Dolphins may be getting an Alzheimer's-like disease due to this neurotoxin

Environment Conservation Ocean Dolphins may be getting an Alzheimer's-like disease due to this neurotoxin The neurotoxins, found in algal blooms, primarily affect the body's nervous system. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. For marine biologists, dolphins are often viewed as sentinel species, or animals that shed light on the health of the ocean . Along with whales, porpoises, and other cetacean species, dolphins are one way that researchers know to sound the alarm about environmental hazards that might affect the ocean as a whole and potentially humans. In this context, researchers have connected neurotoxins from algal blooms to brain changes associated with an Alzheimer's-like disease in dolphins in Florida.