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April 16, 2008
First Large Mahogany Tide of 2008 Reported off Mouth of the Patuxent River

A water sample collected 4/15/08 by DNR from monitoring station CB5.1 located near the mouth of the Patuxent river, contained 3,048 cells/ml of Prorocentrum minimum at the water surface. Prorocentrum blooms at levels approaching 3,000 cells/ml and greater typically give the water a reddish tinge, and are referred to locally as a ‘Mahogany tide.’ These blooms typically begin in the mid-bay sometime in April and reach peak distribution in May. While not unexpected, bloom concentrations for Prorocentrum are monitored closely, as this toxic dinoflagellate has historically been implicated in fish and shellfish kills in many waterways around the world.

 

Figure 1. April 14th, 2008 NOAA MODIS Chlorophyll image of the Chesapeake Bay

 

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