[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]





                         -*IF,,Iou!5 of U.5. Harmful Algal a Tpsiiiw
                         Progre5r2 towardi5 a National Prog ew.



     S,




                                                                     Harmful     algal  blo=5 kill
                                                                     marine wildlife and            i I dTj M @,- M,












                         Ak






         QK
         568
         T67
         .S73
         1998














                                                           FOREWORD


                                     I am especially pleased to introduce this report summarizing the
                                  status of coastal harmful algal Wooms (HAL39) and Federal agency
                                  efforts toward better understanding HABs and toxins, predicting their
                                  occurrence, and controlling or mitigating HAD impacts. With collabo-
                                  ration from U.5. HAB experts, the Federal agencies cooperatively
                                  planned a national response to the serious ecological and economic
                                  HA13 problems that beget U.5. coastal regions. About five years ago,
                                  several agencies pooled their resources and began to implement the
                                  strategies in their co-eponsored national research plan. 5ince then,
                                  other agencies have joined the effort. Their vision and subsequent
                                  step-by-step, interagency efforts have resulted in a national,
                                  multiagency-sponsored research progr-am-ECOHAL3--that is already
                                  beginning to improve our understanding of HAB ecology and is en-
                                  couraging scientists to refine state-of-the-art methodologies for de-
                                  tecting and forecasting HA139. Now these agency ocientistsand man-
                                  agere are turning their efforts toward national management of coastal
                                  HABe. 5uch collaborative efforts are to be encouraged and the lead-
                                  ers commended for this is the only way, in times of tight fiscal re-
                                  straint, that complex, national problems can be credibly tackled and
                                  overcome.










                                                                                      P. James Baker
                                                     Under 5ecretary for Oceans and Atmosphere
                                                                          Department of Commerce











                                                   VS Department of Commerce
                                                   NOAA Coastal Services Center Library
                                                   2234 South Hobson Avenue
                                                   Charleston, SC         2940S-2413










                              STATUS OF U.S. MkMFU ALGAL 5LOOMS:@'
                             PROGRESO TOWARDS A NATIONAL PROGRAM

                               "216
































                                                                                             .0w.
                                                                      44
                                     -1-Tht5;ApuMic@ation wa,!5 prepared by@. -                                     Ag
                                         Donna  I). Turgeon, Kevin G. 5elln@r,ancl Donald 5cavia,
                           '-4 N@rMongl-QuM "5ervice,'Wtiomal Oceanie-and AtmoErpheric Admi-ni5tration,
                                            n
                                                          -)ep
                                                     U. S.L          t of Comr@er
                                                                                 Ge
                                                                                                        4-
                                                                 C9 tl
                                                  or
                            Do ma I dM. Ander5on,"Biology UepJftrnen-@, jood5 Hole 01%patjog@aph'116


                                                                      t
                                                With Gonfribu iono frortr
                                  John Hei!51er X61 Kay @u5tin, U.5. Envinori mental Protect icn.Aeje ncy
                                     MichjpjMrC-eehin, Center.5 for Pi5ea5e C@ontrol and Prevention
                                    Alan I)eaFr  National In5titj4,td*,,of En@irbnmental [email protected]
                                                                                                                      A
                                       16    5herwoool Hall. Food and Drug Admini5tratioh
                                        [email protected] Garri5on, National 5dlt!rq@ffunclatjon
                                                Joan C,)evelahcl, Office of Naval Re5earch   04
                                                 e 1, National A-eronautiG5 and 5pace Admini5tration
                                   Janet Campb*lell
                                      Michael           Geologic'M 5urvey, Department of Interior                 -AV
                            RoMert J!@VrighT- Agricultural Re5earGh 5ervice. EiWe?AXtment,04k"'\6)@iGuiture
















                                                          EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


                            This document was prepared in response to a request by the House Committee on
                         Appropriations. In its Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and
                         RelatedAgencies Appropriations Bill, Fiscal Year 1998, the Committee "urged NOANs Coastal
                         Ocean Program to continue its efforts to establish a National Harmful Bloom program that
                         will expand the current geographic scope of studies on the ecology and oceanography of
                         harmful algal blooms (ECOHAB) to additional geographic areas and conduct research on
                         the means to prevent, control, and mitigate blooms and their effects." Because the Depart-
                         ment of Commerce (DOC) efforts through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-
                         tration (NOAA) are cooperative with other Federal agencies, the Committee requested a
                         report "outlining interagency efforts and progress." Here is that report.
                             Harmful algal blooms are an increasing worldwide threat with significant impacts on
                         U.S. coastal regions. A harmful algal bloom (HAB) in local waters can have serious conse-
                         quences, depending on the species, that range from killing fish and other wildlife to making
                         shellfish poisonous and perhaps deadly to consumers. Recently, blooms have occurred in
                         new coastal areas and new species have also appeared, catching watermen, residents,
                         and local officials off-guard (e.g., "Pliesteria hysteria" in mid-Atlantic coastal waters).










                         Massive mortalities of wild fish due to coastal HABs. Severe economic losses of farmed fish due to HABs.
                             About five years ago, DOC/NOAA supported a workshop that resulted in a National Plan
                         (Marine Biotoxins and HarmfulAlgae:A National Plan) and set in place a process that would
                         eventually evolve into an interagency national program to understand and ameliorate the
                         impacts of coastal HABs. DOC/NOAA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) spon-
                         sored a second report (ECOHAB: The Ecology and Oceanography of HarmfulAlgal Blooms
                         a National Research Agenda). This National Research Agenda is the blueprint for ECOHAB,
                         the first Federal research program on the ecology and oceanography of HABs. ECOHAB
                         research is currently supported by the DOC/NOAA, NSF, the U.S. Environmental Protection
                         Agency, the Office of Naval Research, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and
                         the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Recently, DOC/NOAA and the National Fish and Wild-
                         life Foundation sponsored the development of a third strategic report (HarmfulAlgal Blooms
                         in Coastal Waters: Options for Prevention, Control, and Mitigation), blue-printing needs for
                         a national management strategy for HABs. The Ad Hoc Interagency Task Force on Marine
                         Biotoxins and Harmful Algae, comprised of agency representatives and academic research-
                         ers, guides, directs, and supports the U.S. HAB program. The National Office of Marine
                         Biotoxins and Harmful Algal Blooms in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, distributes HAB infor-
                         mation and assists the national effort. This report summarizes the status of U.S. coastal
                         HABs, collective federal HAB efforts, and outlines interagency U.S. cooperation to better
                         auide HAB research, prevention, control, and mitigation.










                              5TATU5 OF,                        !-@!NRMFUL A                                         5:
                                                                           A NA:1_P
                            PROGRE55 Ti                          e                                                  AM



                                     INTRODUCTION                           dinoflagellates, the tiny organisms may in-
                                                                            crease in abundance until they dominate the
                               U.S. coastal waters periodically expe-       planktonic community and tint the water red-
                           rience extensive blooms of algae that im-        dish with their pigments. Because other blooms
                           pact living resources, local economies, and      may tint the water bright green or adverse ef-
                           public health. This phenomenon is not            fects can occur when some algal concentra-
                           unique to the U.S., but is global, with ex-      tions are low and the water is clear, the scien-
                           panding problems in Scandinavia, western         tific community now uses the term "harmful
                           Europe, the Mediterranean, South America,        algal bloom" or HAB. This descriptor applies
                           Asia-Pacific islands, and other coastal na-      not only to toxic microscopic algae but also to
                           tions. Increasingly frequent incidences and      nontoxic macroalgae (seaweeds) which can
                           the serious impacts of some bloom events         grow out of control and cause such ecological
                           in the U.S. have led to an integrated, inter-    impacts as displacing indigenous species, al-
                           agency HAB program that addresses needs          tering habitat suitability, and depleting oxygen
                           for safeguarding public health, limiting         (Figure 2). HAB impacts include human illness
                           bloom impacts on coastal resources, and          and death from ingesting contaminated shell-
                           developing the capability to predict when        fish orfish, mass mortalities of wild and farmed
                           and where toxic blooms will occur.               fish, and alterations of marine food chains
                               Among the thousands of species of            through adverse effects on eggs, young, and
                           microscopic algae at the base of the ma-         adult marine invertebrates (e.g., corals,
                           rine food chain are a few dozen that pro-        sponges), sea turtles, seabirds, and mammals.
                           duce toxins. Algal species make their pres-
                           ence known sometimes as a massive                Figure 2. Dense macroalgal blooms smother bottom plants
                           "bloom" of cells that may discolor the water     and animals (e.g., corals and sponges) and may drift ashore.
                           (Figure 1). Other species, in dilute, incon-
                           spicuous concentrations of cells, are no-
                           ticed because they produce highly potent
                           toxins that either kill marine organisms di-                               OL JWIIIIL.@
                           rectly, or transfer through the food chain,
                           causing harm at multiple levels.
                               Blooms of toxic algae were commonly
                           called "red tides," since, in the case of some

                    Figure 1. Dense microalgal blooms can color the water bright
                    green, red, or brown, and shade bottom plants and animals.           What is the problem?

                                                                                Fish lesions, fish kills, irritating health prob-
                                                                            lems for some Maryland Eastern Shore resi-
                                                                            dents, and depressed commercial fish sales;
                                                                            from the Chesapeake dominated las                t
                                                                            summer's local news media, capturing the at

















