Mystery of Mass Squid "Suicide"
Summary
Thousands of jumbo squid have been found dead all along the coastline of central California. The deaths occur when these mass groups of jumbo squid swim to shore and throw themselves above shore. The original hypothesis to why these squid were dying was because scientist stated that the squid tend to invade new territory and eventually get lost with the unfamiliar area. The link to the squid "suicide" is now being linked to red tides created by poisonous algae. Red tides are algae blooms that release an extremely potent brain toxin. The link was made between the mass squid suicides and red tides because as red tides were brought to shore every three weeks, so were the masses of jumbo squid. Scientist have proposed that red tides release a lethal toxin called domoic acid that are intoxicating the squid and disorienting them. What the chemical does is that it mimics a brain chemical called glutamate, but is 10,000 times stronger. The domoic acid binds to the glutamate receptors, opening channels to let calcium in. With the rush of calcium, the brain cells fire rapidly and then burst. This is what is said to be causing the squids to go crazy and swim ashore. However, this is only a hypothesis and as of now cannot be proven to be true, but if it can, then scientist will know how to go about to solve the problem.
My Reflection
I found this article very interesting because the title lead me to believe that these jumbo squid in central California were committing suicide for no apparent reason, but as I read the article, there was a reason why the squid were committing suicide. The reason, as stated above in the summary, is said to be caused by the potent brain toxins washed in by red tides. This reason, however, is only a hypothesis that has yet to be fully tested. I believe that once this test is a full go, the scientist will find their answer as to why the squid are dying and then create a solution based on what they will know. I can't imagine being at the beach having a fun time, then out of nowhere, a group of squid wash up ashore. I wonder what happens to the squid after being washed up on shore. Are they all thrown away or used for research. The article said that a small dose of this toxin can cause a squid to become dazed. The article also said that if a human ate a shellfish with this chemical, then they would get amnesic shellfish poisoning, but what would happen if a human ingested the chemical directly in a small dose. With the current information out there, I believe that the scientists' hypothesis is correct and that they will soon find a solution to this problem.