In this page, we will explore a few things that scientists are doing to monitor or prevent harmful algal blooms.
Monitoring:
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides resources for monitoring and identification of blooms (7) although they are difficult to predict in time and space (4). Scientists have tried to culture Heterosigma akashiwo in laboratories in order to study the organisms but the findings have been inconsistent with fish-killing events in the wild, which makes it even more difficult to manage and minimize the impacts (4). In 1989, the Washington Department of Health started monitoring blooms for PSP at 70 sites using blue mussels (16). The sites are monitored every two weeks and data is given to other organizations and companies in order to minimize the impacts of blooms that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (16). The United States Marine Fisheries Science and Northwest Fisheries Science Center are part of the Olympic Region Harmful Algal Bloom (ORHAB) project, which is funded by NOAA's National Ocean Service (16). It is a collaboration effort between federal, state, Native American, local, and private groups (16).
Actions:
Several Atlantic salmon growers move their net pens when they first detect signs of Heterosigma akashiwo. Then the growers pump in deep water that does not contain Heterosigma akashiwo (4). The Atlantic salmon are not fed prior to or during blooms to limit oxygen demand for digestion, particularly when gills are damaged (14).
Monitoring:
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides resources for monitoring and identification of blooms (7) although they are difficult to predict in time and space (4). Scientists have tried to culture Heterosigma akashiwo in laboratories in order to study the organisms but the findings have been inconsistent with fish-killing events in the wild, which makes it even more difficult to manage and minimize the impacts (4). In 1989, the Washington Department of Health started monitoring blooms for PSP at 70 sites using blue mussels (16). The sites are monitored every two weeks and data is given to other organizations and companies in order to minimize the impacts of blooms that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (16). The United States Marine Fisheries Science and Northwest Fisheries Science Center are part of the Olympic Region Harmful Algal Bloom (ORHAB) project, which is funded by NOAA's National Ocean Service (16). It is a collaboration effort between federal, state, Native American, local, and private groups (16).
Actions:
Several Atlantic salmon growers move their net pens when they first detect signs of Heterosigma akashiwo. Then the growers pump in deep water that does not contain Heterosigma akashiwo (4). The Atlantic salmon are not fed prior to or during blooms to limit oxygen demand for digestion, particularly when gills are damaged (14).