                                                                                        "Ambush Predator"
                                                                                  One of several new species of "phan-
                                                                                  tom" dinoflagellates, Pfiesteria
                                   tention of state and                           piscicida, has a complex life cycle (dif-   nesic (ASP) on the basis
                                   federal agency offi-                           ficult-to-detect cysts, amoebae, non-       of descriptive human
                                   cials. The cause-a                toxic flagellates and toxic zoospore stages). Af-        symptoms. Except for
                                   microscopic, toxin-               fecting human health and fisheries in mid- and           ASP, all are caused by
                                   producing, single-                southeastern U.S. estuaries, unknown sub-                biotoxins synthesized by
                                   celled dinoflagellate,            stances freshly secreted by finfish stimulate P.         marine dinoflagellates.
                                                                     piscida to produce several toxins that narcotize
                                   Pfiesteria-was to-                fish and cause the formation of open bleeding            ASP is produced by dia-
                                   tally unexpected and              sores." In the laboratory, human exposure to             toms that, until recently,
                                   appeared to catch                 aerosols from toxic cultures has been linked to          were all thought to be free
                                                                     short- and long-term neurotoxic symptoms. Fish-
                                   politicians              and      ermen and others exposed to estuarine waters             of toxins and generally
                                   agency officials off-             have also complained of similar problems, ex-            harmless.7
                                   guard. Public alarm               emplified in the worst cases as a loss of                      A fifth human illness,
                                   resulted, partially be-           neurocognitive ability from aerosolized toxin.           ciguatera fish poisoning
                                   cause of the belief                                                                        (CFP) is caused by
                                   that this invisible                                                                        biotoxins produced by di-
                                   predator was now                                                     -1                    noflagellates that grow on
                                   lurking in the Chesa-                                                                      seaweeds and other sur-
                                   peake Bay.                                          41,                                    faces in coral reef commu-
                                        Although these                                                                        nities.' Ciguatera toxins
                                   toxic      cells       were                                                                are transferred through the
                                   alarming and alien to                                                                      food chain from reef fishes
                                   local residents, HAB                                                                       that eat algae to the carni-
                                   events are common                                                                          vores that feed on them
                                   along U.S. shorelines. HABs are now found                         (e.g., barracuda). Similarly, the viscera of
                                   throughout the U.S. coastal system, from the                      commercially important fish (e.g., herring or
                                   Gulf of Maine through the Gulf of Mexico and                      sardines) can contain PSP toxins, endanger-
                                   north to Alaska. Blooms of algae have been                        ing human health following consumption of
                                   identified in every coastal state and HAB                         whole fish. Whales, porpoises, manatees,
                                   species regularly threaten coastal living                         seabirds, and other wildlife are victims as
                                   resources, restrict local harvests of fish and                    well, receiving toxins via contaminated zoop-
                                   shellfish, divert public funds to monitoring                      lankton or fish (Figure 3).9, 10
                                   programs, depress local recreational and                                Impacts from other HABs occur when
                                   service industries, and burden medical                            marine fauna are killed by algal species that
                                   facilities.                                                       release toxins and other compounds into the
                                        U.S. HABs are caused by a diverse
                                   group of organisms with serious impacts for                      Figure 3. Toxins accumulated in tissues of small marine life
                                   humans and coastal ecosystems. When toxic                        that feed on HABs can kill large consumers like whales.
                                   algae are filtered from the water as food by
                                   shellfish such as clams, mussels, oysters,
                                   and scallops, shellfish tissues accumulate
                                            5,6
                                   toxins. Typically, shellfish are only margin-
                                   ally affected, even though a single clam can
                                   sometimes accumulate sufficient toxin to kill
                                   a human. Shellfish poisoning syndromes
                                   have been given the names paralytic (PSP),
                                   diarrhetic (IDSP), neurotoxic (NSP), and am-

                                                      Bs- 2















                                                                                                land bay scallops).
                                                                    40"
                                                                                                   What are the trends and economic
                                                                                                          consequences of HABs?
                                                                                  -7
                                                                                                     Documented episodes of PSP human in-
                                                     A:                                         toxication and mortalities on the West Coast
                                                                                                extend back to 1903 in California. PSP events
                          L                                                                     were also common off Alaska, Oregon, Wash-
                          Figure 4. Dense algal blooms may consume oxygen in the
                          water column and cause massive mortalities of marine life.            ington, and Alaska, but extended into Puget
                                                                                                Sound only recently. On the East Coast, how-
                                  water, or that kill without toxins by physically              ever, observations of PSP events prior to 1972
                                  damaging gills or by creating low oxygen                      were limited to eastern Maine. Now, PSP has
                                  conditions (Figure 4). Pfiesteria and related                 spread throughout the rest of New England and
                                  toxic species produce as yet unidentified                     to Georges Bank. As far back as the mid-1 6                   th
                                  toxins that have been implicated in tempo-                    century, NSP toxins, which poison human con-
                                  rary short-term losses of neurocognitive                      sumers of shellfish, have caused respiratory
                                  abilities (short-term memory) in Maryland                     irritation in humans and mortalities in fish and
                                  residents exposed to water or aerosol con-                    other wildlife in western Florida and Texas
                                  taining the organism. Large, prolonged                        coastal waters, and occasionally were carried
                                  blooms alter the distribution of light, leading               by the Gulf Stream to North Carolina. For the
                                  to decreasing densities of valuable sub-                      first time, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana
                                  merged aquatic vegetation in our coastal ar-                  suffered an NSP outbreak in 1996. ASP tox-
                                  eas and degrading                                Paralytic Shelifish Poisoning              ins, which cause per-
                                  nursery          habitats.                                                                  manent loss of short-
                                  Dense accumulations               WARNING PSP syndrome is life-threatening and can          term memory and in
                                  of some HABs also                          result in r9spiratory arrest within 24 hours     some cases death, now
                                                                             of consuming shellfish laced with toxins
                                  lead to local depres-             from feeding on a,gae in the genus Alexandrium.           occur along the West
                                  sions in oxygen levels            There is no antidote. PSP health risks are controlled     Coast and off Alaska,
                                  (hypoxia and anoxia)              by monitoring shel'fish and rapidly closing toxic re-     but the organism re-
                                  that can reduce fish              gions. PSP toxins can be transferred through the          sponsible for toxin pro-
                                                                    food chain, killing fish, birds, and marine mam-
                                  and shellfish habitat             mals. 10 12 Before -, 972, PSP on the U. S. Atlantic      duction has also been
                                  (e.g., seagrass, coral            coast was restricted to eastern Maine. Now the            identified from northern
                                  and sponge) and in                entire New EnglanJ coastline experiences periodic         Gulf of Mexico and Mas-
                                  most severe condi-                PSP outbreaks Wth extensive shellfish bed clo-            sachusetts            waters.
                                                                    sures and economic losses. Similarly, PSP ap-
                                  tions, kill endemic fish          peared in Puget S)und in the late 1970's. PSP im-         Ciguatera poisoning is
                                  and shellfish commu-              pacts more U.S. coastline than any other HAB.'3           the most prevalent HAB
                                  nities (Figure 4). Other                                                                    intoxication in tropical
                                  HAB species can                                                                             and subtropical U.S.
                                  damage local shellfish                                                                      possessions, affecting            i
                                  and aquaculture fish
                                                                                                                              as much as 50% of the
                                  stocks, resulting in se-                                                                    U.S. Virgin Islands
                                  vere economic hard-                                                                         population, as well a,
                                                                                                                                                              s
                                                                                                                                                              I






                                                                                                                              many residents                  I
                                  ship and, in some                                                                                                       and
                                  cases, collapse of the                                                                      tourists of other tropical
                                                                                                                 Tu yeals
                                  fishery (e.g., Long Is-                                         0 6-10tim.a                 U.S. states and territo
                                                                                                     2 5 tim.a
                                                                                                     I time
                                                                                                     Sampled but not deteaed -HAa,- 3















                                                      Pre-1 972

                                                                                                line has prevented development
                                                                                                of a commercial shellfishery in
                                                                                                the state, estimated at $50 mil-
                                                                                                lion annually. 15 Domoic acid in-
                                                                                                toxication of razor clams and
                                                                                                Dungeness crabs in Washington
                                                                                                and Oregon resulted in losses
                                                                                                of $15-20 million in 1991, asso-
                                                                                                ciated with collapse of the rec-
                                                                                                reational and commercial fisher-
                        NHI     '0                                                   0 PR       ies and a huge tourist industry.
                                                                                                Farmed fish have also been im-
                                                                                                pacted as a result of mortalities
                                                                                                caused      by      Chaetoceros
                                                                                                convolutus and Heterosigma
                                                                                                carterae, with 1987 losses of
                                                                                                $0.5 and $4-5 million, respec-
                                                                                                tively.16, 17
                                                                                                    Along these same lines, a
                                                                                                single PSP event in Maine in
                                                                                                1980 reportedly cost the state $7
                                                                                                million'lland outbreaks have re
                                                                                                curred nearly every year since.
                                                                                                Similarly, the bay scallop fishery
                                                                                                in Long Island, yielding $2 mil-
                        NHI                                                                     lion annually, has never recov-
                                                                                     N PR       ered from blooms of the brown
                                                                                                tide organism Aureococcus in
                     Figure 5. Since 1972, U.S. HAB distribution appears to be expanding and    1985.19 Pfiesteria events in Au-
                     events occurring more commonly.                                            gust, 1997 along Maryland's
                           ries. 14 On this evidence, the experts conclude       Eastern Shore resulted in an estimated $40
                           that HAB problems are increasing through-             million loss in commercial sales for the
                           out U.S. coastal waters (Figure 5).                   Chesapeake region      .20 In the Gulf of Mexico
                                The scale of HAB economic impacts is             and along the western coast of Florida, G.
                           startling, and, if the trend continues, the fu-       breve blooms nearly every year, with esti-
                           ture most likely holds economic hardships             mated losses of $20 million per event        .21 In
                           for many more local communities that de-              coastal North Carolina, 400 km of shellfish
                           pend on healthy fish and shellfish resources.         area were closed from the same organism
                           The rapid geographic expansion in the past            at a loss of $25 million in 1987-88    22 and the
                           two decades is responsible for economic               shellfisheries of four states along the north-
                           losses approximating $100 million per year.           ern Gulf of Mexico (Florida, Alabama, Mis-
                             his estimate would significantly increase if        sissippi and Louisiana) were closed in 1996,
                           shellfisheries that have never opened due             exceeding $15 million in lost revenue      .23
                           to continuous toxin accumulation were in-                  Noneconomic losses accompanying
                           cluded in computations. For example, PSP              U.S. HAB events have also been dramatic.
                           in shellfish along Alaska's 30,000 mile coast-        For example, 149 manatees, an endangered

