Question

can you explain it? the gloppy looking green stuff in this reservoir in northern california is an algae bloom. large amounts of nutrient runoff into bodies of water allow algae to grow in dense, visible patches near the surface. in 2015, an algae bloom occurred off the coastlines of alaska and california in the north pacific ocean. this bloom was dominated by the algae pseudo - nitzschia, which produces a neurotoxin called domoic acid. many large marine animals died during this algae bloom, including sea lions, whales, and birds. some evidence suggests that these deaths were related to domoic acid poisoning. predict the marine animals affected by the bloom do not eat algae. how could domoic acid have poisoned these organisms? evidence notebook as you explore the lesson, gather evidence to explain how matter and energy flow through ecosystems.

Explanation:

Algae - producing domoic acid are at the base of the food - web. Small organisms that eat the algae accumulate the toxin. Larger marine animals affected by the bloom eat these small organisms, leading to bioaccumulation and poisoning.

Answer:

The domoic acid produced by the algae entered the food - web. Small organisms that consumed the algae accumulated the toxin. The marine animals that do not eat algae directly ate these small organisms, causing the domoic acid to bioaccumulate in their bodies and poison them.