An assesment of domoic acid levels as a function of salinity-temperature variations in the Sea of Marmara

Abstract

This study presents the domoic acid (DA), responsible from Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP), levels of plankton net samples in the Sea of Marmara during April, July and October 2019. Plankton net samples were collected from 13 stations, which were located close to the Istanbul metropolitan area, and along the east and southwest parts of the Sea of Marmara. DA measurements were done by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), using the diode-array detection (detection limit (LOD): 0.108 µg mL−1). Twenty-two out of the 26 plankton net samples (84.6%) were found to contain DA during the study period and the concentrations varied between 0.22 and 3.45 µg mL−1. Possible relationships between physical parameters (salinity-temperature) and DA concentrations were investigated. DA production was mainly controlled by salinity (r:0.47, p<0.05; n:26) along the study period. These data may be used to consider the probability of finding similar conditions in different parts of the Sea of Marmara in order to determine the potential risks of DA to local mussel aquaculture and fisheries.