                                            Bs- 4
















                                 species, were killed off western Florida
                                 in a 1996 G. breve bloom. Each year,
                                 fish, bottlenose dolphins, whales, sea
                                 turtles and birds succumb from encoun-
                                 ters with U.S. HABs (Figure 6). Such
                                                                                                 F
                                 events often trigger public outcry and a de-
                                 mand for immediate remedial action.
                                                                                                                                              -A
                                     What causes HABs to increase?                               Figure 6. Losses of wildlife from ingestion of HAB toxins are
                                                                                                 significant and include this dead pelican and these manatees.
                                       Although few would argue that the num-                    ally occurring ratios, such that we may be al-
                                 ber of toxic blooms, the economic losses                        r
                                 from them, the types of resources affected,                     tering algal species composition by favoring cer-
                                 and the number of toxins and toxic species                      tain groups (e.g., HABs) better adapted to al-
                                 have all increased dramatically in recent                       tered nutrient supply ratios       .30 PfieSteria, for ex-
                                 years in the U.S. and around the world, opin-                   ample, seems to thrive in polluted waters              .31
                                 ions differ with respect to the reasons for
                                                      24-26
                                 this expansion.            We may have contrib                   A U.S. INTERAGENCY HAB PROGRAM
                                 uted to the global HAB expansion by trans-
                                 porting toxic species in ship ballast water               27        Until recently, the U.S. had no national pro-
                                 or by dramatically in-                                                                        gram or plan to attack
                                 creasing aquaculture                   Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning                         problems associated
                                 activities, Other "new"            NSP gastrointestnal and neurological symptoms              with HABs and marine
                                 bloom events may re-               from eating shellfish that have fed on toxic               biotoxins, despite a long
                                 flect indigenous popu-             Gymnodinium breve dinoflagellates, can be debili-          history of impacts, re-
                                 lations that were dis-             tating.@@' 211 There,s no antidote; full recovery usu-     search, and local moni-
                                                                    ally is within days Monitoring programs generally
                                 covered because of                 prevent human e.-posure except in previously un-           toring. Research pro-
                                 better detection meth-             affected areas where officials may not be monitor-         grams were small, frag-
                                 ods and more observ-               ing. During blooms, humans may be driven from              mented, and uncoordi-
                                 ers.19 The linkage to              coastal areas byasthma-like symptoms from rot-             nated, run by individual
                                                                    ting fish and toxic aerosols. Blooms occur annu-
                                 pollution, however,                ally along Gulf of Mexico shores (e.g., 22 of the          investigators and rarely
                                 cannot be ignored. In-             last 23 @ears off western Florida), can cover as           have been sustained
                                 creased nutrient loads             much as 3x101 km,,and can last as long as 18               through time. There was
                                                                    months. In 1996, Louisiana, Mississippi andAla-
                                 to coastal waters may              bama experience(i their first bloom-30 @ottlenose          little communication be-
                                 stimulate background               dolphins were kilied and the oyster industry suf-          tween workers and no
                                 (i.e., relatively low              fered extensive 9conomic loss. A 1997 Texas                federal coordination of
                                 level) populations of              bloom killed over 14 million fish. Blooms are occa-        activities with respect to
                                 microscopic and mac-               sionally carried to North Carolina coastal waters.         national priorities. I
                                 roscopic algae to ink                                                                         contrast, other countrie
                                 tiate a bloom. Some                                                                           such as Canada,
                                 scientists even argue                                                                         France, and Japan es-
                                 that the nutrients that                                                                       tablished coordinated
                                 humans supply to                                                                              national research pro-
                                                                                                                                                               s
                                                                                                                                                               a'


                                                                                                                                                               @d

                                                                                                                                                               0_
                                 coastal waters are de-                                                                        grams that included fre@-
                                 livered in proportions                                       NSP vents duri,ng last 10 yea    quent meetings of inves
                                 that differ from natu-                                          *e6-10times                   tigators, sustained fun
                                                                                                 0 2.5 tim s
                                                                                                   I tim.
                                                                                                   Sarnpled but not dete@ed           HABs- 5     _. ;*LS















                                  ing in high priority areas, and continual re-                    Federal research program on the ecology
                                  evaluation of progress and priorities for the                    and oceanography of HABs. ECOHAB is
                                  future. This situation has begun to change in                    supported by DOC/NOAA, NSF, the U.S. En-
                                  the U.S. If the effort is sustained, elements                    vironmental Protection Agency (EPA), De-
                                  of a national program on HABs are being                          partment of Defense's Office of Naval Re-
                                  implemented at a scale that will surely have                     search (ONR), National Aeronautics and
                                  a significant impact on understanding these                      Space Administration (NASA), and the U.S.
                                  phenomena and our ability to manage their                        Department of Agriculture (USDA). ECOHAB
                                  impacts.                                                         research, focused on the mechanisms re-
                                                                                                   sponsible for HABs in U.S. coastal waters,
                                   How has the U.S. responded to HAB events?                       will be used to develop predictive models for
                                                                                                   HAB events. Such models will help guide
                                       Agency and academic research labora-                        future regional and national agency re-
                                  tories have been active for the past several                     sponses to protect citizens, businesses, and
                                  years, primarily focusing on HAB effects on                      coastal living resources from HABs.
                                  fish habitat and nutrition. This research gen-                        The third portion of the U.S. HAB pro-
                                  erated a substantial expertise and knowledge                     gram is summarized in a report that focuses
                                  for the diverse suite of HAB species in the                      on processes, mechanisms, and technolo-
                                  U.S., but there was no coordinated approach                      gies that might be employed in the control of
                                  to developing explanations for HAB problems                      HABs and their impacts. NOAA and the Na-
                                  nationwide.                                                      tional Fish and Wildlife Foundation supported
                                        Convinced that HAB prevalences and                         development of Harmful algal blooms in
                                  impacts were increasing, U.S. researchers,                       coastal waters: Options for prevention, con-
                                  agency representatives, and members of the                       trol and mitigation.      13 It too was derived from
                                  private sector began a series of workshops
                                  at the start of this decade to plan a national                          Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning
                                  response. Intense and productive workshops                          ASP, so named because one of its most severe
                                  over the last 5 years yielded a compre-                             symptoms is the permanent loss of short-term
                                  hensive national HAB program outlined in                            memory, can be fatal. The ASP toxin, domoic acid,
                                  three separate reports. The first, a general                        is produced by the diatoms, Pseudo-nitzschia
                                  approach to HABs outlined in the Department                         multiseries and P. australis. First identified in east-
                                                                                                      em Canada in 1987,3 it has been a problem for the
                                  of Commerce's National Oceanic and                                  U. S. Pacific coast states since 199 1.33 Domoic acid
                                  Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA)                               has been detected in shellfish on the east coast as
                                  sponsored report Marine biotoxins and                               well and toxic P. mulfiseries cells have been iso-
                                  harmfulalgae:Anationalpla&2               is the nation's           lated from Gulf of Mexico water. Besides shellfish,
                                  foundation for HAB research, management,                            it is now known that domoic acid also accumulates
                                                                                                      in fish and in crab viscera.
                                  and policy.
                                       The second report-ECOHAB The ecol-
                                  ogy and oceanography of harmful algal
                     ,MEW,
                                  blooms a national research agenda"-is
                                  sponsored by NOAA and the National Sci-
                                  ence Foundation (NSF). It is a focused ex-
                                  pansion of National Plan objectives pertain-
                                  ing to the ecology, physiology and oceanog-
                                  raphy of bloom-forming species. This report                                                                    t years
                                                                                                                                      6-10times
                                      iow the blueprint for ECOHAB, the first                                                         2 5 times
                                                                                                                               ASP everils during las 10


                                                                                                                                      I time
                                                                                                                                      Sampled but rot detected
                                                           6













                                            Ciguatera Fish Poisoning
                                    CFP is a malady associated with dinoflagellate tox-
                                    ins that accumulated in tropical fish flesh. Although        the Ad Hoc Interagency Task Force on Ma-
                                    the most frequently reported non-bacterial illness           rine Biotoxins and Harmful Algae, composed
                                    associated with eating fish in the U.S. and its terri-       of agency representatives and academic re-
                                    tories, the number of CFP cases is probably far              searchers. Although individual Federal agen-
                                    higher because there is no confirmatory labora-
                                    tory test and reporting to the U.S. Center for Gis-          cies maintain agency-specific HAB projects,
                                    ease Control is voluntary.28   CFP is produced pri-          NOAA's Coastal Ocean Program (COP) is
                                    marily by epiphytic dinoflagellates (e.g.,                   taking the lead in guiding initial portions of
                                    Gambierdiscus toxicus, Amphidinium carterae,                 the national effort through coordination of the
                                    Coolia monotis and several others in the genera
                                    Prorocentrum, Ostreopsis andThecadinum)grcw-                 U.S. research program ECOHAB and is at-
                                    ing on the surfaces of red and brown macroalgae              tempting to identify and interface HAB activi-
                                    in virtually all sub-tropical to tropical U.S. waters.       ties across the agencies. In its infancy, this
                                    When macroalgae are grazed by herbivorous fi.3h,             activity is receiving support from all agencies
                                    ciguatera precursors in the epiphytes @re
                                    biotransformed into ciguatoxin in fish flesh.                with initial cooperation and dialog evident
                                    Ciguatoxin accumulates, persists over extenced               among the ECOHAB partners, the Depart-
                                    periods and, if consumed by humans, causes long-             ment of Interior's U.S. Geological Survey
                                    term, debilitating, but non-lethal illness. 31 3,            (USGS), as well as the agencies responsible
                                                                                                 for public health and seafood safety, the Food
                                                                                                 and Drug Administration (FDA), the National
                                                                                                 Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
                                                                                                 (N I EHS), and the Center for Disease Control
                                                                                                 and Protection (CDCP) in Human Health Ser-
                                                                                                 vices.
                                                                                                       Additional input to the national program
                                                              amcs@@ TOT=                        is also ensured through operation of the Na-
                                                                    6-10 times                   tional Office of Marine Biotoxins and Harmful
                                                         ,4@      0. 2-5 times
                                                         90         1 time                       Algal Blooms, located in Woods Hole, Mas-
                                                                    Sampled but not detected
                                                                                                 sachusetts. This office, supported by NOAA
                                                                                                 and NSF, was established in response to a
                                  objectives of the National Plan but defines                    national need for timely HAB information and
                                  an area that the U.S. had not yet dealt effec-                 coordination. The office distributes national
                                  tively with in its responses to HABs (i.e., r-nan-             and international HAB information to re-
                                  agement and control). The U.S. is far behind                   searchers, managers, and public officials
                                  many parts of the world in managing coastal                    through its active web site. Further, the office
                                  waters to limit HAB impacts. For example,                      assists the national effort by overseeing na-
                                  Japan, China, and Korea are exploring a suite                  tional workshops and symposia on HAB-re-
                                  of technologies and strategies (e.g., clay floc-               lated topics. Overseen by Dr. Donald Ander-
                                  culation, algicidal bacteria) to directly elimi-               son, a HAB research scientist and U.S. rep-
                                  nate blooms in their territorial waters." This                 resentative to many international organiza-
                                  report is now the basis of a new U.S. initia-                  tions, the National Office is critical to contin-
                                  tive to manage bloom development, persis-                      ued HAB activities nationwide.
                                  tence, and toxicity, thereby minimizing eco-
                                  nomic and ecologic impacts.                                      How effective are current HAB efforts?
                                       These three reports are the U.S. frame-
                                  work for an integrated national HAB program.                        Research on toxins, toxic species, new
                                                                                                                                                              V
                                  Guidance, direction, and support for the U.S. detection methods. Current research is, fo_
                                  program is provided in biannual meetings of cused on some of the most troublesome HA

