Unprecedented West Coast Toxic Algal Bloom

 A few months ago, I heard a news report on how the Pacific Ocean is becoming warmer for sea life to exist. Now, today, we hear about closure of  fisheries from California to Washington, and possibly to Alaska. I cannot emphasize enough that whatever you can grow in your porch, patio, or backyard is the way to go. I am indulging in raspberries and strawberries from my garden now. I live on the west coast of BC, so no doubt this ENENews will affect us also. There is much written about Fukushima radiation. Please be aware, as you and your families health is at risk.

« Study: Fukushima radiation will cause long-term harm to Pacific salmon population — Efforts needed to protect species from possible extinction — Radiation monitoring is critical to avoid human health problems — “US inland areas also at risk of exposure”  

  CIA Agent: Gov’t covering up effects of radiation; I hope public becomes more aware of threat to their health — Study: Actual radiation risks are “orders of magnitude greater” than official estimates; “Completely changes the picture… a serious public health hazard” (VIDEO) »

Gov’t: “This is unprecedented in extent and magnitude”… toxic bloom may stretch from Calif. to Alaska — Largest event ever recorded? — Official: “It’s new territory… we’ve never had to close essentially half our coast” — Fish washing up “extremely poisonous” — “Serious concern for coastal communities”

Published: June 16th, 2015 at 2:47 am ET By ENENews  Email Article 133 comments

NOAA Fisheries (pdf), Jun 15, 2015 (emphasis added): NOAA Fisheries mobilizes to gauge unprecedented West Coast toxic algal bloom [that] spans much of the West Coast and has triggered numerous closures of important shellfish fisheries… The bloom stretches from the Central California Coast north to Washington and possibly Alaska…
Seattle Times, Jun 15, 2015: Toxic algae bloom might be largest ever — Scientists onboard a NOAA research vessel are beginning a survey of what could be the largest toxic algae bloom ever recorded off the West Coast… At the same time, two other types of toxins rarely seen in combination are turning up,,, along the Washington coast… the toxin has never hit so hard in the spring, or required such widespread closures for crabs… concentrations in California anchovies this year [are] as high as any ever measured… [Dan Ayres with Washington's Dept. of Fish & Wildlife] recently spotted a sea lion wracked by seizures… collapsed into a fetal position and quivered… Domoic-acid contamination is rare in Puget Sound, but several beds have been closed this year because of…  paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) and a relatively new threat called diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP). The first confirmed case of DSP poisoning in the United States occurred in 2011 [in Washington]… 2015 is the first time regulators have detected dangerous levels of PSP, DSP and domoic acid in the state at the same time — and in some cases, in the same places…
USA Today, Jun 15, 2015: Toxic algae bloom closes fisheries from Calif. to Washington
USA Today, Jun 15, 2015: Toxic algae bloom may stretch from California to Alaska
Half Moon Bay Review, Jun 11, 2015:  Potentially toxic fish wash ashore… “the event sounds similar to what I’ve experienced in Moss Landing Harbor,” said Chris Scholin, president of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. “And the level of poison in the fish here is the highest concentration ever recorded… since the issue was first discovered… We don’t know if the fish have actually succumbed to the toxins but have found that the fish are extremely poisonous“… Scholin’s team in Monterey has observed dead birds.

• Vera Trainer, NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center (pdf): “This is unprecedented in terms of the extent and magnitude.”
• More from Trainer: “We’re seeing multiple toxins at the same time… high levels of domoic acid [and] a coastwide bloom — those are indications that this is unprecedented.”
• Eileen Sobeck, NOAA (pdf): “[It's] a serious concern for coastal communities… The better we understand what’s happening… the better we can address the impacts.”
• Raphael Kudela, UCSC ocean scientist: “By collecting data over the full West Coast… we will have a much better idea of… what is causing it, and why this year… This is possibly the largest event spatially that we’ve ever recorded.”
• Jerry Borchert, Washington’s marine biotoxin coordinator: “It all really started early this year… This has been a really bad year overall for biotoxins.”
• Dan Ayres, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: “This is new territory for us… We’ve never had to close essentially half our coast.”

See also: California cientists warning of mass die-off — Official: Seafloor littered with dead fish, washing up “far as I could see” — Toxin spreading all up and down West Coast (VIDEO)

  Obvious

June 16, 2015 at 1:32 pm Log in to Reply

I sent this:
Hello,
My name is Pia Jensen. I am a former elected official from northern California and have studied ecological systems and law.
I am writing to know if you have read "Walter Russell's Atomic Suicide?" and if you have some idea as to whether the daily dumping of man-made radiation from Fukushima's nuclear power plants has a connection to the rapid changes we are evidencing in the Pacific Ocean, or not.
Thank you for your time,

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