Algal Toxin Disrupts Sea Lions’ Spatial Memory

Plants and Animals





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Domoic acid has been found to cause lesions to the right dorsal hippocampus in sea lions. Orbitgal via Wikimedia Commons

A naturally-occurring algal toxin called domoic acid (DA) causes brain lesions in sea lions that can lead to a range of acute symptoms including disorientation and seizures. While this much was known, scientists in California have now identified the areas of the brain that are affected by DA, revealing how persistent exposure to the substance can lead to permanent neurological damage.