                                                                                                                                     HABs- 7













                                 species impacting coastal areas (Appendix                           Pfiesteria's toxins are being intensively
                                 1). The initial interagency ECOHAB projects                    investigated through NOAA and N I EHS sup-
                                 are in place and funded beginning in the fall                  port of the Charleston Laboratory and the
                                 of 1997. Two intensive, five-year multi-disci-                 University of Miami's Marine and Freshwa-
                                 plinary research programs are supported for                    ter Biomedical Science Center. Identification,
                                 toxic Alexandrium in the Gulf of Maine and                     purification, and assay development are im-
                                 Gymnodinium in the Gulf of Mexico, yielding                    minent. FDA is conducting research on the
                                 predictive models for forecasting landfall of                  culture of pfiesterioid organisms for charac-
                                 the HAB species. Seven other targeted stud-                    terization, toxin production, and development
                                 ies are also supported, addressing macro-                      of detection methods. Nutrient requirements
                                 algal blooms in Guam, trophic impacts of sev-                  and trophic impacts of Pfiesteria-related spe-
                                 eral U.S. HAB species (Alexandrium, Gyro-                      cies are part of an intramural research pro-
                                 dinium, Prorocentrum, Pseudo-nitzschia),                       gram at NOANs Beaufort Laboratory. The
                                 population genetics of brown tide populations                  linkages between proliferation of coastal
                                 from Long Island, bacterial control Of toxic                   HABs with land use and watershed charac-
                                 Gymnodinium, and                                                                            teristics are key com-
                                 nutrient        require-                      Brown Tide Blooms                             ponents of intramural
                                 ments of ASP-pro-               BTBs, caused by golden-brown algae, recently aP-            EPA, USDA, and
                                 ducing          Pseudo-         peared off southern New England and Texas. A mas-           USGS research pro-
                                                                 sive bloom ofAureococcus anophagefferens was first
                                 nitzschia. A second             reported in the bays of eastern Long Island, New York,      grams. The economic
                                 funding opportunity             in June of 1985. Severe brown tides have occurred           impacts of HABs, a
                                 for new research on             inmost years since then and now are also in Bamegat         critical indicator of so-
                                 Pfiesteria and other            Bay, New Jersey, and Narragansett Bay, Rhode Is-            cietal influences on the
                                 HABs was published              land. After a drought that increased the salinity and       initiation       of     HAB
                                                                 severe freezes that killed millions of finfish in Laguna
                                 this spring           with      Madre, TX, an extensive bloom of a new species,             events, are being
                                 awards scheduled for            Aureoumbra lagunensis, appeared in 1990 and each            summarized by the
                                 this summer. Blooms             summer since. Both B TBs have had substantial eco-          National Office of Ma-
                                 of brown tide popula-           logical impacts (e.g., reductions in zooplankton graz-      rine Biotoxins and
                                                                 ingrates, decreased light penetration andreductions
                                 tions that have deci-           in the extent of seagrass beds). Submerged aquatic          Harmful Algal Blooms
                                 mated bay scallops              vegetation has been decimated in both regions due           with support from
                                 and seagrasses in               to BTB shading. Subtle ecosystem changes from               NOAA Sea Grant. Epi-
                                                                 long-term dominance of the Laguna Madre system
                                 Long Island are being           in southern Texas are likely.37BTBs have caused             derniology, symptomo-
                                 intensively examined            mass mortalities of blue mussels in Rhode Island.3'         logy, diagnoses, ther-
                                 through a Brown Tide            In Long Island Sound, BTBs have had a severe i       .m-    apy, and advisory in-
                                 Research Initiative             pact on commercially valuable shellfish, affecting          formation for humans
                                 (BTRI), supported by            more than 80% of New York's bay scallop harvest."           exposed to marine
                                 NOAA's COP. The                                                                             biotoxins are major ini-
                                 NOAA Sea Grant
                                                                                                                             tiatives within the
                                 Program is support-                                                                         CDCP. And finally, de-
                                 ing individual HAB                                                                          velopment of toxin
                                 projects throughout                                                                         biornarkers, indicators,
                                 the U.S. that include                                                                       and exposure thresh-
                                 toxic species such as                                                                       Olds are expanding
                                 Pfiesteria, Alexan-                                                                         programs within the
                                 drium, and Proro-                                                                           CDCP and NIEHS.
                                 centrum                                                                                          National Plan ob-

                                                     S-8 -














                                                                    Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms
                                                               Excessive growths of Anabaena, Aphanizomenon,
                                 jectives specific to          and Microcystis, can lead to HCBs that exhibit se-           Florida       shelf        and
                                 toxin identification,         vere neuro-, cyto- and hepatotoxicity in a variety of        Alexandrium for the Gulf
                                 characterization,             mammals (e.g., humans and farm animals), birds,              of Maine).
                                 human health, and             fish and invertebrates (e.g., zooplankton). HCBs are              CDCP and NIEHS
                                                               national economic and environmental threats, occur-
                                 assay development             ring in large estuarine systems (e.g., Chesapeake            were active partners in
                                 are current activities        Bay, Albemarle-Pam'ico SoundandFlorida Bay) and              resolving public health
                                 of CDCR NIEHOZ                the Great Lakes. For example, a persistent algal             issues for Maryland in
                                                               bloom dominated by a new HCB species,
                                 and laboratories in           Synechococcus elorgatus. appeared in 1991 in mid-            1997  ' Through such ef-
                                 NOAA and the FDA.             north central Florida E3ay, spread to central and west-      forts, CDCP-state part-
                                 The NIEHS Marine              ern areas, and persists more or less to this day This        nerships expand epide-
                                 and Freshwater Bio-           HCB and the turbid waters and reduced light pen-             miological studies on
                                 medical Science               etration it causes have been implicated in large-scale       marine biotoxins and
                                                               mortalities of seagrF ss and sponge beds and even
                                 Centers have dedi-            degradation of Florida Keys coral reefs.                     develop case histories,
                                 cated missions for                                                                         diagnoses, therapies,
                                 marine biotoxin re-                                                                        and advisory information
                                 search within each                                                                         for public officials and
                                 university center in                                                                       the health community.
                                 the NIEHS program                                                                              Because of its man-
                                 receiving annual                                                                           date to ensure food
                                 support. The Uni-                                                                          safety, FDA maintains a
                                 versity of Miami                                                                           strong research and re-
                                 NIEHS Marine and                                                                           sponse capability to de-
                                 Freshwater Bio-                                                                            tect, evaluate, and miti-
                                 medical Sciences                                                                           gate toxic events which
                                 Center is an interna-                                                                      could affect food. FDA
                                 tionally respected                                                                         research on seafood tox-
                                 resource for several toxins, including the                    ins (freshwater and          marine) is carried out at
                                 brevetoxins, fatal to endangered manatees                     dedicated seafood            laboratories located in
                                 and sea turtles. The Center's staff is cur-                   Washington, D.C. Dauphin Island, Alabama,
                                 rently focusing on identification of and as-                  and Bothell, Washington. These laboratories
                                 say development for Pfiesteria toxins.                        culture toxic organisms, isolate, and charac-
                                 NOAA's Charleston Laboratory and the                          terize toxins, develop methods, supply toxin
                                 Northwest Fisheries Science Center are in-                    standards, and evaluate risks from toxin ex-
                                 vestigating toxin production and living re-                   posure. When outbreaks occur, these labora-
                                 source indicators to toxin exposure for sev-                  tories analyze samples from cases of sus-
                                 eral U.S. HAB species. NOAA:s National                        pected seafood poisoning. Illnesses from shell-
                                 Environmental Satellite and Data Informa-                     fish toxins (PSP and NSIP) and ciguatera have
                                 tion Service (NESDIS) is purchasing, pro-                     been confirmed from several poisonings over
                                 cessing, and providing ocean color satellite                  the past two years. FDA laboratories aid states
                                 data and products in near-real time that                      when emergency needs for environmental
                                 should be helpful in detecting and monitor-                   analyses arise that exceed state capabilities
                                 ing HABs. In cooperation with COP, NESDIS                     (e.g., the Gulf of Mexico NSP outbreaks of
                                 is currently developing regionally specific                   1996). FDA experts in seafood toxins work with
                                 ocean color algorithms and calibrating/vali-                  state and federal officials to determine the ex-
                                 dating incoming and outgoing data streams                     tent and hazard from environmental occur-
                                                                                                                                                           r

                                                                                                                                                           3



                                                                                                                                                           3
                                                                                                                                                           f




                                 for HAB detection (e.g., G. breve for the west                rences of familiar (e.g., PSP) or less fami              lia

                                                                                                                                   HA89- 9













                                      Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning
                                  DSP is considered by some scientists to be the most
                                  common and globally widespread phytoplankton-             tershed conditions, public health, and sea-
                                  related seafood illness. DSP-producing species of         food safety for the region. An immediate
                                  phytoplankton such as Dinophysis acuminata and            NOAA and EPA allocation of funds resulted
                                  Prorocentrum lima occur throughout all temperate
                                  coastal waters of the U.S. The first confirmed inci-      in an enhanced and expanded water quality
                                  dence of DSP in North America occurred in 1990            monitoring program by Maryland's Depart-
                                  and 1992 in Canada. DSP, attributable to P. lima,         ment of Natural Resources with cell identifi-
                                  has been reported from northern Maine and from            cation and toxicity determined at North Caro-
                                  Georges Bank, but generally is not a problem in
                                  the U.S.                                                  lina State University (Figure 7) and Florida
                                                                                            Marine Research Institute laboratories. A
                                                                                            NOAA vessel and captain were stationed on
                                                                                            the river for the summer. The NOAA-State
                                                                                            Cooperative Oxford Laboratory and USGS
                                                                      APP,                  were instrumental in assessing pathology of
                                                                                            lesioned and dead fish as well as coordinat-
                                                                                            ing fish bioassays in the Pocomoke River.
                                                                                            CDCP and NIEHS assisted Maryland's
                                                                                            health teams in conducting public health sur-
                                                                                            veys and clinical examinations of Pfiesteria-
                                                                                            exposed and non-exposed individuals.
                                                                                            NIEHS, USDA, NOANs Sea Grant, and EPA
                                                                                            supported workshops specific to Pfiesteria,
                                                                                            its tox
                                                                                                   ins, and impacts. The FDA immediately
                                                                                            initiated short-term bioassays of Pfiesteria-
                              toxic events (e.g.,      the response to the sus-             exposed fish and shellfish to safeguard sea-
                              pected Ptiesteria species events in Maryland                  food from the area. NOANs Maryland Sea
                              last year). A major undertaking of the FDA                    Grant off ice produced a web site for near real-
                              Washington Seafood Laboratory is the train-                   time distribution of information from the tribu-
                              ing of state and foreign officials to establish               taries, laboratories, and public officials.
                              observer programs which provide early warn-                        This immediate, multi-agency response,
                              ing of potential HAB events. FDA toxin ex-                    admittedly ad hoc, served to consolidate sup-
                              perts represent the U.S. in several interna-                  port from individual agencies that a rapid re-
                              tional organizations (e.g., APEC, the Asian                   sponse capability was a national need for
                              Pacific Economic Cooperative) with goals for                  comparable events in the future and became
                              the global distribution of safe seafood.                      one of the primary recommendations for an
                                    Monitoring and assessment capabili-                     interagency report to the White House pro-
                              ties. Other current HAB activities in the Fed-                viding recommendations for future HAB pro-
                              eral government address the National Plan                     grams in the U.S. Seven agencies (Depart-
                              objectives focusing on rapid response and                     ment of Interior [DOI], DOC/NOAA, CDCP,
                              assessment capabilities to toxic and HAB                      FDA, USDA, EPA, and NIEHS) participated
                              outbreaks. The unprecedented mass mortali-                    to produce National harmful algal bloom re-
                              ties of fish, high incidence of fish with lesions,            search and monitoring strategy., An initial fo-
                              and public illness associated with toxic                      cus on Pfiesteria, fish lesions, fish kills, and
                              Pfiesteria-like populations in Maryland's                     public health, providing the basis for plan-
                              Eastern Shore tributaries this past summer                    ning Federal activities and responses for
                              initiated an immediate Federal-state partner-                 similar events in the future. National Plan ob-
                                    to vigorously monitor and assess wa-                    jectives are focused and, with little revision,

