KBNERR Harmful Algal Bloom Updates

Hello Everyone,

This week we continued to see a variety of phytoplankton species present in samples from the inner and outer bay. Dactyliosolen sp. dominated several sites in outer Kachemak Bay and Chaetoceros spp. were blooming in Halibut Cove. Chaetoceros spp. have spines that can clog gills in fishes. This can be problematic for fishes held in net pens when they are unable to swim away from a bloom, however Chaetoceros spp. do not produce any toxins.

Additional information, including qualitative analysis of phytoplankton data, is available in the Phytoplankton Update for July 23rd – July 29th.

Hello Everyone,

This week we saw a variety of phytoplankton species present in samples from the inner and outer bay with different groups dominating in different sub-bays. Halibut Cove phytoplankton was dominated by two different phytoplankton blooms, Chaetoceros sp. and Rhizosolenia sp.. The only other years Rhizosolenia sp. was the dominant phytoplankton in inner Kachemak Bay during July were 2014 and 2016.

Additional information, including qualitative analysis of phytoplankton data, is available in the Phytoplankton Update for July 16th – July 22nd.

We have relatively few samples to report out on this week. However, each of the three locations sampled had abundant phytoplankton with Chaetoceros sp. dominating the inner bay sites.

Additional information, including qualitative analysis of phytoplankton data, is available in the Phytoplankton Update for July 9th – July 15th.

This was a short week with the Fourth of July Holiday and relatively few phytoplankton samples to report out on this week. Phytoplankton are abundant this week in the samples from most of the inner bay sites collected this week. 

The Alaska Harmful Bloom Network (AHAB) 2020 HAB Summary by region is complete and available on the AHAB website. You will also find the 2019 HAB Summary by region there.    

Additional information, including qualitative analysis of phytoplankton data, is available in the Phytoplankton Update for July 2nd – July 8th.

This week phytoplankton in the inner bay were sparse at all the sites sampled. We did see Pseudo-nitzschia and Dinophysis species, two species of concern, present in low abundances in almost all the inner bay samples. A group of phytoplankton is considered present if at least one cell of that group is seen in the sample. We monitor the abundances of the three species of concern with specific criteria to provide valuable information to shellfish harvesters of all types and public health officials to protect human health in our communities. KBNERR is not a regulatory agency, the statewide stance toward harvesting and consumption of wild shellfish is “Dig at your own risk”.

Additional information, including qualitative analysis of phytoplankton data, is available in the Phytoplankton Update for June 25th – July 1st.

This week Peterson Bay phytoplankton is again dominated by the dinoflagellate Heterocapsa sp.. while other inner bay sampling sites varied in phytoplankton diversity and abundance. The outer bay samples all had sparse phytoplankton this week.

Additional information, including qualitative analysis of phytoplankton data, is available in the Phytoplankton Update for June 18th – June 24th.