The State Contingency Committee for the Control of Marine Biotoxins (Comité Estatal de Contingencias para el Control de Biotoxinas Marinas de Baja California Sur) found the presence of Pyrodinium bahamense var. bahamense potentially toxic dinoflagellata south of Isla San José, Baja California Sur while performing work in the summer of 2006.

This finding represents the first record for the coasts of Baja California Sur. Just recently, the first report on the presence of this variety in the Gulf of California was made known.

Considering that this species has caused several public health problems and losses worth millions in economic activities in SE Asia, in Mexico it has been responsible for intoxication by paralyzing toxins in the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Recently, the production of paralyzing toxins of P. bahamanse var. bahamense strains isolated in the coast of Florida was confirmed. This research is directed to go deeper in its biology and ecotoxicology to estimate potential impacts in the Gulf of California.

The studies performed in situ shall provide fundamental ecologic information to know this species dynamics, which in spite of being one of the most toxic, little has been studied about its ecophysiology at world level.