                                           _HABs- 10

















                                                                                                              HAB Fish Kills
                                                                                              Catastrophic losses of cultured and wild fish not only
                               were the model for developing this HAB                         occur from many toxic algal species, but also from
                               Strategy.                                                      others that do not cause illnesses in humans. Blooms
                                    The successes of the Federal-State                        of the diatom, Chaetoceros convolutus, do not pro-
                               partnership in rapidly responding to                           duce a toxin but have caused massive fish kills.
                                                                                              Chains of these cells armed with long setae and short
                               Maryland's Pfiesteria-induced fish kills and                   secondary spines become lodged in fish gills and
                               public illnesses have also resulted in addi-                   cause blood hypoxia as a result of mucous produc-
                               tional support in FY98 to ensure a similar                     tion. Blooms of the flagellate, Heterosigma carterae,
                               capability in the coming year. NOAA and                        have caused even more extensive farmed-fish mor-
                                                                                              talities in British Columbia and Washington state with
                               EPA each received funding for assisting                        substantial economic losses for this industry.
                               State programs for Pfiesteria monitoring
                               and assessment beginning this spring. Fol-
                               lowing a meeting with mid- and south At-
                               lantic state representatives, Federal-State
                               partnerships will be formed through distri-
                               bution of Federal funds to individual states
                               for supplemental program assistance and
                                                                                                                            I:nT-
                               the expansion of selected program ele-
                               ments.
                                     Access to databases and informa-
                               tion communication. The identification of
                               databases on bloom incidences, toxin oc-
                               currence in shellfish, mass mortality events,               Maryland, North         Carolina and       Virginia Sea
                               epidemiology, and the dissemination of this                 Grant Offices encouraged the              public to use
                               information is a key National Plan objec-                   their HAB web sites and provided additional
                               tive. As noted above, the National Office of                advisory information during the recent
                               Marine Biotoxins and Harmful Algal Blooms                   Pfiesteria outbreaks. These Sea Grant Off ices
                               has a HAB-dedicated web site for distribu-                  as well as others in Mississippi and New York
                               tion of all national and international HAB                  have featured newsletters dedicated to HABs
                               material. Most Federal agencies also main-                  to inform the research communities and edu-
                               tain web sites for distributing agency-spe-                 cate the public on HAB threats in local regions.
                               cific information and in the last several                   NIEHS Centers also distribute results through
                               years, electronic linkages to HAB web                       web sites. Further, community participation in
                               pages have been a focus of several Fed-                     HAB workshops is also increasing, largely
                               eral organizations. For example, NOANs                      through NOAA, NIEHS, USDA, NSF, and EPA
                        Figure 7. This North Carolina State University researcher is       support. The same agencies are identifying
                        one of a few HAB scientists studying toxic Pfiesteria cells.       HAB-related databases, another National Plan
                                                                                           objective, for community access and revision.
                                                                                                 Future HAB activity support. Congres-
                                                                                           sional appropriations in FY 1998 and the
                                                                                           President's proposal for 1999 will strengthen                 i
                                                                                           and enhance critical capabilities to provide
                                                                                           comprehensive research, monitoring, assess-
                                                                                           ment, planning, as well as scientific and tech-
                                                                                                                                                       0



                                                                                                                                                       p
                                                                                                                                                       a
                                                                                                                                                       n

                                                                                                                                                       n
                                                                                                                                                       ng
                                                                                                                                                       d
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                                                                                                                                                       t

                                                                                                                                                       v

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                                                                                                                                                       r


                                                                                                                                                       h
                                                                                                                                                       e
                                                                                                                                                       t


                                                                                                                                                       i
                                                                                                                                                       h

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                                                                                                                                                       n
                                                                                                                                                       de

                                                                                                                                                       ss_
                                                                                                                                                       dtech_

                                                                                                                                                       s
                                                                                           nical support to states and communities (Fig-
                                                                                                                                                       to U S
                                                                                           ure 7). One of the greatest threats                         to U.S.
                                                                                                                                                       tioi
                                                                                           coastal areas-nonpoint source pollution,'in'

                                                                                                                               hFAB.9- 11













                                                    11111111111111101911:1 iN I I      TF =#*    INTAIX"NoYA:YJA
                                             National Plan Objectives                  NOAA      CDC     FDA      EPA      NSF    NIEHS      USDA      DOI
                                  1. Isolate, characterize toxins-FY1998               400K      500K    400K     400K              300K
                                     FY 1999 resources                                 400K      500K    400K     250K              300K      200K
                                  2. HAB detection methods-FY 1998                     300K      1500K   400K     400K     150K                32K     1 OOK
                                     FY 1998 resources                                 300K      1500K   300K     400K     150K               300K     300K
                                  a Toxin effects on ecosystems1humans-FY 1998         700K      5000K   700K     650K     120K     350K       40K
                                     FY 1999 resources                                 1700K     5000K   700K   , 950K              350K      500K
                                  4. Forecasting capabiliti.-s-FY 1998                 2200K             400K--300K        682K
                                     FY1999 resources                                  3400K             400K     500K     572K
                                  5. Management and mit@qation-FY 1998                 500K              700K     700K
                                     FY 1999 resources                                 1000K             700K     500K                      11000K
                                  6. Rapid response to HABs-FY 1998                    500K-     2000K   700K     800K                              I 100K
                                     FY 1999 resources                                 2200K     2000K   700K                                          100K
                                  7. Communication, outreach, education-FY 1998        300K      1000K   500K      2K
                                     FY 1999 resources                                 300K      1000K   500K       10K
                                  8. Databases-FY 1998                                 400K              400               100K                        100K
                                     F 1      resources                                800K                                100K                        100K
                                                 TOTAL     FY 1998                     5.30M 1 O.OOM                      1.05M10.65MI2.72M 0 0
                                                                                                                                                    _  M.
                                                                                                                                                    "20
                                                 TOTAL      FY 1999                  N 0.1 0M 1 0.00M                     0.82MI 0.65M OOMIO.

                                 Table 1. Federal agency FY 1998 funding and proposed FY 1999 support for harmful algal bloom research,
                                 monitoring and assessment activities in U.S. coastal waters.
                                 creasingly frequent outbreaks of harmful al-                    ship of ECOHAB research projects, then 7
                                 gal blooms, and other symptoms of degraded                      agencies helped draft the National Strategy
                                 coastal ecosystems that adversely impact                        in response to the recent Pfiestena crisis.
                                 coastal economies-will be efficiently and ef-                   With such interagency commitment, an inte-
                                 fectively addressed. Agency partners will                       grated, interagency Algal Bloom Program
                                 continue participating in the multiagency Na-                   may become a reality in the near future.
                                 tional Pfiesteria Research and Monitoring                            With the goal of developing a predictive
                                 Strategy and ECOHAB, as well as provide                         modeling capability for HABs in all U.S.
                                 grants to states, universities, and communi-                    coastal waters (i.e., HAB predictions like
                                 ties to conduct monitoring and rapid assess-                    coastal weather forecasts), ECOHAB re-
                                 ments in response to Pfiesteria and other                       search must rigorously investigate and then
                                 HAB outbreaks.                                                  model growth and toxin dynamics of the 7-8
                                                                                                 toxic species and regions along the entire
                                    What is the future for a U.S. Inter-                         U.S. coast. Five-year ECOHAB research
                                            agency HAB Program?                                  projects have just begun on two toxic spe-
                                                                                                 cies and regions, Alexandrium in the Gulf of
                                      Although this summary of current activi-                   Maine and Gymnodinium in the Gulf of
                                 ties suggests that the U.S. has a strong and                    Mexico. The remainder of the coastline and
                                 active national HAB program, the program                        other HAB species need investigation. Re-
                                 is just beginning. Commitment to multi-                         search is needed on brown tide populations
                                 agency coordination of HAB activities by in-                    in Long Island Sound and off Texas, Pfiestena
                                                                                                 in mid- and south Atlantic states, macroalgal
                                 dividual agencies has occurred only during                      blooms in Florida's and Hawaii's coral reefs,
                                 the last five years, after each realized that                   ciguatera clinoflagellates in sub-tropical and
                                 no single agency possessed either the funds                     tropical U.S. possessions, Pseudo-nitzschia
                                  r expertise to respond to the suite of HAB
                                                                                                 in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico and along
                                 t'

                                 n
                                                                                              @
                                                                                                 5000K






                                                                                                 9@@
                                                                                                 2K




































                                 needs. The initial partnerships among NOAA
                                 lil                                                             the west coast, and Chaetoceros and
                                 line off ices for publication of the National Plan              Heterosigma in the northwest. These efforts
                                 have since expanded to 3-agency sponsor-
                                                                                                 will be the focus of future ECOHAB research
                         k#%)_-HABs- 12















