Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

Utilizing cooperative fisheries research to monitor and understand harmful algal blooms along the Oregon coast

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/t148fr37v

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  • Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a problem for coastal communities, the fishing industry, and coastal organisms. Pseudo-nitzschia spp. is a regularly occurring diatom in Oregon’s coastal waters. At times, Pseudo-nitzschia spp. can facultatively produce domoic acid, a neurotoxin that can bioaccumulate in the food chain. While regular shore-based sampling provides information on the relative abundance of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. and domoic acid concentration, offshore sampling is limited, hindering our understanding of the environmental drivers of blooms and their toxicity. To address this gap, cooperative fisheries research was utilized to collect surface water samples along Oregon’s coast for early detection of HABs. A total of six commercial and charter fishermen were recruited to collect water samples and environmental data during regular fishing excursions. The fishermen were equipped with sampling kits to measure temperature and salinity and collect preserved seawater samples for phytoplankton counts. Samples were later processed with an Imaging Flow Cytobot (IFCB) to quantify the relative abundance and size of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. cells. Cooperative sampling revealed a spike in Pseudo-nitzschia abundance in late July and early August 2022. These findings agreed well with other regional analyses, such as the NANOOS Pacific Northwest HAB Bulletin. Sea surface temperature and salinity were assessed as potential predictor variables for cell counts. Neither provided strong predictability of cell counts. Sample collection was conducted from June-October 2022, providing a strong picture of seasonal and spatial variations of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. along the Oregon Coast. Additionally, IFCB image features were assessed for potential predictive capabilities for cell counts. When utilizing a multiple linear regression, seven IFCB image features, all relating to blob size, were selected as potential predictors. When a partial least squares regression model was utilized, eight latent variables provided up to 70.5% of predictability for cell counts. This collaboration with the fishing community showcases an untapped resource that collaborative fisheries research can fill, benefiting science and fishermen alike. Frequent and regular offshore monitoring allows for early harmful algal bloom detection, providing stakeholders with an advanced warning to make appropriate management decisions.
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  • Funding for this cooperative fisheries research project comes from IOOS regional association Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS). Additional support came from the US Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) , which is a collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA), Office of Naval Research (ONR) , and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). A recent MBON node was established off the coasts of Oregon and Washington through a collaboration between Oregon State University, NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, and the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
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