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General Information

Event name: CA-97-003
Country: CANADA
Nature of the harmful event:
 Seafood toxins
Event directly affected:
Toxicity detected: Yes (Approximate range: 920 µg STXeq / 100 g)
Associated syndrome: PSP
Unexplained toxicity: No
Species implicated in toxin transmission (transvector):
Report the outcome of a monitoring programme: Yes
Event occurred before in this location: Yes (Shellfish harvesting areas are closed to harvesting annually (generally during summer months) in the Bay of Fundy due to unsafe levels of PSP toxins in shellfish tissues)
Individuals to contact: MARTIN, Jennifer

Location & Date

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Location: Latitude: , Longitude:
General location information: Northwest Bay of Fundy, Scotia Fundy Region
HAB Area code(s): CA-22
Additional location information:
Bloom event dates (yyyy/mm/dd): Event Date:1997-07-24
Quarantine levels dates (yyyy/mm/dd):
Additional date-related information: A lower number than normal of shellfish harvesting areas were closed to harvesting for a short period of time between May - mid August.

Microalgae

Causative organism known: Yes
Causative Species/Genus: Alexandrium fundyense (8,200 cells/L)
June 24 in Deadmans Habour
Co-Ocurring Species/Genus:
Chlorophyll concentration, if known: µg/l
Additional bloom information: Cells were observed from mid May to late August.
Event-related bibliography:

Environmental Conditions

Weather: Summer weather conditions resulted in extended periods with little precipitation or wind. Turbidity (NTU): Wind direction:
Stratified water: No Oxygen content (nL/L): Wind velocity:
Temperature (°C): Oxygen saturation %: Current Direction:
Sechhi disk (m): Salinity: 32 Current Velocity:
Nutrient information:
Temperature Range During Event: Max: 12 °C, Min: 8 °C
Salinity Range During Event:
Bloom location in the water column:
Growth: Advected
Growth Comments
Additional Environmental information: Water column: mixed inshore, stratified offshore

Toxin Assay Information

Species containing the toxin Toxin type Toxin details Max. concentration Assay type
Mytilus edulis (at Lepreau Basin on July 9) Saxitoxins STX eq 920 Bioassay-Mouse
Mytilus edulis Saxitoxins STX eq 920 Bioassay-Mouse
Kit used: Type of kit used:
Additional information:
Economic losses:
Management decision: Shellfish harvesting areas in the southwestern Bay of Fundy were closed to harvesting due to levels of PSP toxins exceeding the regulatory limit of 80 µg/100g. The Bay of Fundy is closed year round to the harvesting of blue mussels.
Additional harmful effect information:
Updated at 02:01 on 26 Sep 2013