Harmful Algal Information System: Event GB-90-001

General Information

Event name:	GB-90-001
Country:	UNITED KINGDOM
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 (Similar event in 1968 led to monitoring program, which revealed presence of dinoflagellate toxins in littoral mussels annually, but extent and levels varied greatly.)
Individuals to contact:	BRESNAN, Eileen

Location & Date

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Location:	Latitude: , Longitude:
General location information:	Coast from the Humber to the Tay., NORTH EAST ENGLAND AND EAST SCOTLAND HAB Area code(s): GB-01 GB-23
Additional location information:
Bloom event dates (yyyy/mm/dd):
Quarantine levels dates (yyyy/mm/dd):
Additional date-related information:	Late May- mid July

Microalgae

Causative organism known:	No
Causative Species/Genus:
Co-Ocurring Species/Genus:
Chlorophyll concentration, if known:	µg/l
Additional bloom information:	Thought to be Gonyaulax excavata
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

No firm data available, but possibly in situ growth.

Additional Environmental information:

No data available.

Toxin Assay Information

Species containing the toxin

Toxin type

Toxin details

Max. concentration

Assay type

Kit used:

Type of kit used:

Additional information:

Economic losses:

Management decision:

26th May: blanket ban on all shellfish from the Humber to the Tay. 1st June: ban lifted for lobsters and prawns. 5th July: ban lifted for everything except scallops. 16th July: ban fully lifted for NE England

Additional harmful effect information:

High levels of PSP toxins found in mussels Mytilus edulis and also in crabs. Maximum level recorded was 19881 MU (3647 �g/100 g) in Mussels from Trow Rocks, South Shields.