Brown tides and mariculture in Saldanha Bay, South Africa

In 1997, the brown tide organism, Aureococcus anophageffens, was detected f or the first time in Saldanha Bay, South Africa. Its presence was limited t o an isolated, tidal dam that was similarly impacted during the late summer of the following two years but not in 2000, Bloom concentrations are typic ally of the order of 10(-9) cells 1(-1) This is one of the few reported occ urrences of these nuisance blooms outside the north-eastern United States. A small oyster grow-out facility based in the dam has been severely affecte d by the reduced growth of oysters during these blooms. Reduced flushing of this culture site is a possible explanation for bloom initiation and persi stence. However, Aureococcus blooms can be considerably more extensive as w as evident during 1998 when the whole of the bay system, including Langebaa n Lagoon, was affected for 6-8 weeks during late summer. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.