Kirsten Todd, Cawthron Institute, Private bag 2, Nelson, New Zealand

Abstract

New Zealand's Marine Biotoxin Monitoring Programme has been in place since 1993, and in this time most of the known toxin producing phytoplankton species have been recorded in New Zealand waters, with the one major exception of Gymnodinium catenatum. In May 2000, on-going low level PSP results led to the collection of water samples from the Manukau Harbour, West Coast North Island and the discovery of G. catenatum. This led to an extension of the phytoplankton monitoring programme into areas not always considered suitable for this type of testing, and instigated the biggest closure since the nation wide closure in 1993-94 due to NSP.

This paper will look at the progress of the bloom and the actions taken by authorities. The implications of this find for New Zealand and the mitigation measures put in place to manage the bloom and protect unaffected areas will also be discussed.