Optical tagging and tracking of water masses for prediction of human health hazards

Peter Strutton, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University
Michelle Wood, Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Oregon

Animation of the 1998 Clatsop Domoic Acid event

Notes on the animation: The left panel shows an animation of SeaWiFS chlorophyll for 1998. The right panel shows domoic acid at Clatsop (Columbia River outflow) in red and an upwelling index in black. Toxin data above the red line indicate closure levels of domoic acid in shellfish. Upwelling data above the black line indicate upwelling conditions, and upwelling data below the black line indicate downwelling conditions. The animation shows the development of the spring/summer bloom during 1998 - as it develops it intensifies and is advected further offshore by upwelling-favorable winds. When winds switch to downwelling, the bloom (presumably containing Pseudonitzschia) collapses to the coast and we see a spike in domoic acid in shellfish.

Link to the animation