                           activities.                                         ing and ameliorating the impacts of these natu-
                               A critical area in need of major support        ral disasters (Figure 8).
                           that was identified in the National Plan and            Finally, there are strong indications that
                           the recent National Strategy for Pfiesteria is      human activities in watersheds of coastal tribu-
                           better understanding of toxin impacts, both         taries may be directly linked to the increasing
                           acute and chronic, on coastal resources and         prevalence and impacts of several HAB spe-
                           humans. This includes identification of the         cies. This implies that coastal eutrophication
                           toxins and toxic cells in water and tissues;        (excess nutrient loads), increased frequency
                           development of rapid, reliable, and inexpen-        of HAB events, and reduced oxygen levels in
                           sive assays for their field detection; identifi-    water (e.g., hypoxia and anoxia in the "dead
                           cation of biomarkers for monitoring HAB tox-        zone" in the Gulf of Mexico) may all be inter-
                           ins in wildlife and humans; and establishment       related. There has been an increasing empha-
                           of exposure thresholds for toxicity. Addition-      sis and coordination among DOC/NOAA, EPA,
                           ally, development of the medical expertise          USDA, and DOI to enhance research capaci-
                           specific to toxins, toxicology, and treatment       ties in these areas. This comprehensive na-
                           should be addressed. Although some of this          tional approach to nutrient inputs and coastal
                           effort is already underway at the NIEHS Cen-        ecosystem responses resulted in a major fo-
                           ters for research, the CDCP, a USGS labo-           cus of the recent Clean Water Action Plan be-
                           ratory, an FDA laboratory, and two NOAA             ing the reduction of excess nutrients from
                           laboratories, an expanded intra- and extra-         nonpoint sources of pollution, particularly in
                           mural program is needed to gain baseline            coastal areas.
                           information quickly on such complex topics.
                                Reducing HAB impacts is a major em-                            SUMMARY
                           phasis for the emerging national HAB pro-
                           gram. The National Plan objective to pursue             The U.S. has in place a national HAB pro-
                           prevention, control and mitigation options for      gram arising from the framework provided by
                           our increasing HAB problem is a critical            the three focused HAB reports prepared dur-
                           need. As HABs continue to increase, we              ing the past five years. These reports are the
                           must refocus our goals and research exper-          basis for 1) the integrated, multi-agency na-
                           tise toward developing techniques for detect-       tional research program, ECOHAB, 2) a fo-
                           Figure 8. Enhanced color satellite imagefy is one of cused partnership between CDCP and NIEHS
                           several tools being refined to detect and track HABs. to significantly expand our capacity to respond
                                                                               to human health concerns from marine
                                                                               biotoxins produced by coastal HABs, and 3)
                                                                               a developing interagency HAB management
                                                                               program. The Federal government has initi-
                                                                               ated a rapid assessment capability to assist
                                                                               states and regions impacted by unexpected
                                                                               HAB outbreaks. Attention to linkages between
                                                                               human activities on the land and bloom out-
                                                                               breaks in receiving waters is a renewed focus
                                                                               for several agencies (i.e., DOC/NOAA, EPA,
                                                                               USDA, and DOI). The U.S. HAB science COM-7
                                                                               munity is vigorously responding to the need
                                                                               for toxin and HAB detection methods to pro-
                                                                               vide field assays for most of our algal toxin

                                                                                                            HALL&- 13 -













                           in the near future. Safe seafood for our soci-         Toxic marine dinoflagellates, pp. 201-
                           ety is ensured through the continuous toxin            261. In: Dinoflagellates, D.L. Spector
                           monitoring and bioassay operations coordi-             (ed.) Academic Press, New York.
                           nated by the FDA.                                   6. Ahmed, F.E. (ed). 1991. Seafood Safety.
                               Although much remains to be done there             National Academy Press, Washington,
                           is a firm base provided by our national ex-            D.C. 432 pp.
                           pertise and technologies. The future is full of     7. Bates, S.S., C.J. Bird, A.S.W. deFreitas,
                           new challenges in HAB research, monitor-               R. Foxall, M. Gilgan, L.A. Hanic, G.R.
                           ing, assessment, and prediction. The Fed-              Johnson, A.W. McCulloch, P. Odense, R.
                           eral agencies are committed to sustaining              Pocklington, M.A. Quilliam, P.G. Sim,
                           their national effort to ensure healthy living         J.C. Smith, D.V. Subba Rao, E.C.D.
                           resources, seafood safety, and sustained               Todd, J.A. Walter, and J.L.C. Wright.
                           economic development in regions impacted               1989. Pennate diatom Nitzschia
                           by HABs.                                               pungensasthe primary source of domoic
                                                                                  acid, a toxin in shellfish from eastern
                                           CITATIONS                              Prince Edward Island, Canada. Can. J.
                                                                                  Fish Aquat. Sci. 46:1203-1215.
                             1. Steidinger, K.A., E.W. Truby, J.K. Garrett,    8. Anderson, D.M. and P.S. Lobel. 1987.
                               and J.M. Burkholder. 1995. The morphol-            The continuing enigma of ciguatera. Biol.
                               ogy and cytology of a newly discovered             Bull. 172:89-107.
                               toxic dinoflagellate, pp. 83-88. In: P.         9. Geraci, J.R., D.M. Anderson, R.J.
                               Lassus, G. Arzul, E. Erard-LeDenn, P.              Timperi, D.J. St. Aubin, G.A. Early, J.H.
                               Genlien, and C. Marcaillou-LeBaut                  Prescott, and C.A. Mayo. 1989. Hump-
                               (eds.). Harmful Marine Algal Blooms,               back whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)
                               Lavoisier, Intercept, Ltd.                         fatally poisoned by dinoflagellate toxin.
                            2. Burkholder, J.M., E.J. Noga, C.H. Hobbs,           Canad. J. Fish. and Aquat. Sci 46:1895-
                               and H.B. Glasgow Jr. 1992. New "phan-              1898.
                               tom" dinoflagellate is the causative agent     10. Anderson, D.M. and A.W. White. 1992.
                               of major estuarine fish kills. Nature              Marine biotoxins at the top of the food
                               358:407-410.                                       chain. Oceans 35:55-61.
                            3. Burkholder, J.M., H.B. Glasgow, Jr., and       11. Shumway, S.E. 1995. Phycotoxin- related
                               K.A. Steidinger. 1995. Stage transforma-           shellfish poisoning: Bivalve molluscs are
                               tions in the complex life cycle of an              not the only vectors. Reviews in Fisher-
                               icthyotoxic "ambush-predator" di-                  ies Science 3:1-31.
                               noflagellate, pp. 567-572. In: P. Lassus,      12. Shumway, S.E., S. Sherman-Caswell
                               G. Arzul, E. Erard-LeDenn, P. Genlien,             and J.W. Hurst. (1988). Paralytic Shell-
                               and C. Marcaillou-LeBaut (eds.). Harm-             fish Poisoning in Maine: Monitoring a
                               ful MarineAlgal Blooms, Lavoisier, Inter-          monster. J. Shellfish Res. 7:643-652.
                               cept, Ltd.                                     13. Boesch, D.F., D.M. Anderson, R.A.
                            4. Glasgow, H. B. Jr., J.M. Burkholder, D.E.          Horner, S.E. Shumway, P.A. Testor, and
                               Schmechel, P.A. Tester, and P.A. Rublee.           T.E. Whitledge. 1997. Harmful Algal
                               1995. Insidious effects of a toxic di-             Blooms in Coastal Waters: Options for
                               noflagellate on fish survival and human            Prevention, Control and Mitigation.
                               health. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health                NOAA Coastal Ocean Program Decision
                               46:101-122.                                        Analysis Series No. 10. NOAA Coastal
                                            K.A. and D.G. Baden. 1984.            Ocean Office, Silver Spring, MD. 46 pp.

                                           s-14
                      #Qi@;














                              + appendix.                                  23.  C. Moncrief, personal communication.
                          14. Anderson, D.M. (ed.). 1995. ECOHAB,          24.  Anderson, D. M. 1989. Toxic algal blooms
                              The Ecology and Oceanography of                   and red tides: a global perspective, In: Red
                              Harmful Algal Blooms: A National Re-              Tides: Biology Environmental Science and
                              search Agenda. Woods Hole Oceano-                 Toxicology, edited by T. Okaichi, D. M.
                              graphic Institution, Woods Hole MA. 66            Anderson and T. Nemoto, pp. 11-16,
                              1010.                                             Elsevier, New York.
                          15. Nev6, R.A. and P.B. Reichardt. 1984.         25.  Smayda, T.J. 1990. Novel and nuisance
                              Alaska's shellfish industry, pp. 53-58 .          phytoplankton blooms in the sea: evidence
                              In: E.P. Ragelis (ed.), Seafood Toxins.           for a global epidemic, pp. 29-40. In: E.
                              Amer. Chem. Soc. Symp. Ser. Wash-                 Gran6li, B. Sundstrom, L. Edler, and D.M.
                              ington, D.C.                                      Anderson (eds.) Toxic Marine Phytoplank-
                          16. Rensel, J.E., R.A. Horner, and J.R.               ton. Elsevier.
                              Postel. 1989. Effects of phytoplankton       26.  Hallegraeff, G.M. 1993. A review of harm-
                              blooms on salmon aquaculture in Puget             ful algal blooms and their apparent global
                              Sound, Washington: Initial research.              increase. Phycologia 32:79-99
                              Northw. Environ. J. 5:53-69.                 27.  Hallegraeff, G.M. and C.J. Bolch. 1992.
                          17. Horner, R.A., J.R. Postel,     and J.E.           Transport of diatom and dinoflagellate rest-
                              Rensel. 1991. Noxious phytoplankton               ing spores via ship's ballast water: impli-
                              blooms and marine salmon culture in               cations for plankton biogeography and
                              Puget Sound, Washington. In: J.R.                 aquaculture. J. Plankton Res. 14:1067-
                              Forbes (ed.), Pacific Coast Research              1084.
                              on Toxic Marine Algae. Canadian Tech-        28. Baden, D.G., T.J. Mende, M. A. Poli and
                              nical Report on Hydrographic Ocean                R.E. Block. 1984. Toxins from Florida's red
                              Science 135:59-61.                                tide dinoflagellate, Ptychodiscus brevis. p.
                          18. Shurnway, S.E. 1988. A review of the              359-367. In: E. Ragelis (ed.) Seafood Tox-
                              effects of algal blooms on shellfish and          ins. Amer. Chem. Soc. Symposium Series.
                              aquaculture. Journal of the World                 Washington, D.C.
                              Aquaculture Society 21:65-104.               29.  Anderson, D.M., Kulis, D.M., Doucette,
                          19. Kahn, J. and M. Rochel. 1988. Mea-                G.J., Gallagher, J.C., Balech, E. 1994. Bio-
                              suring the economic effects of brown              geography of toxic dinoflagellates in the
                              tides. Journal of Shellfish Research              genus Alexandrium from the northeastern
                              7:677-682.                                        United States and Canada. Marine Biol-
                          20. L. Callinowski, personal communica-               ogy 120:467-478.
                              tion.                                        30.  Smayda, T.J. 1989. Primary production
                          21. Habas, E.J. and C.K. Gilbert. 1974. The           and the global epidemic of phytoplankton
                              economic effects of the 1971 Florida              blooms in the sea: a linkage? pp. 213-228.
                              red tide and the damage it presages               In.: E. M. Cosper, E. J. Carpenter and M.
                              for future occurrences. Environmertal             Bricelj (eds.). Novel Phytoplankton
                              Letters 6: 139-147.                               Blooms: Causes and Impacts of Recur-
                          22. Tester, P.A., R.P. Stumpf, F.M.                   rent Brown Tide and Other Unusual
                              Vukovich, P.K. Fowler, and J.T. Turner.           Blooms. Springer-Verlag, New York.
                              1991. An expatriate red tide bloom:          31.  Burkholder, J.M. and H. B. Glasgow. (in
                                                                                                                            I


