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The days are getting shorter, the pumpkin pumpkin pumpkins have arrived and once again, it's time to do the other fall ritual in the Bay Area: worry about toxin levels in local sleeping crabs .
While the state's dormant crab season is scheduled for Nov. 3 and the commercial season for Nov. 15, the California Department of Public Health has released preliminary results of the Dungeness Crab tests for the ################################################################# 39, domoic acid, the neurotoxin causing delays in two of the last three years. Crab seasons in the Bay Area.
To date, high concentrations of domoic acid have been found in five dormant crabs collected in Bodega Bay and Trinidad (Humboldt County) in late September and early June. October, the most recent data available. The San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Monterey and Morro Bay areas were clean during this round of trials. The tests will continue in the coming days and weeks.
"The California Department of Public Health is monitoring domoic acid levels to ensure consumers a safe food product," said Corey Egel of the department's Public Affairs Office. "At this time, it is too early to determine whether reported levels could have any impact on the commercial or recreational season for sleeping crab."
In Oregon, the recreational crab fishery was closed on October 15 due to domoic acid after state officials found high levels during testing. It remains closed from the California border north until Cape Blanc.
Domoic acid is a byproduct of the proliferation of algae that forms when the ocean temperature is warmer and can cause disease or even death in marine animals and animals. humans. Although common in summer and early autumn, flowers usually dissipate when the Dungeness crab season begins in November. In recent years, however, climate change and El Niño conditions have led to an increase in sea surface temperature in winter, as well as domoic acid. The California Department of Public Health defines high levels of domoic acid above the federal threshold of 30 parts per million.
"Yes, the tests revealed hot anomalies along the north coast and we saw domoic acid rising in Humboldt Bay, but not in Monterey Bay. So we're developing some localized hot spots, "said Raphael Kudela, a specialist in algal blooms. and Lynn Professor of Ocean Health at UC Santa Cruz, by email. "But we are not expecting big hot anomalies this year."
Nevertheless, oceanographers are monitoring conditions that could ensure that warmer ocean temperatures continue this winter, such as developing a drop – like feature off the coast of the United States. ;Alaska. The hot water concentration caused by high pressure is similar to that which occurred off the coast of California from 2013 to 2015 and that many believed to be a factor causing drought in California.
In addition, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced a 70-75% probability of El Niño formation this winter. The warming of the water temperature during the El Niño system that began in 2014 resulted in delays in the 2015-2016 crab season as well as the collapse of the sardine population.
Other parts of the California coast have shown signs of unusual heat over the last few months. In August, the hottest temperatures of all time were reported in San Diego. Last week, biologists reported a growing epidemic of bacterial infection in California sea lions, due in part to rising sea-surface temperatures.
The State Department of Public Health is testing the domoic acid level in the California Dock Crab every two weeks. The tests must be clean for two weeks before the crab in this area is determined to eat safely. During the 2017 calendar year, 47 million dollars of Dungeness Crab were landed in California.
Tara Duggan is a writer at the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @taraduggan
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