Molecular evidence of domoic acid production in the high Arctic Qikiqtaaluk Region of Inuit Nunangat

Abstract

Domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced by the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia, is an increasing concern in Arctic marine environments. Shellfish harvesting occurs in many Canadian Arctic waterways in Inuit Nunangat and is the main vector for human domoic acid exposure, but most toxin monitoring has occurred in the Pacific Arctic region. This leaves a major knowledge gap across much of Inuit Nunangat. Here, through a collaboration between Southern researchers and the community of Ausuittuq (Grise Fiord), we investigated domoic acid production in Jones Sound, Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut. Using transcriptomic biomarkers of domoic acid biosynthesis, we find evidence of toxin production by Pseudo-nitzschia in surface waters stimulated by glacier-driven nutrient inputs. The discovery of domoic acid production capacity—even by a relatively small Pseudo-nitzschia population—near the northernmost community in Canada demonstrates a need for new community-driven research and monitoring to understand the prevalence and drivers of domoic acid across Inuit Nunangat.