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Welcome to the Harmful Algae Monitoring Network for Shellfish Growers of British Columbia!

This email list is to provide basic communications to a BC-wide network of shellfish growers, harmful algae specialists, and government agencies. This list has been designed to serve as an early warning system and a forum to coordinate the response to harmful events. This list was created by David Cassis and moderated by Matthew Wright (BCSGA).

Monitoring techniques are based on Nicky Haigh’s Plankton Identification Handbook for Shellfish Growers on the West Coast of Canada. This guide can be used for algae identification together with Phytopedia (http://www.eos.ubc.ca/research/phytoplankton/). Follow the general protocol to respond and report harmful algae sightings, for species-specific protocols contact David Cassis (CAD 20 + tax and shipping).

General response protocol:

1. Obtain as much information as possible

–      Location, causative organism, photos of the organism, abundance, general aspect of the bloom

–      Increase sampling frequency while the harmful algae can be observed

–      Communicate at site/company level for an appropriate response (voluntary harvesting moratorium while toxins are checked, avoiding seed introduction)

2. Use the network, email and telephone to communicate the information to nearby growers
3. Coordinate a local response (increased monitoring frequency, voluntary harvesting moratorium while toxins are checked, avoiding seed introduction)
4. Communicate the information network-wide
5. Coordinate a network  scale response if necessary

To report the occurrence of harmful algae to the network, please use the following form, completing as many fields as possible:

Event report sheet

Name of person reporting the incident:

Company:

Location:

Contact information (email or telephone preferred):

Characteristics of the event:

–harmful algae present

–abundance

–aspect of the bloom (colour, odours, extension, distribution, how it formed or developed)

–shellfish mortalities (seed or adult, approximate number)

–marine animal mortalities (type and approximate number)

–harmful effects and other impacts

Additional resources

A)     Recommended Materials

* Several options exist for microscopes ranging in price from around $270 upwards. Please contact David Cassis davidcassis@gmail.com if you need more information.

Links to suppliers:

Amscope http://store.amscope.com/b490b-m.html

Dynamic Aqua Supply:

B)      Selected online resources

·         Phyto’pedia, the visual encyclopedia of common plankton in BC. A new resource that compiles ecological and taxonomic information with high quality images in accessible language. Centered on phytoplankton and counts with seasonal images. http://www.eos.ubc.ca/research/phytoplankton/

·         Cupp’s Marine plankton diatoms of the west coast of North America. A thorough guide of the diatoms of the west coast made mostly with clear line drawings. An excellent resource despite a few outdated names. http://www.slideshare.net/guestb1774c/ee-cupp-diatoms

·         A list of species common in the west coast with nice images prepared by the Kudela Lab at the University of California Santa Cruz http://oceandatacenter.ucsc.edu/PhytoGallery/

·         A guide of common species with annotated images prepared by the Global Ballast Water Management Programme http://globallast.imo.org/monograph%207%20phytoplankton%20catalogue.pdf

·         Good general guide for the plankton prepared by Robert Perry – UCLA OceanGLOBE & Malibu High School http://www.msc.ucla.edu/oceanglobe/pdf/guide_plankton1.pdf

·         A general explanation about phytoplankton and harmful algae blooms with images prepared by Gregg W. Langlois and Patricia Smith http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1198/chapters/123-132_Phytoplankton.pdf This is a chapter of the book Beyond the Golden Gate—Oceanography, Geology, Biology, and Environmental Issues in the Gulf of the Farallones. Edited by Herman A. Karl, John L. Chin, Edward Ueber, Peter H. Stauffer, and James W. Hendley II. 2001. This is a book on oceanography and marine biology that can be downloaded for free herehttp://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1198/

·         NOAA’s harmful algal bloom hunter’s handbook. A complete guide with activities, general information, photo identification http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/hab/outreach/pdf_files/habhunthdbk.pdf

·         Harmful Plankton Project, a user-friendly guide to harmful phytoplankton in EU waters created by A Kraberg and DJS Montagnes http://www.liv.ac.uk/hab/intro.htm A complete guide to harmful algae with ecological and taxonomic information as well as images.

·         Simple key for common zooplankton prepared by the University of Georgia Marine Education Center and Aquarium. http://georgiaseagrant.uga.edu/images/uploads/media/Zooplankton_key.pdf

·         An easy to use image-based zooplankton key of prepared by the University of New Hampshire, Durham http://cfb.unh.edu/cfbkey/html/index.html

·         Overview of the plankton in the Pacific north coast integrated management area (PNCIMA) http://www.pncima.org/media/documents/pncima-publications/pncima_eoar_328842_d_plankton.pdf

Please click here for the full document.

@ Deep Bay Marine Field Station, April 24.

http://viudeepbay.com/2013/04/16/shellfish-salon-travel-report-oyster-culture-in-tasmania-and-nsw-australia/

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