Red Tide in the Morobe District of Paupa New Guinea

Abstract

A red tide near Lae in the Morobe District of Papua New Guinea is described. The causative dinoflagellate, Pyrodinium bahamense Plate, is known to produce paralytic shellfish poisoning. Its characteristics are extensive orangebrown discolorations of seawater by day, luminescence at night, and mortality to a wide variety of marine life, including dolphins, turtles, fish, and bivalve mollusks. An analysis of plankton samples taken in the area is given. Bivalve shellfish proved highly toxic, but no toxin was detected in dead and live fish from water visibly discolored by red tide. Comparisons are made with observations of a previous red tide in the Central District near Port Moresby.