Harmful Algal Information System: Event US-89-009

General Information

Event name:	US-89-009
Country:	UNITED STATES
Nature of the harmful event:	Seafood toxins
Event directly affected:
Toxicity detected:	Yes (Approximate range: 14,000 痢 STXeq / 100 g meat.)
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 (1969, 1973.)
Individuals to contact:	ROSS, Maria R.

Location & Date

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Location:	Latitude: , Longitude:
General location information:	Humboldt County., California. HAB Area code(s): US-21
Additional location information:	Areas affected: Humboldt Bay (Mad River, Bird Isl., Indian Isl. Chan., Sand Isl., North Jetty #1 & #2, Comm. Grow Station, Shelter Cove, Trinidad Head, Trinidad Pier, Samoa Bridge (center span)
Bloom event dates (yyyy/mm/dd):	Start: 1989-09-01, End: 1989-11-30
Quarantine levels dates (yyyy/mm/dd):
Additional date-related information:	September-November

Microalgae

Causative organism known:	Yes
Causative Species/Genus:	Protogonyaulax catenella ( cells/L)
Co-Ocurring Species/Genus:
Chlorophyll concentration, if known:	µg/l
Additional bloom information:
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

It appeared to be an in situ growth and it may have been exacerbated by an advected population

Additional Environmental information:

Data not available

Toxin Assay Information

Species containing the toxin	Toxin type	Toxin details	Max. concentration	Assay type
Wild Sentinel	Saxitoxins		3,500	Bioassay-Mouse
Bay mussels	Saxitoxins		2,200	Bioassay-Mouse
Wild Sentinel	Saxitoxins		4,400	Bioassay-Mouse
Sea mussels	Saxitoxins		14,000	Bioassay-Mouse
Cultured Pacific Oysters	Saxitoxins		270	Bioassay-Mouse

Kit used: No

Type of kit used:

Additional information:

Economic losses:

Management decision:

Although the annual mussel quarantine was in effect during the bloom an emergency quarantine was initiated for clams, sacallops, native oysters, cockles, and other bivalves. The quarantine was extended beyond the Oct31 normal deadline to Nov. 30, 1989.

Additional harmful effect information:

Extremely elevated concentrations of paralytic toxins in sentinel (3500 痢) wild (2200 痢) bay mussels, wild (4400 痢) sentinel (14000 痢) sea mussels, cultured Pacific oysters (270 痢).