Early Warning of Toxins in Puget Sound Shellfish - SoundToxins
Vera Trainer, NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Abstract
The existing monitoring and management program for harmful algal bloom (HAB) toxins and Vibrio outbreaks in Puget Sound is not designed to provide an early warning of these events, nor can it ascertain what steps might be taken to potentially limit the spread of these problems. To better attain these goals, the Partnership for Enhanced Monitoring and Emergency Response to Harmful Algal Blooms and Vibrio in Puget Sound (SoundToxins) began in summer 2007 as a forum for collaboration and cooperation among federal, state and local agencies, marine resource-based businesses, public interest groups, and academic institutions to manage the prediction of and response to HAB and Vibrio species in Puget Sound using a practical blend of emerging and proven technologies. The goal of SoundToxins is to provide sufficient warning of HAB and Vibrio events to enable early or selective harvesting of shellfish, thereby minimizing risks to both human health while reducing economic loss to Puget Sound shellfisheries.