SoundHAB: Blooms here and there

Thu Aug 25 21:17:44 EDT 2011

Just wanted to let you know that we did not lose any fish at the NOAA net
pen facility and did not have any upwelling systems or other mitigation
measures in place.  Fish on site included halibut, sablefish, several
species of rockfish and lingcod.

Mike
---
Michael B. Rust, Ph.D.
Science Coordinator
NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture
1315 East West Highway
Room 13113 Mail Code: F
Silver Spring, MD  20910
Ph: 206-860-3382 (Seattle)
PH: 301- 427-8335 (Silver Spring)
Mobile: 206-423-6714
FAX: 301- 713-9108 

http://aquaculture.noaa.gov <http://aquaculture.noaa.gov/>

From:  Jack Rensel <jackrensel at att.net>
Date:  Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:13:44 -0700
To:  <soundhab at whoi.edu>
Subject:  SoundHAB: Blooms here and there

Thank you Jim, Brandon and others for your recent posts to SoundHAB.

In calling around to some of you I have found that:

1)      The Heterosigma bloom in the Clam Bay  Bainbridge Island area and
surrounds has nearly ended and cell counts are only in the 60K per liter
range presently.  Mitigation of the bloom at the farm site by upwelling deep
water seems to have prevented major fish mortality. (source: Kevin Bright).

2)      As of Tuesday, there was a healthy Heterosigma bloom going on in
Quartermaster Harbor but not unialgal and NOAA staff will be there tomorrow
(source: Brian Bill).

3)      In Sequim Bay and Port Townsend Bay Brian also reports significant
numbers of Protoceratium sp. (maybe or probably reticulatum, a potential
Yessotoxin producer)

4)      There are millions of sockeye returning now to the Fraser River and
as usual, no information from the east side of the Southern Strait but Nicky
Haigh reports lots of diatoms near Nanaimo and Heterosigma up in Sechelt
Inlet. 

Also, I want to correct an recent posting I made about a major Alexandrium
catenella bloom in North Puget Sound.  It turned out to probably be
Gonyaulax digitale, a nontoxic species.  It is still quite active near
Anacortes at least based on recent observations by Kevin.

Vera Trainer would like to remind people to please report any Dinophysis
data and general observations as it will assist the WA Dept. of Health sort
out what is happening.

Please keep posting your observations, images and comments coming, it all
helps!  And remember, a principal axiom of harmful blooms as they commence
after 5PM on Friday nights or anytime you go on holiday.

Jack 

From: soundhab-bounces at whoi.edu [mailto:soundhab-bounces at whoi.edu] On Behalf
Of Sackmann, Brandon (ECY)
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 2:11 PM
To: soundhab at whoi.edu
Subject: Re: SoundHAB: Heterosigma bloom in Central Puget Sound

Hi Jim and Jack,

Not sure the extent to which this info might be relevant to the Heterosigma
blooms being seen in central Puget Sound, but central Puget Sound as a whole
is definitely blooming!  I have attached some of our ferry observations
collected over the past few days and the patterns seem consistent with the
MERIS chlorophyll image showing a widespread bloom from the Narrows to the
Triple Junction.  Jim and Erika¹s MERIS MCI image that was sent around
yesterday would suggest that, at least in some areas, the bloom is very
intense.   Jim, we are finding that your MERIS MCI product is a very robust
way to track these intense surface blooms in Puget SoundŠa great addition to
our monitoring program!

Brandon

--------------------------------------
Brandon Sackmann, Ph.D.
Washington State Department of Ecology
Environmental Assessment Program
Modeling and Information Support Unit
300 Desmond Drive  | P.O. Box 47600
Lacey, WA  98503   | Olympia, WA  98504-7600
Tel:     (360) 407-6684
Fax:     (360) 407-6884
Email:   brandon.sackmann at ecy.wa.gov
Station: C2D-60 
Web:     http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/

From: soundhab-bounces at whoi.edu [mailto:soundhab-bounces at whoi.edu] On Behalf
Of Gower, Jim
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 5:36 PM
To: Jack Rensel; soundhab at whoi.edu
Subject: Re: SoundHAB: Heterosigma bloom in Central Puget Sound

Here is an image with some analysis by Erika Young for August 23.  Do the
locations agree with any of your sampling?  Jim

From: soundhab-bounces at whoi.edu [mailto:soundhab-bounces at whoi.edu] On Behalf
Of Jack Rensel
Sent: August 22, 2011 9:19 AM
To: soundhab at whoi.edu
Subject: SoundHAB: Heterosigma bloom in Central Puget Sound
Heterosigma is blooming in central Puget Sound.  Although the total extent
of the bloom is not known, cell counts over the weekend were higher in the
backwater areas of Kitsap County and Bainbridge Island (Port Blakely and
Brownsville).  

However, ambient cell concentrations as high as 1.7 million cells per liter
were recorded last night near Bainbridge Island/Clam Bay fish farm areas but
mitigation efforts (upwelling of deep water) is apparently effective in
reducing cell concentrations to 0.3 million cells per liter in the fish
cages.  

The bloom was first reported late Friday night, but I didn¹t receive the
information until just now.   With the wind and rain expected today, it may
attenuate the intensity of the bloom, although clearing and sun tomorrow
(Tuesday) may allow for the bloom to become re-established.   It could go
either way based on past experience and the amount of wind mixing and
duration/intensity of the low pressure cell moving  through is key in this
process. 

More information may be available later today.

Jack

J.E. Jack Rensel Ph.D.
Rensel Associates Aquatic Sciences
4209 234th St. N.E.
Arlington WA 98223
360-631-6538
Jackrensel at att.net
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