Harmful Algal Blooms in Singapore Coastal Waters: Country Report

Sandric Leong

Karlodinium Bloom @ Johor Strait (2015)Photo By: Sandric Leong

Regional Training Course on Identification of Harmful Algal Bloom Species in the ASEAN Region

St. John’s Island National Marine Lab, Singapore 18th‐22nd July 2016

Training Course

Organized by TMSI NUS, Southeast AsianFisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) andAgri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore(AVA).Sponsored by Japan Trust Fund, and in kind contributions by IOC-WESTPAC-HAB), Japan Funds-in-Trust (JFiT), WESTPAC and Asian Natural Environmental Science Center (ANESC).

Attended by 20 participants from ten countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam).

Trainers: Dr Y Fukuyo; Dr PT Lim; Dr M Iwataki; Dr S Leong;Dr K Wakita; Dr HC Lim

Malaysia

Singapore Country Report for Year 2014 ‐ 2016Harmful Algal Blooms in Singapore Coastal Waters

The first massive bloom occurred along EJS.

From 2014, blooms occurred along both EJS and WJS.

Malaysia

During early 2015, blooms were initially observed near Seletar 

Island with high concentration of Karlodinium cells

FebJan2015

Mar AprDec2014

Karlodinium

Karenia+Karlodinium+Diatoms

6‐7 Feb: Karlodiniumcount was relatively high at near Seletar Island: ≈400 cells/ml

6‐7 Feb: Karlodiniumcount was relatively high at near Seletar Island: ≈400 cells/ml

24 Mar: mixed species bloom at Seletar: diatom (≈200 cells/ml)+Karlodinium+ Karenia (≈400 cells/ml)

24 Mar: mixed species bloom at Seletar: diatom (≈200 cells/ml)+Karlodinium+ Karenia (≈400 cells/ml)

2015 blooms timeline

Bloom Bloom

Singapore Country Report for Year 2014 ‐ 2016

May

Singapore Country Report for Year 2014 ‐ 2016Year 2015 Blooms

Karlodinium Bloom (6 Feb – 8 Mar)• Main Bloom Species: Karlodinium australe (initially some K. 

veneficum cells)• Feb 6: Karlodinium cells were detected along east & west Johor 

Strait, Singapore (200‐400 cells/ml)• Feb 27: Farm fishes were being wiped out at EJS (≈ 600 tons)• Mar 2: Lots of dead wild fishes being observed at WJS• Mar 12: no Karlodinium cells

Karenia Bloom (24 Mar– 30 Apr)• Main Bloom Species : Karenia mikimotoi (mixed species bloom)• Mar 24: Detected K. mikimotoi (300 cells/ml), Karlodinium (400 

cells/ml) & diatoms (200 cells/ml)• No fish kills

Singapore Country Report for Year 2014 ‐ 2016

Karlodinium Bloom (6 Feb – 8 Mar)

Dead wild fishes Karlodinium bloom

1-Feb

-1512

-Feb-1

523

-Feb-1

56-M

ar-15

17-M

ar-15

28-M

ar-15

8-Apr-

1519

-Apr-

1530

-Apr-

15

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

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10000

20000

30000

40000

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Karlo

dini

um s

pp. (

cells

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)K. m

ikimotoi (cells m

l -1)Singapore Country Report for Year 2014 ‐ 2016

Cells density near Seletar Island (unpublished data: Leong et al. (2016)

Malaysia

Karenia mikimotoiBloom (2016)

No fish kills

Karenia mikimotoi bloom at Johor Strait, Singapore (Jan-Mar 2016)

• Jan 5: K. mikimotoi cells started to appear near Seletar Island

Singapore Country Report for Year 2014 ‐ 2016

Karenia mikimotoi Bloom (2016)

• Cell density 20,000 cells/ml• Bloomed with other species

(similar to bloom observed at Southwest coast of India)

• Species: K. mikimotoi, Takayama, Ansanella & diatoms)

• First time to observed Ansanellain Singapore water

Singapore Country Report for Year 2014 ‐ 2016

Karenia mikimotoi Bloom (24 Mar – 30 Apr)

30 Jan 2016

Characteristics of Karenia mikimotoi bloom

100

0

• Blooms normally occurred in patches. They were not evenly distributed horizontally and vertically.

Singapore Country Report for Year 2014 ‐ 2016

Map of bloom patches using optical sensors mounted on autonomous vehicles

Bloom of Karenia mikimotoi

1st appearance5 Jan

Si & P: limitation ‐ low

(unpublished data:Leong et al. (2016)

• Sept 2016: Molecular training workshop at Bachok Marine Station, Malaysia – Rapid detection of bloom species using molecular technique

• Nov 2016: Molecular workshop at TMSI (Aquatic Genomics Research Centre, National Research Institute of Fisheries Science (Japan); Bachok Marine Station Group) – Gathering information and building a database for bloom-forming species using metagenomic approach

• Dec 2016: Seminar with Singapore agencies (National Institute of Fisheries Science, S. Korea) – Clay Application and Aquaculture management

Capacity Development ‐ Training of Research Team

Problems

• Specific harm of the bloom (toxic or non-toxic? harmful or not?)

• The threshold to alert for instance during a Karlodinium blooms

• Spatio-temporal variability

• Spatial extent and intensity of blooms

• Rapid detection of species (new species?)

Scientific Topics1. Killing mechanism of species such as K. mikimotoi and K. australe

2. Rapid detection of bloom species

3. Environmental factors that will promote fish kills

4. Warning system such as threshold. What kind of threshold?

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