BIOTOXIN PROGRAM 2020 OVERVIEW Washington State Department of Health

Outline

 Marine Biotoxins  DOH Marine Biotoxin Monitoring Program  2020 Biotoxin Season  Safe Shellfish Resources Phytoplankton

Good o Oxygen Production o Carbon Sink o Primary producers

Bad: Harmful Algal Blooms o Eutrophication o Ugly o Mechanical o Toxins

Speakupforblue.com WA Marine Biotoxin Program B= Paralytic Shellfish Diarrhetic Shellfish Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) Poisoning (DSP) Poisoning (ASP)

BarryOdell Barry

Caused by Dinoflagellate Dinoflagellate Diatom Alexandrium spp. Dinophysis spp. Pseudo-nitzschia spp. Toxin Saxitoxin Okadaic Acid Domoic Acid Monitoring 1957 2012 1991 Samples/year ~3000 tests/year ~2500 tests/year ~2000 tests/year Action Level ≥80 µg/100g tissue ≥16 µg/100g tissue ≥20 ppm in tissue 5 Why do we care?

Shellfish are Humans consume filter feeders shellfish

WA State DOH | 6 Cooking/Freezing Shellfish DOES NOT Eliminate Biotoxins

WA State DOH | 7 Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP or “red tide”) Action Level: >80 µg/100 g  Typical symptom onset 30 minutes

 Gastrointestinal • Vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain  Neurological • Tingling • Numbness • Muscular paralysis or coordination loss • Death (as quick as 15 minutes) 9 Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP or okadaic acid/DTXs) Action Level: >16 µg/100 g

Symptoms: Onset 30 minutes to a few hours

Gastrointestinal • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, and abdominal pain • Complete recovery within 3-4 days

 Long-term concern • DSP toxins have been shown to be tumor promoting Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP or domoic acid) Action Level: >20 ppm

 Symptoms: Onset 24 – 48 hours

 Gastrointestinal symptoms (within 24 hours) • Vomiting, Abdominal Cramps, Diarrhea, Nausea

 Neurological Symptoms (within 48 hours) • Headache, Dizziness, Disorientation • Short term memory loss • Seizures, Coma • Death Domoic Acid Sea Lion 2019 Brief History of PNW Biotoxins

 1793 - CPT. Vancouver records PSP death in B.C.

 1930 - Initial PSP testing in Washington

 1942 - PSP 3 deaths in Washington

 1957 - PSP outbreak in British Columbia

 1978 - Widespread PSP toxicity in Washington

 1988 - First PSP closure in South Puget Sound

 1991 - Domoic Acid detected on West Coast of U.S. 25 Ill

 2003 - First Domoic Acid closure in Puget Sound

 2011 – First DSP illnesses/closure in Washington The Public Health Mission

 To Prevent Illness and Disease Outbreaks

 Public Health is First and Foremost a Preventative Program

 Damage Control After the Fact is not a Preferred Public Health Principle Biotoxin Program

Monitor Marine Biotoxins in Washington Regulate Shellfish Industry Resources for Safe Shellfish Harvesting How do we protect our communities from biotoxins?

Activerain.com WA State DOH | 16 Regulatory Partnerships

Our Public Health Lab State and federal agencies (FDA & NOAA) Tribes Local health Shellfish industry Volunteers

Landoncook.com Biotoxin Program

Monitoring Sites 110 + sites in Washington • 42 sampled year round • 68 sampled seasonally Coordinated effort Sampled bi-weekly Weekly when toxins are detected 2020 Jefferson County Sample Sites

Bay View State Park

Jefferson County

PSRF

Other

Commercial Shellfish Tissue Monitoring Sentinel Species – 50 gal/day Prevent illness or death Regulate shellfish industry − Molluscan shellfish: − clams − oysters − mussels − geoducks − scallops 3,180 Total Samples

A wild Year! Shellfish Tissue Monitoring Collect and Ship

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WA State DOH | 22 Shellfish Tissue Testing: PHL

WA State DOH | 23 Results

Action Levels: FDA PSP:≥ 80µg/100g DSP:≥ 16µg/100g ASP:≥ 20 ppm

WA State DOH | 24 Notification of Biotoxin Results

CLOSURE: Sample result is ≥ the action level  Contact Local Health Partners • Signs/News Release  Contact Industry/Tribes Harvesting: • Test/Hold  Update Shellfish Safety Map and Hotline

WA State DOH | 25 Notification of Biotoxin Results

OPEN: Results from two samples one week apart < the action level • toxin levels not increasing  Contact Local Health Partners/Harvesters • Signs  Update Shellfish Safety Map and Hotline

WA State DOH | 26 Phytoplankton Monitoring

 Established in 1999  Established in 2006  pDA, dDA & Chl  Modeled after testing ORHAB  Coastal  Puget Sound Phytoplankton Monitoring Early Warning Map System

WA State DOH | 28 2020 PSP o 23 Commercial Closures • 9 Geoduck • 14 General o 22 Recreational Closures o 2,786 Samples Analyzed • 280 samples ≥ 80µg PSP toxins • 13 samples ≥ 1000µg PSP toxins • 3,498µg in blue mussels from Squalicum Harbor, Whatcom County 8/10/20

