SoundHAB: Blooms in Puget Sound

[Rita Horner]

A Heterosigma bloom apparently has been present in Quartermaster Harbor, 
WA, since sometime last week (week of Aug. 3, 2009) according to the dock 
host who lives on his boat at the Dockton County Park marina.  He said it 
comes in on the tide.  The bloom was first sampled on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 
during routine sampling by the SoundToxin program and the water was 
reported to be brown.  The attached photo by Brian Bill, NOAA/NWFSC, the 
SoundToxin coordinator, shows streaks of cells in an unconcentrated water 
sample.  Cell numbers were in the neighborhood of 160,000 cell/liter. 
Quartermaster Harbor is a semi-enclosed bay between Vashon and Maury 
islands in south central Puget Sound and is best known for having 
frequently high levels of PSTs.  Heterosigma has also been reported 
near Blake Island in central Puget Sound at about 100,000 cells/liter and
"tea colored water" has been reported from near Kingston, WA, in central 
Puget Sound, that may be Heterosigma, but there is no confirmation yet on 
cause.

There is also a Cochlodinium sp. bloom in the Bremerton/Port Orchard/Rich 
Passage area with cell numbers ranging between ca. 100,000 to over 5 
million cells/liter depending on the tide.  Water in the area was reported 
to be orange in color.

Rita Horner
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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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