General Information

Event name: US-94-003
Country: UNITED STATES
Nature of the harmful event:
Seafood toxins
Event directly affected:
Shellfish
Toxicity detected: Yes
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 (High levels of paralytic shellfish toxins were first observed in Georges Bank shellfish in 1989. Toxin levels increased in 1990. Despite te apparent absence of Alexandrium blooms in the Georges Bank region since 1990, the persistence of the toxins in surf clams has resulted in a continuing closure of the Gorges Bank surm clam fishery.)
Individuals to contact: WHITE, Alan

Location & Date

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Location: Latitude: , Longitude:
General location information: Georges Bank, offshore., Massachusetts.
HAB Area code(s): US-06
Additional location information:
Bloom event dates (yyyy/mm/dd):
Quarantine levels dates (yyyy/mm/dd):
Additional date-related information:

Microalgae

Causative organism known: Yes
Causative Species/Genus: Alexandrium fundyense ( cells/L)
Alexandrium tamarense ( cells/L)
Co-Ocurring Species/Genus:
Chlorophyll concentration, if known: µg/l
Additional bloom information: Alexandrium fundyense and/or A. tamarense (variety not yet determined).
Event-related bibliography:

Environmental Conditions

Weather: Turbidity (NTU): Wind direction:
Stratified water: Yes 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 The origin of the offshore toxicity and its relationship with inshore toxicity remain unknown.
Additional Environmental information: Georges Bank is an open-ocean environment, 100-200 miles from the nearest land (Cape Cod). Much of the Georges Bank area is very shallow (10-15 m). The region is a rich fishing grounds for shellfish and finfish. Stratification of the waters overlying Geo

Toxin Assay Information

Species containing the toxin Toxin type Toxin details Max. concentration Assay type
Kit used: No Type of kit used:
Additional information:
Economic losses:
Management decision: The closure of Georges Bank to the harvesting of molluscan shellfish with the exception of sea scallop adductor muscles was continued throughout 1994 because of the risk of paralytic shellfish poisoning.
Additional harmful effect information:
IOC/UNESCO ISSHA
IOC/UNESCO ICES PICES