CONTACT: Eliot Hurwitz FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9/27/96
Sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration's Coastal Ocean Program and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a panel of nationally recognized scientific experts will convene today in Seattle to address the human health issues related to the harmful algal blooms popularly known as "red tides" and outbreaks of Domoic Acid in the Northwest.
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) hit the U.S. every year, resulting in the loss of millions of dollars from the closure or loss of commercial and recreational fisheries. Unsightly and unhealthy water created by HABs impacts local tourism and real estate markets. The expert assembly, convened by NOAA's Coastal Ocean Program and NFWF, will work to develop strategies to cope with the problems caused by HABs. An additional assembly will take place in Florida in mid-November.
The panel will be chaired by Donald Boesch, a prominent coastal ecologist from the University of Maryland, and will include researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Long Island University, University of Washington, University of Texas (Austin), and the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Beaufort (N.C.) Laboratory. The panel will gather information from regional scientists, resource managers and members of the local commutities affectd by HABs.
Both the frequency and duration of harmful algal blooms have increased in the U.S. over the last 20 years causing a variety of illnesses and even death in human beings, marine mammals, and fish. Some blooms are not toxic to humans and fish but can have negative impacts on the environment. For example, the massive blooms can diminish the light reaching submerged aquatic vegetation threatening the survival of a vital ecosystem component.
No clear link has thus far been established in the U.S. between the occurrence of HABs and human activities, although connections with "non-point source" runoff pollution are evident in other parts of the world.
Blooms are caused by the rapid proliferation of minute algal cells which occur in both fresh and salt water. In the case of "red tides," the pigment in the organisms makes the water appear reddish. Other blooms appear as "brown tides," while some have no discernible color.
Red tides pose a threat to seafood consumers because a powerful toxin accumulates in the shellfish that feed on the algae. Most recently, the persistent red tide off the west coast of Florida was implicated in the high rates of manatee deaths and in some incidences of illness in swimmers. In the Pacific Northwest, the neurotoxin domoic acid produced by blooms has led to "amnesiac shellfish poisoning" which may cause loss of memory and even death in those eating affected shellfish.
The focus of the NOAA-NFWF effort on the HAB problem is the development of plan to helpmanage and mitigate the effects of harmful algal blooms. Scientists, managers, and local representatives throughout the U.S. have expressed a strong need for innovative approaches to mitigation and control. As Donald Scavia, director of NOAA's coastal ocean program, stated, "The increasing incidence and severity of harmful algal blooms present a challenge to the coastal ocean science community to identify causes and provide strategies for their mitigation and control. The more we know about HABs the better we will be able to predict their onset, mitigate their impacts, and ultimately identify long-term strategies to prevent them." The NOAA-NWFW effort to bring together scientists, managers, and coastal residents to learn more about the causes and impacts of these events will not only provide useful information and insights, but it will also create a heightened awareness of the critical need for everyone to work together to find solutions.
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