Harmful algal blooms - harmonization of data
1-day WG 15/TCODE Workshop

Co-conveners: Hee-Dong Jeong (Korea) & Vera L. Trainer (U.S.A.)

Our ability to manage the Pacific coastal region seafood harvest is dependent, in part, on our ability to assure the safety of this harvest to human consumers. Our understanding of factors contributing to harmful algal bloom (HAB) events is limited by our access to comparative data from similar coastlines that face the same challenges from harmful biotoxins. A free flow of information to all interested investigators is vital in planning experiments, analyzing data, modeling HABs, and in putting together the broad picture of the relationship between biological, physical and chemical factors that influence the development of blooms in Pacific coastal regions. It is also critical to improve forecasting of future bloom events and protection of coastal fisheries in all PICES member countries. However, the historical data sets available for analysis of coastal HAB events are widely dispersed among the various agencies responsible for monitoring biotoxin events. These data exist in various degrees of processing, quality assurance, and public availability, and much of the available data (e.g. on phytoplankton assemblage characteristics) are in forms that are difficult to use. Through this data harmonization workshop scientists and resource managers will look at and discuss the interest of PICES member countries in the establishment of a common database. Mechanisms for integration of the ICES and PICES harmful algal bloom databases will be also examined. This database project could be the subject of a new PICES Working Group on HABs.