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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 31, 2016)
4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, MAY 31, 2016 Ocean ‘robot’ to help identity toxic algae off Washington state Toxic bloom closed shellish isheries By PHUONG LE Associated Press SEATTLE — After a massive toxic algae bloom closed lucrative shellish isheries off the West Coast last year, scientists are turn- ing to a new tool that could provide an early warning of future problems. Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Uni- versity of Washington last week deployed the so-called ocean robot about 50 feet into waters off the coast of La Push, Washington, near a known hotspot for toxic algae blooms. The tool, dubbed “a laboratory in a can,” will remain in the water until mid-July, pro- viding real-time measurements about the concentrations of six species of microscopic algae and toxins they produce, including domoic acid. The instrument is equipped with sensors and cellular modems that will allow it to take water samples and send that information to shore three times a week for the next several weeks. Scientists plan to deploy it again in the fall, another critical time for harmful algae blooms. Last year, dangerous levels of domoic acid were found in shellish and prompted California, Washington state and Oregon to delay its coastal Dungeness crabbing season. Washington state and Oregon also canceled razor clam digs for much of the year. The domoic acid was produced by micro- scopic algae that lourished during the sum- mer amid unusually warm Paciic Ocean temperatures. The massive algae bloom pro- duced some of the highest concentrations of domoic acid observed along some parts of the West Coast. Shellish managers, public health ofi- cials, coastal tribes and others will be able to access the algae data and get advanced warn- ing of toxic algae blooms off the Washington coast before they move to the coastline and contaminate shellish. Domoic acid is harmful to people, ish and marine life. It accumulates in shellish, anchovies and other small ish that eat the algae. Stephanie Moore, NOAA via AP An automated laboratory that will analyze seawater for al- gae species and toxins is lowered by researchers into the Pacific about 13 miles from La Push, Wash., in May. Dead whale found on bow of cruise ship By DAN JOLING Associated Press ANCHORAGE — A vet- erinary pathologist worked to determine what killed a juve- nile in whale discovered on the bow of a cruise ship entering an Alaska port. The cause of death was not immediately apparent for the endangered whale spotted just after 5 a.m. Sunday on the bul- bous bow of the Zaandam, a Holland America Line cruise ship, as it prepared to dock in Seward. The carcass was towed to a beach near Seward, a spokes- woman for the isheries sec- tion of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Julie Speegle, said Monday. The veterinary pathologist, Kathy Burek, began a necropsy Sunday night and planned to continue Monday, with armed NOAA Fisheries law enforce- ment oficers standing guard against bears, Speegle said. The bulbous bow is an exten- sion of the main bow. It rides under the water and is designed to avoid wave-making. A whale on the bulbous bow may not be the result of a ship strike, Speegle said. It could have been already dead in the water and caught by the device. “That’s something, hope- fully, the necropsy will deter- mine,” Speegle said. The whale was not seen on the bulbous bow a half-hour ear- lier, Sally Andrews, a spokes- woman for Holland Amer- ica, said in an email. An oficer had been preparing the ship for arrival just after 4:30 a.m. and did not see a whale, she said. The company is saddened by the event, Andrews said. Hol- land America has a compre- hensive program to avoid strik- ing whales and was not aware of whales in the area. “Our ships have clear guide- lines on how to operate if whales are sighted nearby, which include altering course and reducing speed as required,” she said. The Zaandam is scheduled to stop in Astoria in late Septem- ber. Fin whales feed on school- ing ish and invertebrates by gulping large swarms of them while swimming on their sides, according to the Alaska Depart- ment of Fish and Game. Fin whales were decimated by commercial whalers in the 1800s and early 1900s. The average adult male is 70 feet long and 45 tons. Adult females average 73 feet and 45 tons. The dead male juvenile was considerably smaller, but Spee- gle did not have its dimensions. Last year 10 in whales were among 18 endangered whales whose carcasses were found loating near Alaska’s Kodiak Island between Memo- rial Day Weekend and early July. The others were hump- back whales. Scientists speculated that the animals might have eaten some- thing toxic in warmer-than-av- erage water. That investigation was hampered because some of the whales had signiicantly decomposed before they were found. The dead whale found on the cruise ship will be tested, Spee- gle said. “We are taking sam- ples for harmful algal blooms,” she said. clip or CLICK! Valid 5/31/16 thru 6/7/16 ® 10 OFF $ 50 or more $ * Save on your next grocery purchase of $50 or more * with your Safeway Club Card and this Savings Award. *Use this Savings Award on any shopping trip you choose at any Oregon Safeway store and S.W. 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