This #MicroMonday, check out this algae from the genus Pseudo-nitzschia. It might not appear threatening, but this diatom has a secret that packs a punch.
More than 20 species within this genus are responsible for producing domoic acid (DA), which can have significant health effects, including on humans that eat contaminated seafood.
DA can enter the food web when it is consumed by filter feeders like mussels and then accumulates up in marine predators. When DA intoxicates “keystone” species, which play an outsized role in maintaining local biodiversity, it can have cascading consequences for all the animals around them.
For more information on how Bigelow Laboratory researchers are unraveling and quantifying the impact of DA on sea stars, visit: https://www.bigelow.org/news/articles/2025-08-28.html
