SoundHAB: Possible Harmful Bloom in Totten Inlet

[Brian Bill]

Susan Shotwell has been sampling in Totten Inlet as well for some time, in the past couple years as part of the SoundTox program. Akashiwo sanguinea seems to be a common occurrence in that area, possibly with more intense blooms the last couple of years. In July of 2009, there was a fairly large bloom that was affecting the clam larvae Susan was trying to grow. Akashiwo sanguinea does have a cyst stage as well, so that may be contributing to the yearly blooms. Vegetative cells were grown from sediments from Esquimalt Bay in BC Canada in 1993 in one such study, at that time it was named Gymnodinium sanguineam.

Brian

On Oct 16, 2010, at 1:45 PM, Aimee Christy wrote:

> Thanks for the information. 
>  
> Pacific Shellfish Institute has been collecting weekly phytoplankton samples from Totten Inlet from May to early September of this year.  We began seeing Akashiwo at low concentrations (40,000 cells/L) on 7/7 and cell counts increased to 460,000 cells/L by 7/21.  They remained at or near this concentration until peaking on 8/18 (684,000 cells/L).  Dissipation seemed to occur around 9/8 (175,000 cells/L) when we collected our final sample for the season.  It appears something triggered the initiation of another bloom….a sizeable one at that. 
>  
> In 2002-2003, we collected weekly plankton samples in Totten Inlet for a mussel raft project.  Maximum Akashiwo counts for those 2 years were 268,000 cells/L (8/26/02) and 586,000 cells/L (8/7/03).  
>  
> Hope this information is helpful.
>  
> Aimee Christy
>  
> Pacific Shellfish Institute   
>  
>  
>  
>  
> From: soundhab-bounces at whoi.edu [mailto:soundhab-bounces at whoi.edu] On Behalf Of Brian Bill
> Sent: Friday, October 15, 2010 8:45 PM
> To: soundhab at whoi.edu
> Subject: Re: SoundHAB: Possible Harmful Bloom in Totten Inlet
>  
> The dense bloom of marine algae in recent samples from Totten Inlet is Akashiwo sanguinea. This dinoflagellate was responsible for bird deaths on the outer Washington coast in late summer/fall 2009 due to the production of a surfactant like compound. Bird deaths were also attributed to A. sanguinea in Monterey Bay in 2007. 
> A cell count of the whole water sample was 660,000 cells/L.
>  
>  
> On Oct 14, 2010, at 11:42 AM, Jack Rensel wrote:
> 
> 
> Gordon King of Taylor Shellfish reports a very dense bloom of some kind of marine algae in portions of Totten Inlet presently.   If any SoundHAB recipients are in the area and can sample, please take live or formalin preserved samples so we can identify the potential culprit.  
>  
> Also, several of you have asked about the HAB publication that I just produced with Tim Tynan and Nicky Haigh about Heterosigma affecting wild fish and salmon, so I attach it here for your use.  This is pertinent to Totten Inlet as the Kennedy Creek Chum would normally be milling in the area at this time, with mean run timing of mid November.
>  
> Best regards,
>  
> Jack
>  
> J.E. Jack Rensel Ph.D.
> Rensel Associates Aquatic Sciences
> 4209 234th Street N.E.
> Arlington WA 98223 USA
> 360-435-3285
> cell: 360-631-6538
> jackrensel at att.net
> www.AquaModel.org
> 

------------------------
Brian D. Bill
NOAA Fisheries
Harmful Algal Blooms Program
2725 Montlake Blvd E.
Seattle, WA  98112

206-860-3387
206-860-3335 fax
brian.d.bill at noaa.gov
www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/hab/
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