[Coral-List] Mystery Event - Lankayan Island, Sulu Sea, Sandakan

[Alan E. Davis]

In the Caroline Islands (Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia) I
heard of blooms, known by different names on a number of islands.  People
from Puluwat knew it as Puropur (bubbles).  While it might be a different
event, on Tol, in Chuuk Lagoon, while I have forgotten the name, it was said
to be so foul smelling that one cannot stay near the beach, while at the
same time, herrings, Herklotsichthys sp., are sometimes toxic.  A friend
from Pohnpei (Pingelap) stated he was familiar with these blooms, that he
had known of someone who fell in the water at such a time and died.  These
are only three examples, but they are well known in the islands, while I
have not met many from outside who can even grok what I'm talking about.

In the Philippine Islands, I was told that when Barringtonia flower, that is
the time when the sardines (possibly referring to Herklotsichthys sp.) can
be toxic, a few that is.

This is more than an interesting thread.

Alan

A Chinese Curse applies: "I hope you live in an interesting time."


-- 
Alan Davis, Kagman High School, Saipan  lngndvs at gmail.com

"An inviscid theory of flow renders the screw useless, but the need for one
non-existent."
         ---Lord Raleigh (aka John William Strutt), or else his son,