SoundHAB: FW: North Hood Canal bloom update

[becker]

Good Morning.

It would be interesting to get an SEM on the samples as the critical thing
is not Genus and species but form. The bloom off Vancouver Island that we (
physical oceanography community) hypothesize was the source for this bloom
was E. huxleyi coronal form...an unusual variant. The bloom off Vancouver
Is. in late Aug., early Sept of 2006 on La Perouse Bank was positively ID'
with SEM as this form alone. ( see this www site for further info on
Vancouver Is. Species ID: http://www.emidas.org/  E. huxleyi coronal
variation)

Note that on calling around to actual resident observers of Dabob and
Quillicene bays for the last 60 years (back to 1952 anyway), no such bloom
of E. huxleyi has ever been observed, so it is unique. ( Personal
communications with Richard E. Burge Ph.D. retired Director of WDF&W Brinnon
Lab and co workers who pre date him.)

The  a couple of scientists in the GLOBEC group has confirmed that the late
August west wind event (2006) was of sufficient duration and intensity to
move coastal surface waters into and through the straits to the entrance of
Admiralty Inlet. Event mechanisms for getting the coastal surface water into
Hood's canal are fairly easy to propose and could be confirmed
experimentally with surface drifters...no one has ever tried.
 
If indeed the 2006 bloom from Vancouver Island made it into Hood's Canal we
may need to review the assumptions about the isolation of Hood's Canal from
effects from oceanic waters and species. 

It is also clear that a species of Vibrio long known to occupy the coastal
waters that is toxic to shellfish at the larval stage and early setting
stages made its way into Hood's Canal in 2006 ...and is still there...it
also was not previously noted by observers at Brinnon over 60 years.

Just how long would it take to get SEM of the Hood's Canal bloom done
anyway?


P Becker



-----Original Message-----
From: soundhab-bounces at whoi.edu [mailto:soundhab-bounces at whoi.edu] On Behalf
Of Jan Newton
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 2:07 PM
To: Jack Rensel
Cc: soundhab at whoi.edu
Subject: Re: SoundHAB: FW: North Hood Canal bloom update

Please see:
http://www.hoodcanal.washington.edu/observations/bloom_fishkill.jsp
for more info on this bloom.

Jan

-- 

Jan A. Newton, Ph.D. 
Principal Oceanographer 
Applied Physics Laboratory 
University of Washington 
1013 NE 40th St 
Seattle WA 98105-6698 
206 543 9152 



Jack Rensel wrote:
> I've just looked at the net samples Jim Postel collected last Friday in 
> Dabob Bay.  The bloom is the coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi.  
>
> It can be identified at 400 x - look for the small cells, ca. 6-8 um in 
> diameter, that have black, oval to round shaped spots on them 
> (coccoliths).  The coccoliths may or may not be present all over the cells

> and many are probably loose in the water.  The black spots may look like 
> black rings/ovals with an empty center.  The cells themselves are usually 
> pale yellow.  They are rather non-descript, but once you see them, they 
> are relatively easy to identify.  Because they are so small, they will go 
> through a 20 um mesh net, but enough are usually caught so you can ID 
> them.  I let the sample sit overnight in the refrigerator so the cells 
> sink and then pipette around the edge of the jar where most of the cells 
> settle.  
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Rita A. Horner                        373 Marine Science Bldg
> School of Oceanography
> Box 357940                            Phone:  206-543-8599
> University of Washington              Fax:  206-543-0275
> Seattle, WA  98195-7940               rita at ocean.washington.edu
>
>
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