General Information

Event name: ES-99-014
Country: SPAIN
Nature of the harmful event:
High Phyto concentration , Seafood toxins
Event directly affected:
Shellfish
Toxicity detected: Yes (Approximate range: 149.6 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 (The summer of 1998 a widespread bloom of A. catenella occurred in the area.)
Individuals to contact: VILA, Magda

Location & Date

[View larger map]
Location: Latitude: , Longitude:
General location information: Coma-ruga to Arenys, Catalonia, NE Spain
HAB Area code(s): ES-22
Additional location information:
Bloom event dates (yyyy/mm/dd): Start: 1999-07-01, End: 1999-07-15
Quarantine levels dates (yyyy/mm/dd):
Additional date-related information:

Microalgae

Causative organism known: Yes
Causative Species/Genus: Alexandrium catenella (1.7 x 10(5 cells/L)
Perpendicular transects were made (coast to 2.5 miles), and vertical profiles (0-20m). Maxima cell conce. Of A. catenella were observed at inshore and at surface
Co-Ocurring Species/Genus: Heterocapsa sp. ( cells/L)
Scrippsiella spp. ( cells/L)
Other additional species: P. micans, P. compressum, Protoperidinium spp., P. diabolum, Dinophysis sacculus, Phalacroma rotundatum, Ceratium furca
Mesoporus perforatus ( cells/L)
Prorocentrum triestinum ( cells/L)
Chlorophyll concentration, if known: µg/l
Additional bloom information: Observations of hypnozygotes with mucilage envelope at Castelldefels beach.
Event-related bibliography: Vila M., Delgado, M., and Camp, J. 2000. First detection of widespread toxic events caused by Alexandrium catenella in the Mediterranean Sea though a monitoring harbour program. In: 9th International Conference on Harmful Algal Blooms. Hobart, Tasmania (Australia).Vila M., Camp, J., Garcés, E., Masó, M. and Delgado, M. 2000. High spatio-temporal detection of HABs in confined waters in the NW Mediterranean: implications for monitoring programs. In: 9th International Conference on Harmful Algal Blooms. Hobart, Tasmania (Australia).Vila M., M. Delgado, E. Garcés, J. Camp & Furones D. 1999. El muestreo de puertos en la costa catalana: resultados del seguimiento de fitoplancton nocivo (95-98) y el caso concreto de Alexandrium catenella. In: VI Reunión Ibérica de Fitopláncton Tóxico y Biotoxinas. (In press), Sevilla.

Environmental Conditions

Weather: Sunny. Anticyclone. 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:
Nutrient information: AMONIUM: 0.1-3.9 µmols/L
NITRATE: 0.1-2.4 µmols/L
NITRITE: 0-0.3 µmols/L
PHOSPHATE: 0.08 µmols/L
SILICATE: 0.7-2.9 µmols/L
Temperature Range During Event: Max: 24.7 °C, Min: 21.7 °C
Salinity Range During Event: Max: 38.1, Min: 33
Bloom location in the water column:
Surface
Growth:
Growth Comments
Additional Environmental information: Located at surface and at nearshore stations.

Toxin Assay Information

Species containing the toxin Toxin type Toxin details Max. concentration Assay type
Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) Saxitoxins STX eq 149.6 µ/100g Bioassay-Mouse
Striped venus (Chamalea gallina) Saxitoxins STX eq 67.2 µ/100g Bioassay-Mouse
Wedge clam (Donax trunculus) Saxitoxins STX eq 109.6 µ/100g Bioassay-Mouse
Kit used: Type of kit used:
Additional information:
Economic losses:
Management decision: Closing the extraction of bivalves in the area during two weeks, until levels of PSP are <80 µg PSP/100g (maximum allowed in EU).
Additional harmful effect information:
IOC/UNESCO ISSHA
IOC/UNESCO ICES PICES