California HAB Bulletin: March 2022

MARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Pseudo-nitzschia -

C-HARM tells us where conditions are suitable for species of the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia spp. (all size classes) to grow well and where they might be more likely to produce the deadly neurotoxin, domoic acid (DA).
C-HARM predictions for Pseudo-nitzschia spp. blooms in March suggested much greater bloom potential throughout the month, with some intermittent spread offshore and then contraction back to the coastline, particularly for northern California. In contrast to February, intense hot spots in the Southern California Bight were obvious. This is the expected climatology for the month of March, the true start to spring bloom season and often the accompanying toxic events.
As in February, Pseudo-nitzschia spp. of both classes were blooming at all sites at some point in March. The highest abundances of the toxigenic 'seriata' group were detected at Santa Monica and Newport Piers in March, correlating with animal stranding events in that region in February-March. This is a good indicator of the onset of the spring bloom period as all diatoms, not just Pseudo-nitzschia species, are poised for an increase in dominance as spring conditions become more prevalent.
Pseudo-nitzschia activity from CDPH sampling pointed to bloom activity for the 'seriata' group at Catalina Island, Santa Barbara, and near SF at Pacifica Pier. Depending on when CDPH sampled at that HABMAP piers relative to HABMAP scientists, there are differences in whether CDPH caught bloom levels of Pseudo-nitzschia at those sites, pointing to the incredible variability in plankton dynamics.
The CA Imaging Flow Cytobot Network snapshot from March 16th shows a large Lingulodinium polyedra "red tide" bloom (not considered harmful) off the coast of San Diego at Del Mar Mooring, with mixed assemblages of diatoms dominating as you move further north up the CA coast.
C-HARM probabilities in March for particulate domoic acid (pDA) pointed to one major hot spot along the central coast outside of SF Bay and into Marin/Sonoma County coastlines (with a large offshore extent) as well as an intense narrow band of potential DA activity along the North Coast. The Santa Barbara Channel grew into a potentially large hot spot in late March.
The pattern for C-HARM predictions of cellular domoic acid (cDA) probability was similar to pDA for March, although the southern extent of the potential central CA hot spot decreased for cDA over the course of March and covered much of the central CA coastline and offshore region. As with pDA, cDA probabilities intensified to 80-100% in the Santa Barbara Channel region by the end of March.
Interestingly, for much of the month where domoic acid data are available from HABMAP sampling sites, no DA was detected.
Only two DA toxicosis cases were reported by TMMC in March -- both from the central coast (Monterey on March 6 and Santa Cruz on March 17). PMMC did report a very large stranding event potentially from DA poisoning in late February, with some animals continuing to wash up in Orange County into early March. The central coast strandings are consistent with the significant DA hot spot predicted in that region by C-HARM in March. The Orange County deaths (21 animals in total) align with high pDA probabilities in that area in the mid- to late February C-HARM predictions.
CDPH health advisories have been stable with no new advisories since December, although the recreational razor clam advisory still stands for Del Norte County.

Alexandrium -

CDPH had only one "Present" measure for Alexandrium spp. in March, at Goleta Pier in Santa Barbara. This is consistent with HABMAP sampling which found no Alexandrium spp. at pier sites in March. There are currently no advisories for Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning.

*Please note that HABMAP sampling, CDPH sampling, and marine mammal rescues have been greatly reduced in response to COVID-19 safety measures.

Summary written by Clarissa Anderson on March 24, 2022

Note that data for some stations are not shown because they are not yet recorded in the public HABMAP archive.

Differentiating Pseudo-nitzschia species by light microscopy is difficult. For this reason, Pseudo-nitzschia "seriata" does not refer to an actual species but rather the larger size class of Pseudo-nitzschia, which is generally a more toxigenic group of species. Alternatively, Pseudo-nitzschia "delicatissima" refers to the smaller size class that is generally non-toxigenic. The dashed line on the plots demarcates the 10,000 cells/L "bloom" threshold designated here for Pseudo-nitzschia populations only.

