Streaming Media
Presentation Abstract
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can threaten the health and stability of an ecosystem. They occur when there is a significant increase in the abundance of toxin-producing phytoplankton. Paralytic shellfish toxins are just one example of how these massive blooms can be lethal to marine life and even humans if the poisoned shellfish are consumed. HABs are seen as a considerable threat to the ecosystem, but what about the non-HAB-forming plankton that make the waters of the Salish Sea their home? Plankton of many kinds do not require complex conditions for blooming to occur; it can be as simple as temperature and time of year fitting the ideal requirements needed for plankton to reproduce rapidly. Do these other types of blooms also pose a threat, which could even be more prominent than HABs due to the frequency of occurrence? This study investigates phytoplankton blooms occurring in Possession Sound, Washington for the last four years to figure out if this is possible. Two sites in Possession Sound, encompassing the Snohomish River Estuary, were selected for study: one site farther out in the sound and one site closer to shore, potentially with more influence from human activity. Using data from the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA), we examine the conditions in which an overabundance of phytoplankton occurred at these two sites. Water temperature, chlorophyll levels, and plankton counts completed by ORCA students are used to compare bloom and non-bloom conditions. Additionally, we investigate which species dominate these blooms and whether there is any correlation between season or other conditions and the species most prevalent. By investigating this, a possible conclusion can be drawn about the overall threat that phytoplankton blooms may pose, even if they are not under the label of HABs.
Session Title
Poster Session 2: The Salish Sea Food Web and Cycles of Life
Conference Track
SSE14: Posters
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-posters-194
Start Date
26-4-2022 4:30 PM
End Date
26-4-2022 5:00 PM
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Plankton blooms--Washington (State)--Possession Sound; Algal blooms--Washington (State)--Possession Sound; Estuarine ecology--Washington (State)--Possession Sound; Estuarine area conservation--Washington (State)--Possession Sound
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Possession Sound (Wash.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Species abundance and conditions of plankton blooms in Possession Sound
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can threaten the health and stability of an ecosystem. They occur when there is a significant increase in the abundance of toxin-producing phytoplankton. Paralytic shellfish toxins are just one example of how these massive blooms can be lethal to marine life and even humans if the poisoned shellfish are consumed. HABs are seen as a considerable threat to the ecosystem, but what about the non-HAB-forming plankton that make the waters of the Salish Sea their home? Plankton of many kinds do not require complex conditions for blooming to occur; it can be as simple as temperature and time of year fitting the ideal requirements needed for plankton to reproduce rapidly. Do these other types of blooms also pose a threat, which could even be more prominent than HABs due to the frequency of occurrence? This study investigates phytoplankton blooms occurring in Possession Sound, Washington for the last four years to figure out if this is possible. Two sites in Possession Sound, encompassing the Snohomish River Estuary, were selected for study: one site farther out in the sound and one site closer to shore, potentially with more influence from human activity. Using data from the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA), we examine the conditions in which an overabundance of phytoplankton occurred at these two sites. Water temperature, chlorophyll levels, and plankton counts completed by ORCA students are used to compare bloom and non-bloom conditions. Additionally, we investigate which species dominate these blooms and whether there is any correlation between season or other conditions and the species most prevalent. By investigating this, a possible conclusion can be drawn about the overall threat that phytoplankton blooms may pose, even if they are not under the label of HABs.
