General Information

Event name: CA-04-010
Country: CANADA
Nature of the harmful event:
Seafood toxins
Event directly affected:
Shellfish
Toxicity detected: Yes (Approximate range: 317 STX eq/100 g)
Associated syndrome: PSP
Unexplained toxicity: No
Species implicated in toxin transmission (transvector):
Report the outcome of a monitoring programme: Yes (CFIA Biotoxin Monitoring Program)
Event occurred before in this location: Yes (Last closed June 29 to August 3, 2000, due to PSP toxins (GTN-2000-01).)
Individuals to contact: BATES, Stephen S. , GAUVIN, Jean

Location & Date

[View larger map]
Location: Latitude: 47.033333, Longitude: -65.016667
General location information: Miramichi River Estuary, Gulf Region
HAB Area code(s): CA-11
Additional location information: The following URLs give the detailed location and other specifics about the closure: http://www.glf.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/cp-cp/ord-ord/po-oi/gt04001-e.html
Bloom event dates (yyyy/mm/dd): Start: 2004-06-20, End: 2004-07-22
Quarantine levels dates (yyyy/mm/dd):
Additional date-related information:

Microalgae

Causative organism known: No
Causative Species/Genus:
Co-Ocurring Species/Genus:
Chlorophyll concentration, if known: µg/l
Additional bloom information: Likely to be Alexandrium tamarense, but this species was not present in five samples collected on June 28, eight days after the PSP toxins wre first detected.
Event-related bibliography: The following reference documents PSP toxins, for the first time, in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (including Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick) during 1988: Worms, J., N. Bouchard, R. Cormier, K.E. Pauley, and J.C. Smith. 1993. New occurrences of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, p. 353-358. In: T.J. Smayda and Y. Shimizu [ed.] Toxic phytoplankton blooms in the sea. Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam.

Environmental Conditions

Weather: Turbidity (NTU): Wind direction:
Stratified water: Oxygen content (nL/L): Wind velocity:
Temperature (°C): Oxygen saturation %: Current Direction:
Sechhi disk (m): Salinity: Current Velocity:
Nutrient information:
Temperature Range During Event: Max: °C, Min: °C
Salinity Range During Event:
Bloom location in the water column:
Growth:
Growth Comments
Additional Environmental information:

Toxin Assay Information

Species containing the toxin Toxin type Toxin details Max. concentration Assay type
Mytilus edulis Saxitoxins STX eq 317 ug STXeq/1g Bioassay-Mouse
Kit used: No Type of kit used:
Additional information:
Economic losses:
Management decision:
Additional harmful effect information:
Created at 06:11 on 22 Jul 2013
IOC/UNESCO ISSHA
IOC/UNESCO ICES PICES