                              Transport, distribution, and persistence.         press). The toxic ambush-predator di
                              Limnology and Oceanography 36:                    noflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida: behav-
                              1053-1061.                                        ior, impacts, and environmental controls

                                                                                          -HABs- 15 -















                                In: D. M. Anderson, A.D. Cembella, and             marine phytoplankton, zooplankton graz-
                                G. M. Hallegraeff (eds.). Physiological            ers, and pelagic food webs. Limnology
                                Ecology of Harmful Algal Blooms.                   and Oceanography 42(5):1203-1214.
                                Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg.
                           32. Anderson, D.M., S.B. Galloway, and J.D.                        APPENDIX I
                                Joseph. 1993. Marine Biotoxins and
                                Harmful Algae: A National Plan. Woods              Federal HAB-related Projects/Pro-
                                Hole Oceanographic Institution Techni-         grams. Numerous projects/programs related
                                cal Report WHOI-93-02, NMFS and                to HABs are underway in Federal off ices and
                                NOAA COP, Woods Hole, MA. 44 pp. 29.           laboratories; descriptions of primary HAB ef-
                           33.  Garrison D.L., S.M. Conrad, P.P. Eilers,       forts follow.
                                and E.M. Waldron. 1992. Confirmation of                          DOC/NOAA
                                domoic acid production by Pseudo-                  Coastal Ocean Program (COP) is co-
                                nitzschia australis (Bacillariophyceae)        ordinating the competitive, federal, inter-
                                cultures. J. Phycol. 28:604-607.               agency research program, ECOHAB, imple-
                           34.  Ragelis, E.P. 1984. Ciguatera seafood          mented to determine environmental factors
                                poisoning: overview, pp. 25-36. In: E.P.       and cellular mechanisms responsible for
                                Ragelis (ed.). Seafood Toxins, Amer.           HAB events in U.S. coastal waters. This part-
                                Chem. Soc. Symp. Ser. No. 262, Wash-           nership of DOC/NOAA, NSF, EPA, USDA and
                                ington, D.C..                                  ONR, is focused on identification of those
                           35.  Juranovic, L. R. and D. L. Park. 1991.         factors favoring growth and accumulation of
                                Foodborne toxins of marine origin:             HAB species in order to develop predictive
                                ciguatera. Rev. Environ. Toxicol. 117: 51 -    models for forecasting bloom events.
                                94.                                            ECOHAB's m u Iti-discipl i nary, long-term
                           36.  Anderson, D.M. (1997). Turning back            projects link circulation of specific systems
                                the harmful red tide. Nature 388:513-514.      with the ecophysiol-
                           37.  Buskey, I.J., S. Stewart, J. Peterson, and     ogy of individual taxa,
                                C. Collumb. 1996. Effects of a persistent      yielding a biophysical        ECOHAB
                                "brown tide" on zooplankton populations        description of bloom
                                in the Laguna Madre of south Texas, pp.        formation, termination
                                659-666. In: TJ. Smayda and Y. Shimizu         and toxicology. Pres-'
                                (eds.). Toxic Phytoplankton Blooms in the
                                                                               ently, two regional
                                Sea. Elsevier, Amsterdam.                      blooms are being ex-
                           38.  Sieburth, J.McN., P.W. Johnson & P.E.          amined (Gulf of
                                Hargraves. 1988. Ultrastructure and ecol-      Maine and the Gulf of
                                ogy of Aureococcus anophageffe-rens            Mexico), leaving ap-
                                gen. et sp. nov. (Chrysophyceae): the          proximately two-thirds
                                dominant picoplankter during a bloom in        of the U.S. coastline
                                Narragansett Bay. J. Phycol. 24:416-425.       and the associated al-  Figure 9. The basis for a U.S.
                           39.  Cosper, E.M., W.C. Dennison, E.J. Car-         gal blooms to be ad-    HAB coastal research program.
                                penter, V.M. Bricelj, J.G. Mitchell, and       dressed in future ECOHAB projects. COP,
                                S.H. Kuenstner. 1987. Recurrent and            in partnership with EPA, also drafted the Na-
                                persistent brown tide blooms perturb           tional Strategy. Further, COP sponsored the
                                coastal marine ecosystem. Estuaries            comprehensive report on prevention, control
                                10:284-290.                                    and mitigation of HABs, developed this Con-
                           40.  Turner, J.T. and P.A. Tester. 1997. Toxic      gressional report, and provides financial sup-
                          161- - - V-,-
                                         ,Bs- 16















                         port for the National HAB Office and the I n-      samples (e.g., cell-based receptor and re-
                         ternational Oceanographic Commission's             porter gene assays), and research on mo-
                         (IOC) HA News (an international newsletter         lecular mechanisms controlling growth in di-

                         IOC Intergovernmental Panel on Harmful Al-         role of bacteria in
                         on HABs). COP represents the U.S. on the           noflagellates, the

                         gal Blooms and the APEC Marine Resource            bloom dynamics                         -dool
                         Conservation Working Group, and actively           and toxin produc-
                         works in establishing bilateral HAB agree-         tion and effects of
                         ments with its international partners.             algal toxins on re-              @114
                             Sea Grant Program. With its         role in    productive health
                         marine research, education, advisory ser-          of fisheries spe-
                         vices and public outreach, Sea Grant exper-        cies. Beaufort, with Figure 10. NOAA's Charleston
                         tise and its network of local experts plays a      expertise in cultur- Laboratofy scientist identifies HABs.
                         major role during HAB events. Sea Grant has        ing toxic phytoplankton and assessing the
                         long supported individual investigators study-     ramifications of biotoxins in marine food
                         ing local HAB problems (e.g., research first       webs  '40 has been actively involved in G.
                         identifying Pfiesteria in North Carolina) and      breve research since 1987 and now
                         this support has built the foundation for sev-     Pfiesteria. Highlights include a new tech-
                         eral of the large regional HAB field projects.     nique for brevetoxin determination (sensitive
                         A series of articles recently published by         capillary electrophoresis with laser detec-
                         Maryland Sea Grant (e.g., In Harm's Way?           tion), a feasibility study on the use of phy-
                         The Threat of Toxic Algae; Harmful Algal           toplankton pigments and absorption spectra
                         Blooms on the Move; and The Trouble with           as potential biomarkers for G. breve, calibrat-
                         Toxics in the Bay) explained to readers the        ing data and calculating algorithms for the
                         latest information on algal blooms, particu-       Sea WiFS ocean-color satellite sensor for
                         larly those in the Chesapeake Bay region and       monitoring HABs. Oxford Lab is a center of
                         the role of the complex of Pfiesteria-like or-     expertise for invertebrate pathology and ma-
                         ganisms in fish mortalities in the Pocomoke        rine fish diseases with numerous publications
                         River. Sea Grant programs in Maine, Mas-           (e.g., a Manual on Histologic Techniques, a
                         sachusetts, New York, Florida, Texas, Wash-        standard for processing fish and shellfish,
                         ington, North Carolina, and Alaska have re-        and the Registry of Marine Pathology cata-
                         leased similar materials on HABs from those        loguing fish diseases. Oxford Lab has been
                         areas of the country. Sea Grant workshops          monitoring and studying the recent outbreak
                         in Maryland and North Carolina on Pfiesteria       of fish lesions and mortalities in Chesapeake
                         problems were instrumental in easing public        Bay. The Great Lakes Environmental Re-
                         concerns over the threat from this harmful         search Laboratory (GLERL) conducts re-
                         dinoflagellate.                                    search on the status and causes of eutrophi-
                              NOAA laboratories (at Charleston,             cation, which can lead to HABs in coastal
                         Beaufort, Oxford, Great Lakes, and Seattle)        ecosystems, and the recent occurrence of
                         conduct research on coastal HABs and their         HABs in the Great Lakes. Highlights include
                         impacts. Charleston's HAB research focuses         long-term nutrient dynamics and modeling
                         on structural chemistry, biochemistry, toxicol-    studies on key Great Lakes ecosystems and
                         ogy and phycology of PSP, NSP, ASP, IDSP,          video documentation of zebra mussel ability
                                                                                                                            I






                         ciguatera and Pfiesteria toxins. Highlights in-    to selectively feed on nontoxic algal cells
                         clude toxin purification and methods for de-       while rejecting toxic HAB cells. GLERL in
                         tecting toxins in seafood and environmental        vestigators participate in HAB-related re

                                                                                                        HA99- 17















                           search in the Gulf of Mexico (e.g., nutrient      terize the condition of the Nation's resources,
                           inputs to the Gulf of Mexico from the Missis-     including those related to HABs.
                           sippi outflow and the relationship to hypoxia)      The National Health and Environmental Ef-
                           and are also involved in the ECOHAB: Florida      fects Research Laboratory (NHEERL) Gulf
                           project in the Gulf of Mexico (e.g., determin-    Ecology Division (GED) has recently estab-
                           ing the autecology of G. breve). Northwest        lished a new multidisciplinary HAB research
                           Fisheries Science Center biotoxin research        team with objectives for FY98 that include 1)
                           is focused and integrates methodology, food       establishing a state-of-the-art HAB Experi-
                           web interactions, species susceptibility and      mental Culture Exposure Facility and 2) de-
                           coastal ecosystem health. Recent highlights       veloping rapid response and monitoring ca-
                           include development of new receptor bind-         pabilities for HAB events in the Gulf of
                           ings and DNA probes for toxin and toxic al-       Mexico. The HAB team will collaborate with
                           gae detection, studies of toxin transfer          the GED's Coastal Eutrophication Team to
                           through the food web, and culture studies to      better define and understand the suggested
                           determine effects of nutrients on toxin pro-      causative link between increased nutrient
                           duction.                                          loading and HAB phenomena. Recently, a
                                                EPA                          Harmful Algal Bloom page was added to the
                              U.S. Environmental Protection                  Gulf of Mexico Aquatic Mortality Response
                           Agency's (EPA) Office of Research and             Network (GMNET) at http:Hpelican.gmpo.
                           Development (ORD) is presently cooperat-          gov/gmneVgmhome.html). Finally, GED is
                           ing with NOAA and others in supporting re-        working to obtain funding for a proposed
                           search concerning toxic algal blooms as one       study of HAB formation and transport in the
                           of the cosponsors of the ECOHAB Program.          Gulf of Mexico.
             Figure 11. EMA P scientists test Further, EPA has been             ORD will be involved in assessing the pos-
             water qualfir in U.S. estuaries. NOANs primary partner in re-   sible adverse effects of specific toxins on
                                           sponding to recent White          laboratory rodents and to evaluate the neu-
                                           House and Congressional re-       rological effects of Pfiesteria toxins on North
                                           quests for HAB activities, ex-    Carolina watermen. ORD also proposes to
                                           emplified by the EPA/NOAA         conduct studies to assess the efficacy of its
                                           partnership in allocating         screening methodologies in evaluating the
                                           $500,000 in the summer of         potential neurotoxicity to HAB toxins to
                                           1997 for rapid response to        aquatic animals.
                                           fish lesions and mortalities,         EPA's Office of Water. Many of the pro-
                                           and public health concerns        grams in the Office of Water address non-
                                           linked to Pfiesteria in the       point sources of pollution that have been im-
                                           Chesapeake. Further, EPA          plicated as causes for many HAB events. The
                                           and NOAA led the effort to        National Estuary Program (NEP) includes 28
                           draft the National Strategy and distribute        estuaries around the country. All 28 estuar-
                           FY98 funds for State monitoring and assess-       ies have characterized nutrient over-enrich-
                           ment programs for HABs. In 1997, EPA also         ment problems and several have identified
                           provided funds to North Carolina to estab-        HABs as priority concerns. In fact, the
                           lish a rapid response team. Additionally,         Albemarle-Pamlico Sound Estuary Program
                      lx@  EPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assess-        was the site of the discovery of Pfiesteria.
                           ment Program (EMAP) and NOAA`s National           EPAs National Nutrient Strategy is being
                           Status and Trends Program have developed          completed to strengthen our ability to assess
                           and tested appropriate methods to charac-         and control nutrient over-enrichment in the

