ATLANTA (July 9, 2025) –

Meet Dr. Patrick Charapata: Georgia Aquarium’s Scientist Tracking Marine Toxins in a Warming Arctic

The impacts of climate change on the Arctic go beyond the loss of sea ice. This week, a newly published study in the prestigious scientific journal Nature reveals a disturbing link between warming Arctic waters and rising levels of toxic algal blooms, following a nearly 20-year study of bowhead whales. This study is one of many recent studies that Georgia Aquarium has contributed to, digging into the emerging threat of toxic algae on Arctic wildlife and food systems that Indigenous communities depend upon.

Georgia Aquarium’s newest research scientist, Dr. Patrick Charapata, is part of a broader scientific effort working to understand how warming waters are allowing toxic algae to spread into the Arctic—regions once thought too cold to support them. These changes introduce harmful toxins into fragile ecosystems, sickening marine life and posing new risks for people who rely on healthy oceans for survival.

Dr. Charapata joined Georgia Aquarium in late 2024, bringing years of experience working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and has a specialty in marine toxin research. His work spans polar region species like leopard seals, northern fur seals, walrus, whales, and clams – organisms at the center of fragile food webs that are now being disrupted by warming waters and toxic algae.

Algal Blooms Are Moving North

In Southern waters, algal bloom threats are intensifying, and researchers are now seeing more evidence that harmful algal blooms are pushing into the Arctic. These blooms can release potent toxins like saxitoxin and domoic acid, accumulating in fish, clams, and other species. The impacts are increasingly hard to ignore as these toxins work their way up the food chain—affecting everything from plankton to whales, as demonstrated in the recent bowhead whale study.

Another new study co-authored by Dr. Charapata documents a large-scale mortality event involving northern fur seals on St. Paul Island, Alaska. Dozens of seals were found dead alongside fish on the shoreline. Tests confirmed high levels of saxitoxin in seal tissues and in nearly all local fish, clams, and zooplankton—a clear link to an algal bloom driven by shifting ocean conditions.

“The Arctic is changing fast,” says Dr. Charapata. “And toxic algae are moving into waters where they’ve rarely been seen. That creates new risks for animals and for the people who rely on them.”

Understanding Toxins in the Food Web

In a related study published earlier this year, Dr. Charapata examined how paralytic shellfish toxins are affecting Arctic clams, an essential food source for walrus, seabirds, and humans. Using two different detection methods, he and co-authors found that more than half of the sampled clams had toxin levels above what’s considered safe for consumption. These findings provide new and important information that will inform monitoring systems for the Arctic food web to protect marine life and people.

This study lays the groundwork for future research already underway, including a follow-up study focusing on toxic accumulation in walruses.

Beyond animal health, these studies have clear implications for people. Many Indigenous communities in Alaska depend on subsistence hunting and fishing. As marine toxins become more common, food security and public health are increasingly at risk.

Georgia Aquarium’s Role & Looking Ahead

Georgia Aquarium is committed to advancing marine science and conservation, especially in under-researched areas like the Arctic. Dr. Charapata’s work strengthens that mission, adding expertise in a field that’s gaining global attention.

Together with new insights emerging from other research teams—including those behind the recent bowhead whale findings—his work helps paint a clearer picture of how climate-driven ocean changes are impacting marine ecosystems from the bottom of the food chain to the top.

###