A harmful algal bloom database for the US west coast

Adams, Nicolaus G., and Vera L. Trainer

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Environmental Conservation Division, Marine Biotoxin Program, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA
Nicolaus.Adams@noaa.gov

On the west coast of the United States, records pertaining to harmful algal bloom (HAB) events are archived in a variety of formats. A number of different institutions in the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California are involved in collecting HAB data. Each of these entities has their own system of data archival and display. Integration of these disparate data sets will provide an invaluable tool to researchers in the HAB community. These data will be used to elucidate temporal and spatial trends of HAB occurrences and state-to-state comparisons. A database of marine toxins in shellfish, e.g. paralytic shellfish toxins and domoic acid, is being constructed using historical records from Alaska, Washington, and Oregon. Each regional data set presents unique challenges. For example, many of the historical records are not in electronic format. In addition to shellfish toxin data, oceanographic data encompassing biological, chemical, and physical parameters are also being consolidated for database entry. Two programs, the Olympic Region Harmful Algal Bloom and the Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms-Pacific Northwest projects, are collecting data from the waters off Washington State that will be used to determine the factors that contribute to the initiation, development, and transport of HABs from offshore regions to coastal areas. Preliminary results demonstrate the usefulness of integrating offshore oceanographic data with toxin data in order to couple the offshore and onshore environments. The addition of similar oceanographic data from Alaska, Oregon, and California would be an integral part of this database.