Phytoplankton monitoring through the SoundToxins partnership improves shellfish management and safety for the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe
Presentation Abstract
The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe has monitored phytoplankton in Sequim Bay, WA as part of the SoundToxins program since 2008 to better understand the ecology of Sequim Bay and the growing environment of the Tribe’s culturally and economically important shellfish resources. The Tribe has been successful in using phytoplankton monitoring data to better inform shellfish biotoxin sampling efforts focused on protecting Tribal harvesters from consuming shellfish with unsafe levels of paralytic, diarrhetic and amnesiac shellfish toxins. With a focus on toxin-producing species, weekly phytoplankton monitoring activities have played a crucial role in establishing suitable biotoxin sampling locations and frequency to ensure the safety of the Tribe’s shellfish resources and minimize economic losses. It has also allowed the Tribe to document and track emerging harmful algal species (e.g., Dinophysis spp.) in Sequim Bay. Further, consistent monitoring has provided the Tribe with a greater understanding of unusual fish and shellfish mortality events linked to harmful phytoplankton, such as adult summer chum salmon mortality associated with a Heterosigma akashiwo bloom in 2014. The Tribe’s experience demonstrates the value of phytoplankton monitoring within the broader framework of managing fisheries resources.
Session Title
Harmful Phytoplankton in the Salish Sea: Part I
Conference Track
SSE5: Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation, and Research
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE5-219
Start Date
4-4-2018 2:45 PM
End Date
4-4-2018 3:00 PM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe; Phytoplankton--Washington (State)--Sequim; Poisonous shellfish--Monitoring--Washington (State)--Sequim; Marine algae culture--Washington (State)--Sequim
Subjects – Names (LCNAF)
SoundToxins (Partnership)
Geographic Coverage
Sequim (Wash.); Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Phytoplankton monitoring through the SoundToxins partnership improves shellfish management and safety for the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe
The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe has monitored phytoplankton in Sequim Bay, WA as part of the SoundToxins program since 2008 to better understand the ecology of Sequim Bay and the growing environment of the Tribe’s culturally and economically important shellfish resources. The Tribe has been successful in using phytoplankton monitoring data to better inform shellfish biotoxin sampling efforts focused on protecting Tribal harvesters from consuming shellfish with unsafe levels of paralytic, diarrhetic and amnesiac shellfish toxins. With a focus on toxin-producing species, weekly phytoplankton monitoring activities have played a crucial role in establishing suitable biotoxin sampling locations and frequency to ensure the safety of the Tribe’s shellfish resources and minimize economic losses. It has also allowed the Tribe to document and track emerging harmful algal species (e.g., Dinophysis spp.) in Sequim Bay. Further, consistent monitoring has provided the Tribe with a greater understanding of unusual fish and shellfish mortality events linked to harmful phytoplankton, such as adult summer chum salmon mortality associated with a Heterosigma akashiwo bloom in 2014. The Tribe’s experience demonstrates the value of phytoplankton monitoring within the broader framework of managing fisheries resources.