WA State DOH | 29 2020 PSP 2017Closures PSP Closures Bellingham Bay Blue Mussels 8/10/20: 3,498µg Neah Bay California Mussels 8/18/20: 1,396µg Discovery Bay Pacific Oysters 8/13/20: 1,059µg Dungeness West Geoduck 8/20/20: 1,054µg

Action Level: 80µg PSP Toxin/100g Shellfish Tissue 2020 Jefferson County PSP 1600 1520 1440 Cape George 1360 1280 1200 1120 Carr Point Oysters 1040 Mystery Bay Discovery Bay Condos 960 880 Port Ludlow 800 720 640 Quilcene Marina 560

480 PSP (µg Toxins/100 g Tissue) g (µg PSP Toxins/100 400 320 240 160 80 NTD 0

Date QUILCENE BAY PSP 2020

Action Level: >80 µg/100 g QUILCENE BAY PSP 2014-2015

Action Level: >80 µg/100 g First PSP Closure of the Year in Puget Sound

WA State DOH | 34 Action Level ≤ 80 µg/100 g tissue

Drayton Harbor

Lummi Bay PSP Toxins Bellingham Bay President Channel µg/100 g tissue

NTD East Sound < 38 38 – 79 Fidalgo Bay 80 – 499 Haro Strait West Fidalgo 500 +

2020 North Sound Blue Mussel PSP Data Primed the Pump?

WA State DOH | 36 2020 DSP o No Commercial Closures o 4 Recreational Closures o 2,301 Samples Analyzed • 16 samples ≥ 16µg DSP toxins • 106µg in blue mussels from Budd Inlet, Thurston County 3/4/20 • Closure from 11/22/19 to 6/26/20

WA State DOH | 37 2020 DSP Closures

Liberty Bay Blue Mussels 7/20/20 & 10/5/20: 21µg

Budd Inlet Blue Mussels 3/4/20: 106µg 2/5/20: 96µg 1/8/20: 63µg Squalicum Harbor Blue Mussels 1/27/20: 17µg

Action Level: 16µg DSP Toxin/100g Shellfish Tissue 2020 ASP o Coast closed 10/21/20 Ongoing First closure based on environmental data o 2157 Samples Analyzed • 29 samples ≥ 20 ppm • Crab - 22 samples ≥ 30 ppm • Viscera – Meat okay! • 83 ppm in razor clams from Barry Twin Harbors, Grays Harbor County 11/2/20 o Last PS closure 2019

WA State DOH | 39 54 ppm 12/12

46 ppm 12/12

83 ppm 11/2

65 ppm 12/12 2020 Coastal Razor Clam DA Closure

90 Closure 10/21 5000

Twin Harbors 80 4500

4000 70

Long Beach 3500 60

3000 50 2500 40 2000

30 (ng/L) DA Particulate Razor Clam DA (ppm) DA Clam Razor 1500 Copalis 20 Kalaloch 1000 Quinault Res 10 Mocrocks LB Screening Result 500

0 0 10/8/2020 10/15/2020 10/22/2020 10/29/2020 11/5/2020 11/12/2020 Date Action Level: >20ppm FAQ: What about Crab? Crab and shrimp are safe to eat during a marine biotoxin event.

 Crab can become toxic by eating toxic clams  Crab diet varies in Puget Sound  Coastal crab eat razor clams  Crab are tested during coastal biotoxin events

 Toxins and pollutants accumulate in the “butter” or guts of crab  Recommend cleaning and discarding butter

WA State DOH | 42 Shellfish Safety Resources  www.doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety “clickable” map

 Mobile-friendly version

 1-800-562-5632 Biotoxin Hotline

 Marine Biotoxin Bulletin (text version)

 www.facebook.com/WAshellfishsafety DOH shellfish safety map: www.doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety WA State DOH | 44 WA State DOH | 45 3 C’s!!!

WA State DOH | 46

FAQ: Why Are Butters Unsafe? Butter and varnish clams retain toxins longer than other shellfish.

Purple Varnish Clams

• Up to 5 inches • Up to 3 inches • Found in lower intertidal or • Found in upper one-third of the shallow subtidal zone. intertidal zone, most abundant near freshwater inputs.

WA State DOH | 48 FAQ: Can I Still Swim Yes!

 Marine Biotoxins do not accumulate in the skin  Hard to drink that much saltwater  Don’t let your pets eat critters during a closure  **Freshwater algal blooms can be unsafe for you and your pets

WA State DOH | 49 2021 - A Wild Year? o First ever DSP closure in Kingston Marina 2/19 o PSP Closures in the Strait/Disco/Sequim in January

o Razor clam fishery? o Spring P-N bloom? o PSP in Hood Canal? o Expanded Alex cyst beds =

Alexandrium cysts: WHOI earlier/bigger blooms?

WA State DOH | 50 2021 - A Wild Year? o First ever DSP closure in Kingston Marina 2/19 o PSP Closures in the Strait/Disco/Sequim in January

o Razor clam fishery? o Spring P-N bloom? o PSP in Hood Canal? o Expanded Alex cyst beds =

Alexandrium cysts: WHOI earlier/bigger blooms?

WA State DOH | 51 Tracie S Barry Jerry Borchert Marine Biotoxin Specialist Marine Biotoxin/Arsenic Lead [email protected] [email protected] 360-236-3354 360-236-3328