Harmful Algal Blooms and Eutrophication Records along the Mexican Coast in the western Gulf of

Mexico

Marco J. Ulloa, Rogelio Ortega-Izaguirre, Karla P. Horak-Romo and Lilia Crisóstomo-Vázquez

IPN-CICATA-Altamiramulloat@ipn.mxrortegai@ipn.mx

AIM

Harmful algal blooms (HAB) are natural phenomena that can initiate under a relatively narrow range of temperature and salinity (e.g. Harred and Campbell, 2014).

Although anthropogenic nutrient enrichment is the main driver of eutrophication and HAB in estuarine and coastal waters, HAB occurrence does not necessarily implies eutrophication (Davidson et al., 2014; Lapointe et al., 2015).

Both toxic and non-toxic HAB can kill organisms (e.g., fish, birds, sea grasses)

HAB outbreaks in coastal US waters can result in economic losses > $82 million per year to commercial fisheries, public health, recreation and tourism, and coastal management (Granja-Pérez, 2013).

Hence monitoring HAB and eutrophication is important because of potential negative impacts on coastal ecosystems, human health and economy.

AIM

Western Shelf-Gulf has been comparatively less well studied than Deep-Gulf.

Here we briefly describe compiled reports of HAB from federal agencies and eutrophication papers to point out the necessity of coupled monitoring and modeling coastal ecosystems in the western Shelf-Gulf.

Karnauskas et al (2013)

A HUGE GAP

WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED ABOUT HAB?

COFEPRIS: Federal Commission for the Protection Against Sanitary Risks

COFEPRIS (2003-2014)Rodríguez-Palacio et al (2011) Barón-Campis et al (2005)Borbolla-Sala et al (2006)

Corcoran et al. (2013)

WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED ABOUT HAB?

Species Location ReferenceRizoselenia spp. Campeche: Champoton.

YucatánCOFEPRIS (2013), Granja-Pérez (2013)

Karenia brevis Tamaulipas: Bagdad Beach, San Fernando.Veracruz: Panuco and TuxpanTabasco: Centla, Miramar, Pico de Oro, Alacran Beach, Panteones Bar, Carmen-Machona-Pajonal Lagoon ComplexCampeche: From Arena Island to Villa MaderoYucatan: Dzilam Port

COFEPRIS (2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2003, 2005), Granja-Pérez (2013), Herrera-Silveira y Morales-Ojeda (2009),Borbolla-Sala et al (2006)

WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED ABOUT HAB?

Species Location ReferenceScrippsiella trochoidea Yucatan: Lagartos River, San

Felipe, Dzilam PortCOFEPRIS (2012, 2011, 2003), Granja-Pérez (2013), Herrera-Silveira y Morales-Ojeda (2009)

Pleurosigna spp,Cylindrotheca closterium

Yucatan: Lagartos River, San Felipe.

COFEPRIS (2012, 2011), Herrera-Silveira y Morales-Ojeda (2009)

Glenodinium pseudostigmosum,Chatonella subsalsa,Chatonella marina

Tamaulipas: Barberena Estuary, Garrapatas Estuary

Rodriguez et al (2011)

Noctiluca scintillans Tamaulipas Granja-Pérez (2013)

Gonyaulax spp., Ceratium furca

Tabasco Granja-Pérez (2013)

WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED ABOUT HAB?

Species Location ReferenceChaetoceros spp. Campeche Granja-Pérez (2013)

Ginardia striata Yucatan: Lagartos River COFEPRIS (2008)

Peridinium quinquecorne Veracruz. Veracruz portCampeche: San Francisco de Campeche Bay

Granja-Perez (2013), COFEPRIS (2008), Baron-Campis et al (2005)

Nitzschia longissima Yucatan: Cuyo Port, Sisal Port, Chelem Port, Chicxulub, Chuburna and Progreso Port.

Granja-Pérez (2013), Herrera-Silveira y Morales-Ojeda (2009),COFEPRIS (2008)

Prorocentrum gracile,Prorocentrum spp.,Pyrodinium bahamensis var. bahamensis

Tabasco: Carmen-Machona-Pajonal Lagoon ComplexCampecheYucatan

COFEPRIS (2007), Granja-Pérez (2013)

WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED ABOUT HAB?

Species Location Reference

Prorocentrum lima,Pseudonitzschia delicatissima

Yucatan: Dzilam Port COFEPRIS (2003), Herrera-Silveira y Morales-Ojeda (2009)

Gambierdiscus toxicus YucatanQuintana Roo

Granja-Pérez (2013), Herrera-Silveira y Morales-Ojeda (2009)

Akashiwo sanguinea, Dinophysis caudata and many others

Yucatan Herrera-Silveira y Morales-Ojeda (2009)

Toxic and non-toxic HAB reportedKarenia brevis reported in all locations

2011: HAB reported at Holbox, Quintana Roo, but species were not identified.

WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED ABOUT HAB?

Sat. image: Chl-a (September, 2005), San Fernando (Laguna Madre)

BAGDAD BEACHAND SAN FERNANDO

http://oceandata.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/

No algal bloom reported at Bagdad Beach by COFEPRIS

WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED ABOUT HAB?

Chl-a animation (June – December, 2011)

COFEPRIS REPORTS

MONTH LOCATION

JUL-DEC YUCATAN

AUG-SEP TABASC0

SEPTEMBER CAMPECHE

OCTOBER QUINTANA ROO

OCT 2011 – FEB 2012

TAMAULIPAS

WHAT IS NEW?

Henrichs et al. (2015): Campeche Bay, possible origin of blooms off Texas coast

2011 bloom yearIndividual cell tracking model based on:

Observed datacell concentrationsphotosynthetically active radiation (PAR)

Modeled outputsalinity temperature HYCOMMixed layer depthcurrents

vertical migration

WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED ABOUTEUTROPHICATION?

