TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol July 7 (PIA)-- Red tide, or harmful algal blooms, continue to make eating shellfish and crustaceans a no-no, as a leading marine science institute spots even more heightened levels of poison in shellfish gathered in several areas near Tagbilaran City, including the famous Cainget kuja.
In its marine-life sampling, specifically shellfish collected in seven sites in the Tagbilaran Bay and nearby Panglao, field researcher Peter Paolo Rivera of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) in Diliman noted elevated levels of pyridinium bahamense of the compressum variety present which has been largely pinpointed as the cause if the harmful algal bloom.
Pyridinium bahamense, is a kind of dinoflagellates marine planktons that when ingested by bottom feeders, can cause the toxin to be in the organism, shellfish for example and causes Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning.
The plankton may manifest as algal bloom, sometimes in red, thus red tide.
With cases of PSP in Bohol, UP MSIa nd Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Bohol collaborated to send laboratory samples for analysis, to determine which areas are affected and to properly guide communities, BFAR Leo Bongalos said.
The sampling, which happened between June 30-July 1, showed elevated signs of the paralytic shellfish poisoning causative organisms in Cainget Beach especially in "kuja" oysters where shellfish toxin is 324 and 390 mice units per 100 gram meat, which is beyond the regulatory toxin limit of 60 mice units per 100 grams meat.
The same sampling survey, signed by research assistant Jenelyn Mendoza and laboratory technician Sammy Santos also showed pyrodinium cells present in K of C Tagbilaran, at the Tagbilaran Dauis Cahnnel lagoon, Songcolan Totolan where blood clam (litub) showed shellfish toxin or 641 mice units per 100 grams meat. Sea sea urchin toxin (dapaw) however showed 39.6 mice units which is below the 60 mice units per 100 grams meat.
Oyrodinium cells were also noted in blood clams gathered at Soncolan Riverside dauis, where 38,200 mice units were found within the 100 grams meat, this according to UP MSI experts is 600 times beyond the 60 mice unit per 100 gram meat.
Other stations in Bohol tested were Sitio Daurong-Tapurok in Danao panglao a,d Looc, but no pyridinium cells were detected there, according to the scientists.
Over this, BFAR Bohol Bongalos reiterates advice to refrain from eating, gathering and marketing shellfish from these areas, until the poison shall have been cleared and the seas declared free from red tide. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)
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