SoundHAB: Thursday July 8, 2010 North Puget Sound aerial survey

[Jack Rensel]

Thursday afternoon July 8, 2010 a flight was conducted from Anacortes to
well north of Lummi Island, over the east side bays, Guemes/Bellingham
Channel, Orcas, and south.  There was a modest flood in progress and some
north wind, so it was not as ideal as early AM for micro or dinoflagellate
spotting.  

There was a fair amount of freshwater visible in large patches and streaks,
but not much red or purple-red color.  The freshwater patches were more
prevalent up north from Sandy Point to Sucia Island, but were scattered all
over.  East Sound, usually a good place for Heterosigma, had very little red
or brown color.   Meanwhile the harmful Chaetoceros event continued but with
somewhat lower cell counts in Port Angeles Harbor but farm fish losses are
occurring.  There are no data to show if this is occurring all the way into
CPS where it is being measured near Bainbridge Island.  If anyone could
sample Port Townsend Bay or Admiralty Inlet, it would be good to know. 

 

Here are cell counts from Randy Hodgin at AGS in Port Angeles today, thanks
Randy!  These values do not look like much, but salmonid mortality can occur
at 5,000 cells/L or less, as the events tend to occur for days to weeks and
there appears to be a time/dose response. 

 

Fish Farm site: North side of PA Harbor near the Coast Guard Station

 

1m. 11,000 c/l

5m. 42,000 c/l

10m. 14,000 c/l

15m. 8,000 c/l

 

Francis street park

 

1m. 3,000 c/l

5m. 22,000 c/l

10m. 18,000 c/l

 

Boat Haven

 

1m. 8,000 c/l

5m. 32,000 c/l

10m. 18,000 c/l

15 m. 5,000 c/l

 

Strait of Juan de Fuca offshore of Ediz Hook

 

1m. 23,000 c/l

5m. 17,000 c/l

10m. 12,000 c/l

15m. 5,000 c/l

 

  

 

J.E. Jack Rensel Ph.D.

Rensel Associates Aquatic Sciences

Arlington WA 98223 USA

cell: 360-631-6538

jackrensel at att.net

 

 

PS, We don't blame Canada for exporting harmful algae, but we can credit
them with having the Fraser River, which probably prevents the Strait from
being hypoxic at the surface during upwelling and spring tides! 

 

 

 

 

 

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