Irish Marine Institute data for monitoring harmful algal events includes biotoxin measurements, phytoplankton species counts, and remote sensing imagery. It was compiled by the Marine Institute and NOAA/NOS, with records from at least 1998 to 2001. The dataset supports early warning systems for shellfish safety and public health.
Use Cases
- Correlate Dinophysis spp. phytoplankton counts with Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxin levels in shellfish samples.
- Analyze SeaWiFS remote sensing imagery to identify environmental conditions preceding blooms of Alexandrium spp. or Pseudo-nitzschia spp.
- Model spatial risk by linking biotoxin closure events, such as those in Cork Harbour and Belfast Lough, with concurrent phytoplankton and remote sensing data.
- Evaluate the performance of mouse bioassay results against analytical chemistry methods for detecting Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxins.
Strengths
- Includes data on four specific biotoxin syndromes (DSP, PSP, ASP, AZP) and their causative phytoplankton species.
- Integrates in-situ water sample analysis with SeaWiFS satellite remote sensing imagery from 1998.
Limitations
- Sample size and temporal coverage are unspecified, limiting statistical analysis.
- The description notes a lack of direct correlation between phytoplankton counts and shellfish toxicity, indicating potential label noise for predictive tasks.
- Data is over 20 years old, with the last update in 2001, limiting relevance to current ocean conditions.
Provenance
- Source
- Irish Marine Institute (Marine Environment and Health Services Division, Biotoxin Unit) and NOAA/NOS.
- Collection Method
- Monitoring of water and shellfish samples using mouse bioassays, analytical chemistry, and phytoplankton counts; re-analysis of EU BIOCOLOR project SeaWiFS imagery.
- Time Range
- Includes data from at least 1998, with references to 2000 and 2001.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2001-11-08; no stated update frequency.
- Geography
- Irish coastal waters and shellfish production areas, specifically noting Cork Harbour and Belfast Lough.