Herrera-Silveira et al. (2004) Herrera-Silveira et al. (2002)

Karydis index and Carlson trophic state index

Trophic condition based on chemical, phytoplankton and submerged aquatic vegetation following Karydis et al. (1983) and Bricker et al. (1999)

Sites do not show the natural eutrophication process but a nutritional condition induced by human activity.

Celestum Dzilam

Chelem

WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED ABOUT EUTROPHICATION?

Herrera-Silveira y Morales-Ojeda (2009)

HZI: Well-conserved zone with relatively low nutrient concentrations.HZII: Most impacted zone by human activities due to artificial inlets connecting a mangrove swamp with the coastal sea.HZIII: Fair trophic condition associated with submerged groundwater discharges.HZIV: Good trophic condition influenced by Caribbean waters and seasonal upwelling.

WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED ABOUT EUTROPHICATION?

Morales-Ojeda et al. (2010)

Four zones of hydro-chemical affinity.ZI and ZII in good hydro-chemical and trophic conditions.ZIII: Meso-oligo trophic conditions (fair to good)ZIV: Meso-eutrophic conditions (fair to poor)Cluster analysis: Similarities between Z1 and Z2, and between ZIII and ZIV.

WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED ABOUT EUTROPHICATION?

Rivera-Guzmán et al (2014)

TRIXINDEX

WATERQUALITY

TROPHICLEVL

0-4 Excelent Low

4-5 Good Medium

5-6 Bad High

6-10 Poor Very High

G

G

GGP P PPB B BB

1 2 4 53

Water samples collected at a depth between 0.6 m and 1.6 m. Overall, water quality has improved relative to the historical dry and rainy season.

WHAT IS NEW?

Rainy Season(Sep 2013)

Dry Season(May 2014)

Horak-Romo (2015)

PP

P

B G

Superficial sampling≈ 0.5 m

WHAT IS NEW?

Carlson-type chlorophyll trophic index (Contreras,1994)

Water sampling at surface level.

Crisóstomo-Vazquez et al. (2015)

PP

P

B

MEAN CHLOROPHYLL-A CONCENTRATION (mg/m³)

TROPHIC INDEX

BAR GSN GSS CAR BAR GSN GSS CARDRY May 2007 25.55 23.38 31.20 13.38 71.39 65.59 73.35 65.05

Jun-07 28.55 62.02 28.87 21.02 72.48 70.52 72.59 69.48RAINY AUg-07 46.48 163.49 58.22 13.12 77.26 78.15 79.47 64.85

Oct-07 33.53 11.43 47.53 48.67 57.60 88.82 77.48 77.71NORTES Nov-07 42.16 15.10 9.85 117.81 76.30 64.59 62.04 86.39

Jan 2008 30.45 13.04 21.45 57.39 73.11 66.59 69.67 79.33Feb-08 35.63 10.98 31.87 43.22 74.65 64.12 73.56 76.55

DRY Apr-08 23.37 83.02 54.79 50.02 70.52 85.08 78.88 77.98 Annual mean 33.21 47.81 35.47 45.58 71.67 73.98 73.38 74.67

Max 46.48 163.49 58.22 117.81 77.26 88.82 79.47 86.39Min 23.37 10.98 9.85 13.12 57.60 64.12 62.04 64.85

Std 7.99 53.96 16.75 33.98 6.14 10.10 5.70 7.55

All sites eutrophic

BAR: Barberena EstuaryGSN: North Garrapatas EstuaryGSS: South Garrapatas EstuaryCAR: Carpintero Lagoon

SOME CONCLUSIONS- HAB reported in all Mexican states along GOM and CS.- Karenia brevis is the most widespread HAB species reported in

coastal waters.- HAB remain poorly studied in the western Shelf-Gulf.- It appears that eutrophication has been mainly caused by human

activities more than natural causes:Yucatan. Domestic sewage discharges from septic tanks, shrimp and harbor effluents, natural nutrients inputs from submerged groundwater discharges and brackish waters from artificial inlets between swamps and coastal lagoons, among othersVeracruz coastal lagoons. Population increase, urbanization, drainage from cities (wastewater discharges and fertilizer runoff) and changes in land use.

SOME CONCLUSIONSTamaulipas south coast. Discharges from domestic and industrial wastewater and ship ballast, seawater discharges from thermoelectric plant causing changes in the local salinity regime.

- HAB occurrence associated with eutrophication at Yucatan and Tamaulipas

Filling the gap (needs to be addressed):

- Capacity building and improved monitoring of HAB.- Multidisciplinary research projects linking water quality,

eutrophication and HAB.- Temporal and spatial HAB distribution studies, connectivity of

blooms at different locations, and local current measurements for high-resolution numerical modelling.

WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED ABOUT HAB?

Annual productivity at coast of Tamaulipas (Eppley-VGPM)

Monthly productivity at coast of Tamaulipas for 2005 (Eppley-VGPM)

Red tide: Karenia brevis – Brevetoxina NSPDot line: Mean productivity

http://www.science.oregonstate.edu/ocean.productivity/

Reported bloom at San Fernando: Sep to Dec

WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED ABOUT HAB?

Fishing

SQUID - CALAMAR

CRAB – JAIBA

SQUID - CALAMAR

There are no data available on bivalve mollusks production at San Fernando River (Laguna Madre)Edible part of shellfish (crabs, shrimps and lobsters) are not affected by red tides. Squid can feed from crabs

CONAPESCA (1980-2012): Statistical yearbook of fisheries and aquaculture

CONAPESCA: National Commission of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED ABOUT HAB?

FishingSHRIMP - CAMARÓN

CONAPESCA (1980-2012): Statistical yearbook of fisheries and aquaculture