A Collaborative Approach to Advancing Our Understanding of Toxic

Golden Alga (Prymnesium parvum)

Sandra Luci Cook-Hildreth, Golden Alga Coordinator, Inland Fisheries, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

What is Golden Alga?

• A microscopic flagellated alga, typically occurring in brackish waters with

high pH, that traditionally blooms when competing alga species are

knocked out by cooler temperatures.

• During a bloom golden alga can produce a series of toxic compounds

that can be lethal to fish and bivalves, but not to other animals (including

humans).

• Golden alga occurs world wide and is now in 16 states in the US.

• Since 1985, golden alga has caused fish kills in 5 major river basins and

two state fish hatcheries in Texas, resulting in over 35 million fish lost.

• Golden alga affects gill-breathing organisms and dead or dieing fish may

have bloody gills, fins and scales.

International Golden Alga Symposium and Texas

Chapter AFS annual meeting

TPWD will co-host an international golden alga symposium with the Texas

Chapter of American Fisheries Society (TCAFS) during the TCAFS annual

meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, January 27-31, 2009.

Goals and objective:

Provide a chance for researchers from Texas and around the world to

present their work and findings on golden alga as well as other

fisheries management related topics.

To evaluate the body of knowledge to date on golden alga in an effort

to find gaps in our understanding.

To prioritize research needs and leverage available funding.

Website for more information:

www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/water/environconcerns/hab/ga/research/s

ymposium09.phtml

History and Occurrences of Golden Alga

1985 – First golden alga confirmed fish kill in the Pecos River in west Texas.

1980s-90s – Golden alga causes fish kills on Colorado, Brazos & Rio

Grande River Basins

2001 – Golden alga blooms in Possum Kingdom and Dundee State fish

hatcheries causing the loss of hundreds of fish and dollars

- Golden alga blooms recorded in Red River Basin

- A work group was held to discuss research priorities

2003 – Workshop sponsored by TPWD where international and

national parties met to discuss future research objectives and

projects.

– TX legislature authorizes funding for golden alga research

2004 – Research efforts toward golden alga control measures continue to

be supported by TPWD.

2005 – Second international golden alga workshop is held

2007 – Third international workshop on golden alga is held. It is decided

to have a international golden alga symposium in 2009.

2008 – A steering committee is formed with members of TCAFS and TPWD

to coordinate efforts for the symposium in 2009.

Acknowledgments Information in this poster was provided by members of the Golden Alga Task Force (Jack Ralph,

Aaron Barkoh, Gerald Kurten, Greg Southard, Joan Glass, Julia Gregory, Loraine Fries, Meridith

Byrd, Stephen Twidwell, Tim Birdsong) and by the researchers listed above.

Management Options and Future Efforts

In January of 2007 TPWD posted a link to the Guidelines for Golden Alga

Prymnesium parvum Management Options for Ponds and Small Reservoir

(Public Waters) in Texas edited by TPWD staff.

Management efforts to find more cost efficient and effective strategies for

controlling golden alga in hatcheries is on-going.

Some treatments that have been tested and are still being experimented with

as a possible means of controlling golden alga blooms are: clay flocculation,

Ozonation/other oxidation chemical treatment, ultraviolet sterilization,

ammonium sulfate, chelated copper algaecides

Treatments that have not yet been tested but that might be considered for

golden alga control are: biological control options (plankton grazers,

competitors), other chemical controls, bottom-up control and biomanipulation

possibilities, and water system/river flow alteration

Some treatments that have been tested but have not been found to be

effective were: the use of decomposing wheat and barley, use of cedar trees,

live microorganisms

Some Of The Current Golden Alga Research Projects

Supported by TPWD Project: Lake Whitney (Nutrient Analysis/Monitoring)

•Researcher(s): Janet Nelson/Meridith Byrd

•Organization: TPWD Costal Fisheries

•Before/after physical, chemical and biological conditions of a bloom

Project: Roles of Allelopathy, pH, and Light

•Researcher(s): Roelke/Grover/Brooks

•Organizations: Texas A&M University (Roelke), UT Arlington

(Grover), and Baylor (Brooks)

•Understanding role of competitors/numerical prediction model

Project: Microdevice ID/Quant (Molecular Biomarkers)

•Researcher(s): John La Claire

•Organization: University of Texas at Austin

•Detect and ID concentrations of toxins

Project: Clay and Toxicity

•Researcher(s): Hagstrom/Villareal/Sengco

•Organization: University of Texas Marine Science Institute

•Advance understanding of clays’ removal efficiency of ichthyotoxins

Project: Develop Toxin Standard (Task F)

•Researcher(s): Schug/Grover/Mydlarz

•Organization: UT Arlington

•Isolate purified samples of golden alga toxins

Project: Red Tide, Blue-green Alga, and Other HAB Planning Coordination and

Response

•Researcher(s): Meridith Byrd

•Organization: TPWD Costal Fisheries

•Understand coastal distribution of golden alga

Project: Solarbee Testing

•Researcher(s): Barkoh/Kurten

•Organization: TPWD Inland Fisheries

•Determine if SolarBee prevents golden alga blooms and

ichthyotoxicity

Electron microscope image of P. parvum cell by Paul Kugrens, Colorado State University

Locations where golden alga has occurred in the world

States where golden alga has be recorded Drawing of golden

alga by Bob Howells

Largemouth Bass killed during golden alga bloom

Fish kill during golden alga bloom