LISTEN: Toxic algae emerges as possible suspect in some Alaska animal die-offs

Melissa Good with UAF Alaska Sea Grant points out domoic acid-generating “pseudo nitzschia” algae.

As marine biologists piece together animal die-offs along Alaska’s coasts, including hundreds of thousands of birds and hundreds of ocean-going mammals, there have been some surprises.

A possible emerging, contributing factor that researchers are looking at is toxic algae, blooming farther north.

Seattle Times reporter Hal Bernton with the Pulitzer Center’s Connected Coastlines reporting initiative has recently written about the fact that researchers are now seeing toxins from the algae in animal carcasses.

LISTEN HERE:

Casey Grove is host of Alaska News Nightly, a general assignment reporter and an editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach him at cgrove@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Casey here

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