Massive mortality of yellow clams (Mesodesma mactroides) in Monte Hermoso beach (Argentina)

FIORI, S. M.

HARMFUL ALGAE NEWS. INTERGOVERNMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMISSION OF UNESCO

Tim Wyatt.

Lugar: Vigo, España; Año: 1996 vol. 15 p. 17 - 17

The yellow clam Mesodesma mactroides, an inhabitant of sandy beaches was an important economic resource for Argentina between 1940 and 1957. Arguing an apparent overexploitation, commercial harvesting was prohibited in 1958, and this legislation has remained in force until the present. In 1995 an study of the population dynamics was begun at the long Monte Hermoso beach in southern province, to establish the state of the resource after 37 years of prohibition. This is the first record of this phenomenon in, and although it is possible to discard contamination as the cause, virological and bacteriological studies still need to be made before we can postulate a plausible hypothesis to account for this catastrophe.