumulation in live fish, and they reveal a new vector mechanism for brevetoxin spread through food webs that poses a threat to upper trophic levels.
This manuscript is an author version with the final publication available at http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v435/n7043/full/nature435755a.html and may be cited as: Flewelling, L. J., Naar, J. P., Abbott, J. P., Baden, D. G., Barros, N. B., Bossart, G. D., Bottein, M-Y. D., Hammond, D. G., Haubold, E. M., Heil, C. A., Henry, M. S., Jacocks, H. M., Leighfield, T. A., Pierce, R. H., Pitchford, T. D., Rommel, S. A., Scott, P. S., Steidinger, K. A., Truby, E. W., Van Dolah, F. M., & Landsberg, J. H. (2005). Red tide and marine mammal mortalities. Nature 435(7043), 755-756. doi:10.1038/nature435755a
Florida Atlantic University. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute contribution #1602.