| Event name: | JM-85-001 | |
| Country: | JAMAICA | |
|
Nature of the harmful event: |
Water Discoloration , Mass mortalities | |
|
Event directly affected: |
Planktonic life , Natural Fish | |
| Toxicity detected: | No | |
| Associated syndrome: | ||
| Unexplained toxicity: | Yes (Fish displayed typical symptoms due to ingestion of toxic dinoflagellates including erratic swimming motion, breathing before dying with mouth gaping and gills flared.) | |
| Species implicated in toxin transmission (transvector): | ||
| Report the outcome of a monitoring programme: | Yes (Pollution Monitoring by Natural Resources Conservation Department) | |
| Event occurred before in this location: | Yes (On a smaller scale the year before.) | |
| Individuals to contact: | Blythe-Mallett, Azra | |
| Location: | Latitude: 17.900000, Longitude: | |
| General location information: |
St. Thomas, South Coast HAB Area code(s): JA-02 |
|
| Additional location information: | ~15 km of coastline affected from Bull Bay to Yallas. Area characterized by relatively deep waters (200m) close to shore. | |
| Bloom event dates (yyyy/mm/dd): |
Event Date:1985-03-27 Start: 1985-01-01, End: 1985-05-20 |
|
| Quarantine levels dates (yyyy/mm/dd): | ||
| Additional date-related information: | ||
| Causative organism known: | No | |
| Causative Species/Genus: |
Gonyaulax sp.
( cells/L)
|
|
| Co-Ocurring Species/Genus: |
Trichodesmium sp.
( cells/L)
Oscillatoria sp. ( cells/L) |
|
| Chlorophyll concentration, if known: | µg/l | |
| Additional bloom information: | Chlorophyll levels were almost undetectable. Phytoplankton species were identified from examination of water samples. | |
| Event-related bibliography: | Aiken, K. and B. Jupp. 1985. The St. Thomas Fish Kill. Jamaica Journal, Quarterly of the Institute of Jamaica 18 (3): 53-56. | |
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| Nutrient information: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Temperature Range During Event: | Max: °C, Min: °C | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salinity Range During Event: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bloom location in the water column: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Growth: | Advected | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Growth Comments | Species were affected in a westerly direction in keeping with wind and current. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Additional Environmental information: | Organochlorides/ organophosphates from agricultural sources was identified as another possible cause for the fish kill. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Kit used: | Type of kit used: | ||||||
| Additional information: | No assays were done for toxins. | ||||||
| Economic losses: | Significant for small scale Fishers as 2,000 - 3,000 fish were lost which primarily provides bait for the hook-and-line and trolling fisheries as well as is used for food. | ||||||
| Management decision: | A more coordinated response is needed for fish kills around the Island. | ||||||
| Additional harmful effect information: | |||||||