More information and data visualizations on the statewide HAB network and forecasting system can be found on the California HABMAP website and on the SCCOOS Harmful Algal Bloom page.

**CDPH observations for Pseudo-nitzschia "seriata" and Alexandrium spp.**

View the interactive map and data table of California Department of Public Health (CDPH) data from January 2019 to present, developed by SCCOOS, below. Or, view CDPH Toxic Phytoplankton Observations Map with layers of Pseudo-nitzschia and Alexandrium spp. as well as other phytoplankton species observations (in the pop-up windows).

Data are provided by the Environmental Management Branch of the CDPH. Please note, starting in July 2019, CDPH moved to only reporting Pseudo-nitzschia of the seriata complex and not all Pseudo-nitzschia spp. as previously provided.

Please email CDPH at Susan.Paulukonis@cdph.ca.gov for any potential marine HAB-related illness in humans.

Pseudo-nitzschia "seriata" was detected at "Present" density levels on 37 occasions:

2022-03-01 5% Mendocino, Noyo Harbor
2022-03-01 5% San Diego Bay, U.S. Navy Pier
2022-03-01 7% Imperial Beach Pier
2022-03-02 1% Mendocino, Noyo Harbor
2022-03-02 3% Catalina Island, Toyon Bay
2022-03-02 5% Santa Cruz Is., Scorpion Anch.
2022-03-03 1% Bolsa Chica
2022-03-03 1% Santa Cruz Wharf
2022-03-04 5% Pismo Pier
2022-03-04 5% Ventura, Port Hueneme Pier
2022-03-04 7% San Francisco, Presidio Pier
2022-03-05 1% Pacifica Pier
2022-03-07 7% La Jolla, Scripps Pier
2022-03-09 2% Palos Verdes, OFFSHORE
2022-03-10 8% Santa Cruz, Seacliff Pier
2022-03-11 1% Bolsa Chica
2022-03-11 2% Ventura, Port Hueneme Pier
2022-03-12 5% Pacifica Pier
2022-03-12 5% Pillar Point Harbor
2022-03-14 2% Agua Hedionda Lagoon
2022-03-14 2% La Jolla, Scripps Pier
2022-03-14 3% Bodega Harbor, USCG Dock
2022-03-14 5% Tomales Bay, Lease #M430-15
2022-03-15 1% Monterey Bay, Commercial Wharf
2022-03-16 1% Santa Cruz Wharf
2022-03-18 1% San Clemente Pier
2022-03-20 4% Pacifica Pier
2022-03-21 2% Tomales Bay, Lease #M430-15
2022-03-23 7% Santa Cruz Wharf
2022-03-24 3% San Francisco, Presidio Pier
2022-03-24 5% Pillar Point Harbor
2022-03-25 2% Drakes Bay, Chimney Rock LBS
2022-03-25 3% Bolsa Chica
2022-03-28 2% La Jolla, Scripps Pier
2022-03-28 4% Tomales Bay, Lease #M430-15
2022-03-29 2% Bodega Harbor, USCG Dock
2022-03-30 2% Monterey Bay, Commercial Wharf

Pseudo-nitzschia "seriata" was detected at "Rare" density levels on 17 occasions:

2022-03-02 0.5% Goleta Pier
2022-03-06 0.5% Pacific Beach Pier
2022-03-07 0.5% Tomales Bay, Lease #M430-15
2022-03-07 0.5% Morro Bay, Boat Launch
2022-03-09 0.5% Pillar Point Harbor
2022-03-09 0.5% Imperial Beach Pier
2022-03-09 0.5% San Diego Bay, Shelter Island
2022-03-14 0.5% Morro Bay, Boat Launch
2022-03-14 0.5% Humboldt Bay, Indian Is. Ch.
2022-03-14 0.5% Catalina Island, Avalon Bay
2022-03-17 0.5% Imperial Beach Pier
2022-03-19 0.5% Morro Bay, North T-Pier
2022-03-21 0.5% Morro Bay, Boat Launch
2022-03-21 0.5% Mendocino, Noyo Harbor
2022-03-21 0.5% Trinidad Pier
2022-03-24 0.5% Imperial Beach Pier
2022-03-28 0.5% Humboldt Bay, Indian Is. Ch.

