Home Browse Events Search Events Add Event Browse Grids Contact Login

General Information

Event name: US-89-001
Country: UNITED STATES
Nature of the harmful event:
 Seafood toxins
Event directly affected:
 Shellfish
Toxicity detected: Yes (Approximate range: 9,000 µg STXeq / 100 g meat.)
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 (Every year since 1972. Different areas of the coast affected different years.)
Individuals to contact: HURST, John W.

Location & Date

[View larger map]
Location: Latitude: , Longitude:
General location information: Kittery to Spruce Head, Winter Harbor to Robb, Maine.
HAB Area code(s): US-01
Additional location information:
Bloom event dates (yyyy/mm/dd):
Quarantine levels dates (yyyy/mm/dd):
Additional date-related information: May-August.

Microalgae

Causative organism known: Yes
Causative Species/Genus: Alexandrium sp. ( cells/L)
Alexandrium cf. Tamarense
Co-Ocurring Species/Genus:
Chlorophyll concentration, if known: µg/l
Additional bloom information:
Event-related bibliography:

Environmental Conditions

Weather: Turbidity (NTU): Wind direction:
Stratified water: No Oxygen content (nL/L): Wind velocity:
Temperature (°C): Oxygen saturation %: Current Direction:
Sechhi disk (m): Salinity: Current Velocity: 0
Nutrient information:
Temperature Range During Event: Max: °C, Min: °C
Salinity Range During Event:
Bloom location in the water column:
Growth:
Growth Comments Seems to be in situ populations along the Maine coast
Additional Environmental information:

Toxin Assay Information

Species containing the toxin Toxin type Toxin details Max. concentration Assay type
Shellfish meat Saxitoxins 58-9,000 Bioassay-Mouse
Kit used: No Type of kit used:
Additional information:
Economic losses:
Management decision: Affected areas closed to the harvest
Additional harmful effect information: PSP in shellfish (Mytilis edulis, Mya arenaria, Ostrea edulis, Spisula solidissima, Arctica islandica, Placopecten magellanicus). Shellfish extracts and mouse bioassays prepared and performed at the Department of Marine Resources, West Boothbay Harbor, M