SoundHAB: Heterosigma around the Fraser River plume

[Nicky Haigh]

I was lucky enough to get out and sample 8 stations around the Fraser
River plume yesterday, collecting samples from the surface and 10m.  We
sampled from 6AM to 3PM, in a clockwise loop from the north.  Generally
speaking there seemed to be more algae in the surface samples than at
10m.   Most samples had a small amount of Heterosigma, but none had a
lot.  The maximum cell count was ~190 cells/mL at the surface, somewhere
towards the south end of the plume.  I also saw quite a lot of
non-skeletal Dictyocha, with some accompanying Dictyocha fibula, and a
very little Dictyocha speculum.  Maximum concentration of Dictyocha was
~135 cells/mL in the surface sample on the northwest side of the plume.
This consisted mostly of non-skeletal cells, and was the dominant
species in this sample.  Also of interest was Alexandrium sp., at a
maximum of ~50 cells/mL in a surface sample, again towards the southern
side of the sampling area. I don't have the lat/longs for the sites, but
we were mostly in the actual plume, which is of course far-reaching at
this time of year, and we were north of the border.  
So if any of you develop a good thick Heterosigma bloom this weekend,
don't "Blame Canada", as we don't seem to have a lot up here... yet.

Nicky Haigh
Harmful Algae Monitoring Program
Rm 205, Building 373
Vancouver Island University
900 Fifth Street
Nanaimo BC V9R 5S5
CANADA
Ph: (250) 740-6354
Cell: (250) 537-7176
Nicky.Haigh at viu.ca

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