Alexandrium spp. were detected at "Rare" density levels on 11 occasions:

2022-03-02 0.5% Goleta Pier
2022-03-04 0.5% Pismo Pier
2022-03-04 0.5% Ventura, Port Hueneme Pier
2022-03-07 0.5% Tomales Bay, Lease #M430-15
2022-03-08 0.5% Port San Luis, Diablo Cove
2022-03-08 0.5% Monterey Bay, Commercial Wharf
2022-03-11 0.5% Ventura, Port Hueneme Pier
2022-03-14 0.5% La Jolla, Scripps Pier
2022-03-16 0.5% Pismo Pier
2022-03-28 0.5% La Jolla, Scripps Pier
2022-03-30 0.5% San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly Pier

CDPH and OEHHA Health Advisories

April 2. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) warned consumers today not to eat raw oysters from British Columbia, Canada because they may be linked to an outbreak of norovirus illnesses in California. Canadian officials continue to investigate the source of norovirus illnesses and have closed multiple growing regions in British Columbia for sanitary contamination.

December 16. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is advising consumers not to eat sport-harvested razor clams from Del Norte County due to dangerous levels of naturally occurring domoic acid, also referred to as Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning, being detected.

November 29. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has lifted the shellfish safety notification for Dungeness crab caught in state waters from the Sonoma/Mendocino County Line (38° 46.125' N. Latitude) to Point Reyes (38° N. Latitude) in Marin County.

November 5. Due to the detection of elevated levels of domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning consumers not to eat the viscera (internal organs) of Dungeness crab caught in coastal waters.

For the latest closures and updates, please visit the CDPH Health Advisories page as a central location of information related to CDPH health advisories. Also available is a map showing the current CDPH Recreational Bivalve Shellfish Advisories (see below).

The HAB-related illness workgroup has developed a new webpage for marine HAB-related illness tracking work (https://oehha.ca.gov/fish/general-info/marine-harmful-algal-bloom-hab-related-illness-tracking).

Domoic acid (DA) is a potent neurotoxin produced by some diatom species of the genus Pseudo-nitzschia. Species exposed to DA can result in seizures, epilepsy, cardiomyopathy, and death depending upon the ingested dose. DA toxicosis commonly occurs in California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus), presumably due to a combination of foraging behavior and seasonal movements. The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC), Channel Islands Marine Wildlife Institute (CIMWI), California Wildlife Center (CWC), Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles (MMCC-LA), Marine Animal Rescue (MAR), the Pacific Marine Mammal Center (PMMC), and SeaWorld act like an emergency room by working to rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles.

SeaWorld and MMCCLA did not record any strandings due to suspected domoic acid in March 2022. Results from CWC, MAR, and CIMWI are pending.

March strandings due to suspected DA toxicosis occurred in the following counties:

Monterey (TMMC)
- March 6 - pup, female, California Sea Lion
Santa Cruz (TMMC)
- March 17 - adult, female, California Sea Lion

PMMC also had 9 deceased sea lions picked up in Crystal Cove, Newport Beach, and Laguna Beach since February 16th. DA results are pending.

California HAB Bulletin: March 2022

Probability of Pseudo-nitzschia Bloom for March 2022

Probability of Particulate DA for March 2022

Probability of Cellular DA for March 2022

Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring & Alert Program (HABMAP)

**CDPH observations for Pseudo-nitzschia "seriata" and Alexandrium spp.**

Pseudo-nitzchia "seriata" group was detected in 57 of the 85 samples:

Alexandrium spp. were detected in 12 of the 85 samples:

At this time we do not have data from the North Coast Marine Mammal Center.

Contacts if you find a LIVE stranded animal

Contacts if you find a DEAD stranded animal

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