General Information

Event name: ZAF-68-001
Country: SOUTH AFRICA
Nature of the harmful event:
Water Discoloration , High Phyto concentration , Seafood toxins
Event directly affected:
Toxicity detected: Yes
Associated syndrome:
Unexplained toxicity: No
Species implicated in toxin transmission (transvector): Mytilus meridionalis
Report the outcome of a monitoring programme: Yes (Test sampling by J. R. Grindley)
Event occurred before in this location: Yes (1967)
Individuals to contact: MANSFIELD, Lisa , SCHWEIBOLD Laura

Location & Date

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Location: Latitude: -31.931389, Longitude: 18.161667
General location information: Elands Bay, West coast
HAB Area code(s): ZAF-01
Additional location information: 3 points sampled: surface samples off the point (Cape Deseada), surface samples off the beach, and samples from a depth of 3 metres
Bloom event dates (yyyy/mm/dd): Event Date:1968-12-08
Start: 1968-12-04,
Quarantine levels dates (yyyy/mm/dd):
Additional date-related information:

Microalgae

Causative organism known: Yes
Causative Species/Genus: Alexandrium catenella (1,14.10^6 cells/L)
was ascribed to G. catenella
Co-Ocurring Species/Genus:
Chlorophyll concentration, if known: µg/l
Additional bloom information:
Event-related bibliography: GRINDLEY, J.R. and N. SAPEIKA 1969 - The cause of mussel poisoning in South Africa. S. Afr. Med. J. 43: 275 - 279

Environmental Conditions

Weather: Sunny Turbidity (NTU): Wind direction: SW
Stratified water: Oxygen content (nL/L): Wind velocity: Force 2 to force 3
Temperature (°C): Oxygen saturation %: Current Direction:
Sechhi disk (m): Salinity: Current Velocity:
Nutrient information:
Temperature Range During Event: Max: °C, Min: °C
Salinity Range During Event:
Bloom location in the water column:
Surface
Growth:
Growth Comments
Additional Environmental information: "It was considered that the time and conditions were right for red water to be developing"

Toxin Assay Information

Species containing the toxin Toxin type Toxin details Max. concentration Assay type
Alexandrium catenella Saxitoxins 42000 m.units/100g Bioassay-Mouse
Kit used: No Type of kit used:
Additional information:
Economic losses:
Management decision: Warnings on the radio and in the press
Additional harmful effect information: No human victims reported
Created at 01:48 on 23 Jan 2019
Updated at 11:47 on 10 Nov 2019
IOC/UNESCO ISSHA
IOC/UNESCO ICES PICES