ML072060621
| ML072060621 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Oyster Creek |
| Issue date: | 04/01/2004 |
| From: | State of NY, Dept of Environmental Conservation |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| Davis J NRR/DLR/REBB, 415-3835 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML072060321 | List:
|
| References | |
| Download: ML072060621 (1) | |
Text
Ulknovvu Parasite A Hard on Clams The clan idJustry has slffered 'he ill-effects of brown tide, a phenomenon a
ho hu le to a large :oojulation of a.tiny phytoplankton. However, a new disease that is caused by an unidentified single-celled microscopic parasite has been threatening the fishery. This disease, Quahog Parasite Unknown or "QPX disease," is caused by a parasite that infests northern hard clams (Mercenaria rnercenaria) only.
The disease does not pose any risk to human health but it is causirn serious harm to the clam industry. The first reports of: a QPX-like organism were in dead and dying clams in New Brunswick, Canada in 1959 but it wasn't until the 1 990s that QPX disease began to be associated with clam die-offs in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, Gross signs of the disease vary in the areas investigated-to date but clams typically have an intense inflammatory response to the parasite.
Clamming is almost second nature to native Long Islanders and this unique fishery is mronitoired closely to safeguard fpublic health, Commercial clamrners need a license to fish in NY waters, and areas that fall below a certain waterquality standard are off-limits to everyone. One of the largest programs being administered by NYS Department of Environmental Conser-vation is the Raritan Bay Shellfish Trans-plant Program, whiich works together with certified clarnmers to harvest shellfish from the polluted waters in Raritan Bay. Clams are transported to designated areas in Peconic Bay and held for three weeks to purge themselves of pollutants and toxi-cants before they are sold on the market to the general public.
It isn't known with certainty whether or not New York's hard clams were infected with QPX prior to 2002. Large numbers of dead and dying clams were reported in Raritan Bay off the coast of Staten Island in 2002, resulting in a loss of between $4-$5 million in the dockside value ol the clam resource.
QP'X. organi sm was subsequently identified in these clams and this diagnosis resulted in the suspension of the Raritan Bay Shellfish Transplant Program for 2003, An unacceptable high level of QPX was found and the disease is most prevalent in the center of the most productive part of the fishing ground.
- Research into QPX is continuing and Drs.
Bassem Allamn aind Alistair Dove. Stony Brook University Marine Disease Pathology
& Research Consiortiumi Laboratory hope tO research the orqanisrr's genetic rrake Up and determine if clams from different popilatii*rs have higher disease tolerance to the QPX organism, This research will help to develop new tools to monitor QPX in New York and prevent the spread of.the
- disease, Photo courtesy of Antoinette Clemetson Photo (left) courtesy of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation For additional information contact 631,727,3910 to request the brochure QPX Disease in Hard Clams - Quahog Parasite
- Unknown, Antoinette Clemetson Fisheries Specialist