Marine Biology Commons^™

Identification Of Biomarkers Of Sub-Lethal Algal Toxin Exposure In Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar) And Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) Using Differential Gene Expression Analysis, Brandon Ellingson

Biology Theses

Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) and Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) are important culturally, recreationally, economically, and are a common aquaculture species in Canada and the United States. In the Pacific Northwest, blooms of toxic algae result in millions of dollars annually in losses for salmonid aquaculture producers. Blooms of harmful cyanobacteria produce microcystins which have been linked to net-pen liver disease which has large financial impacts on net pen salmon operations. Microcystin-LR, the most toxic variant, bioaccumulates in the liver and disrupts normal cellular activity by inhibiting protein phosphatases leading to deleterious effects on growth, immune status, and liver function. To …