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A new study suggests that algal blooms, exacerbated by sewage discharges, could be causing Alzheimer's-like brain degeneration in bottlenose dolphins. Scientists found toxins such as BMAA and neurolarthyrogen in the brains of stranded dolphins from Florida, with concentrations significantly higher during bloom seasons. Many of these dolphins exhibited brain tissue anomalies, including β-amyloid plaques and tau protein clusters, and gene changes consistent with human Alzheimer's disease. The disorientation caused by this condition is suspected to contribute to dolphin strandings, mirroring behaviour seen in some humans with dementia. Researchers warn that dolphins, as environmental sentinels, highlight potential human health risks from increasing harmful algal blooms, which are intensifying due to climate change and pollution.
