Red Tide
 Red Tide In the last three to four decades there has been a worldwide increase in the frequency, duration, geographical coverage and intensity of the phenomena known as red tide, technically called Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) situation in which Chile has been no exception. Due to the above, during the course of 1994, and with input from the Fisheries Research Fund (FIP), the Instituto de Fomento Pesquero (IFOP) initiated the monitoring of red tides in the Region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica; with the primary purpose of having an appropriate system suited to the geographical extremes of southern Chile, oriented to the sampling, detection and quantification of periodic Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) as well as the distribution and abundance of the dinoflagellate, Alexandrium catenella, primary source of paralytic toxin, together with hydrographic and meteorological environmental information available. | |
| The Red Tides Management and Monitoring Program´s main objective is to prevent through a sampling system, consisting of a monthly detection and quantification of VPM (paralytic shellfish poison), VDM (diarrheic shellfish poisoning) and VAM (amnesiac venom shellfish) based on the collection of transvector shellfish named sentinel species due to its high commercial and artisanal interest as well as its rapid metabolism (Mussel and Magellan mussel) used as indicators of environmental changes related to red tides. | To complement the monitoring programs of harmful phytoplankton and marine toxins that began in the early nineties, it was necessary to include activities that led to a better understanding of this phenomenon, creating conscious of the population towards these events and particularly in relation to the measures taken by the authority, both to protect public health and to minimize impacts on productive activities. |
