Prymnesium parvum: The Texas Experience¹

Abstract

Golden alga Prymnesium parvum was first identified in Texas during a fish kill investigation on the Pecos River in 1985. Since then golden alga kills occurred sporadically in a variety of waters in the western part of the state until 2001 when the alga became endemic in the Brazos, Canadian, Colorado, Red, and Rio Grande river systems, including the water supplies of two public fish hatcheries, the Possum Kingdom and Dundee state fish hatcheries. The increasing area adversely affected by the alga and frequent massive fish kills heightened public and political awareness and concerns regarding the ecological and economic impacts of P. parvum blooms. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), the wildlife conservation agency of the state, responded to these concerns with a program to assess the ecological and economic impacts and to develop management options. To date 33 water bodies have been affected and losses are conservatively estimated at 34 million fish valued at US$13 million. Several sport fisheries, including smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu, striped bass Morone saxatilis, channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, and blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus, have been severely affected. Additionally, 26 imperiled fish species occur in the affected water basins and some have been adversely affected. Economic losses associated with reduced fishing and other water-based recreational activities appear considerable. The combined economic losses to three counties (Palo Pinto, Stephens, and Young) surrounding Possum Kingdom reservoir for 2001 and 2003 were estimated at US$2.8 million and US$1.1 million, respectively. This paper describes how the TPWD responded to public and political concerns relative to the emergence of golden alga, its harmful effects to fisheries, and its historic and current statewide distribution.(KEY TERMS: algae; aquatic ecology; environmental impacts; fish; toxicology; water resources economics.) Southard, Gregory M., Loraine T. Fries, and Aaron Barkoh, 2010. Prymnesium parvum: The Texas Experience.

Dynamics of an experimental microbial invasion

“…However, once these conditions are met, the intensity of dispersal (measured as propagule pressure) becomes a determining factor in establishment success and biogeographic patterns of this invasive species. It is important to note that the temperature, nutrient, and salinity conditions present in our microcosms fall well within the ranges found naturally in Lake Texoma and other freshwater systems in the southern United States and that these particular conditions are projected to increase in frequency in the coming decades (42,43), creating situations that, in tandem with the already existing high propagule supply, could drive further range expansions and blooms of P. parvum.…”

Sources, factors, mechanisms and possible solutions to pollutants in marine ecosystems

“…Algal toxins or red tide toxins are naturally-derived and toxic ECs produced during harmful algal blooms in surface waters (Tester et al, 1991;Falconer, 1993;Landsberg, 2002;Imai et al, 2006;Imai and Kimura, 2008;Moore et al, 2008;Prince et al, 2008;Castle and Rodgers Jr. 2009;Southard et al, 2010;Yates and Rogers 2011). The occurrence, abundance and geographical distribution of toxin-producing algae or cyanobacterial blooms have substantially increased during the last few decades, because of increased anthropogenic input of organic matter pollution and nutrients as well as global warming (Van Dolah, 2000;Phlips et al, 2004;Yan and Zhou, 2004;Glibert et al, 2005;Luckas et al, 2005;McCarthy et al, 2007;Moore et al, 2008;Mostofa et al, 2013bMostofa et al, , 2013d.…”

“…Remedial measures are needed for controlling algal blooms, particularly in lakes and coastal seawaters (McCarthy et al, 2007;Prince et al, 2008;Zhang et al, 2008;Castle and Rodgers Jr., 2009;Southard et al, 2010;Jiang et al, 2011;Yates and Rogers, 2011). Prevention measures are basically centered on avoiding eutrophication (Ollikainen and Honkatukia, 2001;Imai et al, 2006;Gren, 2008;Sekiguchi and Aksornkoae, 2008;Elofsson, 2010 and references therein).…”

“…• Production of algal toxins or red-tide toxins during algal blooms is increasing due to the effects of organic matter (OM) pollution and GW (Landsberg, 2002;Moore et al, 2008;Prince et al, 2008;Castle and Rodgers Jr., 2009;Southard et al, 2010;Yates and Rogers, 2011;Mostofa et al, 2013bMostofa et al, , 2013d);…”

An oceanographic, meteorological, and biological ‘perfect storm’ yields a massive fish kill

“…Phytoplankton biomass can also be a causative factor behind many mass mortality events, either through biomass accumulation and consequent oxygen de pletion during the night or termination of a bloom (Paerl et al 1998, Brownlee et al 2005, Anderson et al 2008, Glibert et al 2008, McInnes & Quigg 2010 or through the production of ichthyotoxic compounds, such as those produced by the dinoflagellates Cochlodinium polykrikoides (Kim et al 1999, Mulholland et al 2009 and Pfisteria sp. (Burkholder et al 1995) or the haptophyte Prymnesium parvum (Southard et al 2010). Eutrophication has been shown to enhance growth of phytoplankton and greatly increase biological oxygen demand, especially in estuaries and inland seas (Kemp et al 2005, Thronson & Quigg 2008, and it is likely that eutrophication, increased phytoplankton biomass, and production of toxic compounds may act together as a synergistic causative mechanism in many mortality events.…”