Interim report of the ICES-IOC Working Group on Harmful Algal Bloom Dynamics (WGHABD)

The ICES-IOC Working Group on Harmful Algal Bloom Dynamics (WGHABD) has nine Terms of Reference (ToR) in its current work programme, seven of which were addressed at the meeting. The main focus was on the WGHABD data in the IOC-ICES-PICES Harmful Algal Event (HAEDAT) database and progress towards generating an ICES Harmful Algal Event Status report. This report will form the ICES contribution to Global HAB Status Report (GHSR), which is currently being produced by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC).National reports showed that a variety of HABs continue to cause problems in the ICES area. Pseudo-nitzschia and Amnesic Shellfish Toxins continue cause widespread problems on the west coast of the USA and Canada and was once again recorded on the east coast. Karenia brevis, brown tides and Cochlodinium blooms also caused problems in USA. Shellfish toxins again caused problems in Europe; however, in some areas (Ireland) closures were of a shorter duration. There were a number of canine fatalities in the UK resulting from dogs eating starfish and fish that contained high concentrations of PSP toxins that had been washed ashore after a storm. Ciguatoxins were once again detected in fish from the Canary Islands. Pseudochattonella were observed in Danish, Swedish and Norwegian waters and cyanobacterial blooms were recorded in the Baltic. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) was again recorded in shellfish from Dutch waters but below the threshold level. Testing of historic shellfish samples from in Ireland did not reveal the presence of TTX.New findings included a review of ongoing projects looking at satellite imagery and generating early warning of HAB events, dynamics of HAB species along the Catalan coast, molecular methodologies, bioanalytical devices for the detection of HAB species and oomycete parasites of Pseudo-nitzschia. An update about the OSPAR intermediate assessment and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive was presented, and the emerging risk from Ciguatera Fish Poisoning was looked at.