Agusan River Basin Mangrove Wildlife Conservation Network

An oral presentation delivered by Dr. Rhodora Azanza during the 7th IOC/WESTPAC International Conference in Kota Kinabalu Malaysia last May 23, 2008. Abstract: Marine phytoplankton species that can cause human toxicity, e.g. paralytic shellfish poisoning has been reported in many areas in the Philippines since 1983. The causative organism, Pyrodinium bahamense var compressum can form dense blooms unlike other species that can cause toxicity even in low densities. There have been no report however of fish kills associated with the bloom of P. bahamense in the country. Other species that do not form toxins harmful to human beings can form high density blooms and hypoxia/anoxia in coastal areas, thereby causing fish kills and socio-economic problems. The Cochlodinium bloom at the western coast of Palawan in 2005 caused massive fish kills. The Prorocentrum and Chatonella blooms in Pangasinan (2002 and 2004) exerted huge losses to the milkfish industry in northern Philippines.

Posted by arbmwcnetwork on Jun 08, 2008

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