A potent neurotoxin, called domoic acid, continues to affect the marine food web, as per reports. Last year, the neurotoxin was found causing longest-lasting algal bloom. Experts are baffled because months have passed, but the domoic acid is still persisting in Dungeness crab.

Now, UC Santa Cruz Professor Raphael Kudela has come up with an explanation on neurotoxin's effect on Dungeness crab. The professor of Ocean Science explained how it all happened and what to expect next.

The duration of the bloom in 2015 and its intensity of the toxicity were unprecedented, said Kudela. “It led to record levels of the toxin in species such as anchovies, razor clams, and crabs. We also saw the toxin in organisms and parts of organisms where we thought it was not supposed to be, like the filets of fish”, the professor added.

Microscopic algae generally found in coastal waters are responsible for the Domoic acid. The toxic algae’s blooms occurred along the California coast in spring and last few weeks of 2015. This time, an oceanographic condition caused the largest bloom ever recorded by experts.

According to Kudela, the longest-ever recorded bloom must be the reason behind toxin in sediments on the seafloor, which tells why Dungeness crabs have high levels of toxin. It is known that the crabs feed on the seafloor, and what they eat must have held the harmful toxin for many weeks, Kudela said.

The UCSC professor also said now scientists have an understanding of the factors that are responsible for the toxic blooms, which is good news. According to Kudela, he and his colleagues in his lab have generated a forecasting model that is capable of predicting where and when domoic acid can cause problems.