                                           S-18













                         nation's waters. This strategy summarizes the      derstanding of the direct and indirect causes
                         direction the EPA recommends with respect          of HABs and their ecological consequences
                         to developing water quality criteria to address    through research on the physiological and
                         over-enrichment problems. Concentrated Ani-        ecological basis of bloom formation, the
                         mal Feeding Operations (CAFO) is an EPA            physical and chemical attributes of coastal
                         regulatory program whose aim is to ensure          oceans that facilitate                            I
                         that discharges from large feeding operations      them, the population    *
                         have National Pollutant Discharge Elimina-         attributes of bloom
                         tion System (NPDES) permits. It is anticipated     species, and the                 A NOMW Pl-
                         that the program will support the development      long-term conse-
                         and promotion of improved methods to dis-          quences of ecosys-               0
                         pose of animal waste.                              tem changes. NSF
                                                                                        d the re-
                           The Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)              cosponsored the re-
                         program addresses waterbodies listed by            port ECOHAB The
                         States as impaired and for which pollution         ecology and ocean-
                         controls are not stringent enough to achieve       ography of harmful
                         water quality standards applicable to such         algal blooms a na-
                         waters. Under the TMDL program we can              tional      research
                         identify which rivers or estuaries are listed by   agenda and contin-
                         the States as impaired due to nutrients or         ues to cooperate with  Figure 12- The National Plan. sI
                         other HAB indicators and whether a TMDIL           NOAA by providing      the basis for a U.S. HAB program.
                         has been established to adequately reduce          funding for the ECOHAB Program through
                         the nutrient loadings from all sources. The        the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences, Bio-
                         Tri-chemical Action Plan includes several re-      logical Oceanography Program. The Biologi-
                         cent and pending air regulations which will        cal Oceanography Program also supports
                         reduce air emissions (and deposition) of vari-     other HAB-related research as part of its
                         ous forms of nitrogen as well as propose ad-       regular research program. In addition, the
                         ditional actions that should be taken to fur-      NSF Division of Biological Infrastructure and
                         ther reduce nitrogen loadings from air emis-       the Biological Oceanography provide support
                         sions, other nonpoint sources, and wastewa-        for the Provasoli-Guillard National Center for
                         ter discharges. Under the Clean Water Act          Culture of Marine Phytoplankton (CCMP), a
                         ï¿½319 Nonpoint Source Management Pro-               repository for phytoplankton cultures includ-
                         grams, EPA provides funding, guidance and          ing HAB species.
                         technical assistance to States in their efforts                     DOD-ONR
                         to minimize nutrients, from nonpoint sources.         Office of Naval Research (ONR) sup-
                         Beaches Environmental Assessment Closure           ports research related to the mission of the
                         and Health (B.E.A.C.H.) is an initiative to im-    U.S. Navy and to develop improved under-
                         prove the safety of recreational waters in the     standing of the environment (e.g., optical
                         U.S. through improved public right to know         properties of surface waters) in which the
                         about the quality of swimming waters; devel-       Navy must operate. As part of this research,
                         opment of appropriate warning systems and          ONR has been cooperating with NOAA and
                         improved monitoring strategies for fresh wa-       others in providing support for the ECOHAB
                         ter and marine/estuarine beach scenarios.          Program.
                                            NSF                                                NASA
                             National Science Foundation (NSF) is               National Aeronautics and Space Add-
                         concerned with developing basic scientific un-     ministration (NASA) has recently becom

                                                                                                       HAM- 19 -
                                                                                                                  *X,














                            an advisor to ECOHAB because of its strong         agencies (e.g.,
                            commitment and interest to remote detec-           Food and Drug
                            tion of surface pigment, as found in some          Administration,
                            HABs. With the successful orbiting and op-         National Institute
                            eration of SeaWifs and long-term commit-           of Environmental
                            ment to determining surface distributions of       Health Sciences
                            phytoplankton biomass and productivity in          U.S. Environmen-     Figure 13. This CDC scientist is iso-
                            space and time, NASA:s partnership is timely       tal     Protection   lating HAB toxins in human tissues.
                            and beneficial to the national HAB effort.         Agency) with the goal of planning a
                                             DOWSGS                            coordinated, comprehensive multi-state
                                U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as part         public health program to provide scientifically
                            of its contribution to the Chesapeake Bay          valid information on health effects of
                            Program, is conducting field sampling, labo-       Pfiesteria      exposure.       The      recent
                            ratory analyses and building a Geographical        Congressional allocation of $10 million will
                            Information System data base on the rela-          provide funds necessary for state-specific
                            tionship between nutrient inputs in the wa-        surveys to be implemented and compiled for
                            tershed and Chesapeake Bay water quality.          detailing symptoms of HAB exposures.
                            USGS's Biological Resources Division has                            NIH-NIEHS
                            begun investigations to determine factors             National Institute of Environmental
                            contributing to fish lesions (e.g., the complex    Health Sciences (NIEHS) addresses
                            of Pfiestera-like organisms) in selected tribu-    potential human health impacts of Pfiesteria
                            taries of the Chesapeake Bay. Scientists from      and other HABs through response, research,
                            the USGS Center for Marine and Coastal Ge-         and prevention. NIEHS responded immedi-
                            ology in Woods Hole, MA, are actively in-          ately to the public health threat posed by
                            volved in the ECOHAB-Gulf of Maine re-             Pfiesteria by assisting state health
                            gional study, providing mooring equipment          departments in their efforts to address this
                            and expertise, and developing coupled physi-       problem and by enabling scientists to
                            cal/biological models of Alexandrium dynam-        interact more effectively NIEHS research
                            ics in the large region between the Cana-          includes both basic studies to identify and
                            dian border and Massachusetts.                     characterize relevant toxins and their
                                             HHS-CDC                           associated biological effects as well as
                               Centers for Disease Control and                 clinical and epidemiological research to
                            Prevention (CDC), as the Nation's disease          define more accurately exposure and health
                            prevention agency, has a monitoring,               effects. NIEHS prevention efforts include
                            advisory and public communication role             support of assay development for improved
                            regarding human health concerns and                identification and early detection and
                            harmful algal blooms. As an example, CDC           monitoring of the organism and toxin.
                            recently collaborated with off icials from state       In August 1997, NIEHS received a
                            health departments (i.e., Delaware, Florida,       request from Senators Mikulski and
                            Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South           Sarbanes to help investigate fish kills in the
                            Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia and the          Pocomoke River of southeastern Maryland.
                            District of Columbia) and held a September         Representatives from NIEHS and CDC,
                            1997 Workshop on the Public Health                 visited the a workshop on "Hazardous
                                                                                                                         @A



































                            Response to Pfiesteria. The CDC brought            Mari ne/Freshwater Microbes and Toxins,"
                            together representatives of state health           where researchers, regulators, federal
                      *partments and the relevant federal                      representatives, and state health and
                                       HAE
                                      -HABs- 20

















                             environmental officials met and discussed                tection of Pfiesteria, obtain information on risk
                             their current understanding of a variety of              factors and exposure levels for human health
                             hazardous toxins. This workshop was the                  effects, and clarify putative neurologic effects.
                             first that enabled Pfiesteria and other                  This multidisciplinary approach is an inte-
                             marine toxin researchers to meet,                        grated effort to examine systematically the key
                             exchange information, and identify                       research questions that must be answered in
                             research gaps.                                           order to improve our understanding of both
                                 As part of its Center Program, NIEHS                 the environmental and public health conse-
                             supports a network of Marine and Fresh-                  quences of Pfiesteria. Results from this and
                             water Biomedical Sciences (MFBS) Cen-                    related research will lead to development of
                             ters across the country. Two of these are                diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventative strat-
                             active in the area of Pfiesteria and HAB                 egies.
                             research. The University of Miami MFBS                                            FDA
                             Center, long noted for its work in marine                    Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is
                             toxins, is engaged in isolating and charac-              responsible for ensuring safe seafood for con-
                             terizing Pfiesteria toxins. The Duke Univer-             sumption and, therefore, has well-established
                             sity MFBS Center has focused on under-                   programs of research, management, and pub-
                             standing possible biological effects arising             lic information regarding HABs as they relate
                             from exposure to Pfiesteria-laden waters.                to toxicity in seafood. There are ongoing re-
                                  The NIEHS intramural program has                    search programs dealing with PSP, NSP, ASP,
                             provided assistance to scientists from North             DSP, and ciguatera. Prior to 1997, the possi-
                             Carolina State University, NOAA National                 bility that Pfiesteria had seafood safety impli-
                             Marine Fisheries Service in Charleston,                  cations was being addressed by closely fol-
                             South Carolina, and NIEHS to collaborate                 lowing research being done in other laborato-
                             on isolating Pfiesteria toxin.                           ries. With the dramatic intensification of this
                                  To stimulate prevention research,                   issue, research has been started in-house with
                             NIEHS recently awarded $400,000 to a                     collaboration from other laboratories to clarify
                             consortium composed of leading investiga-                whether or not toxins from Pfiesteria can ac-
                             tors in both basic and clinical research re-             cumulate in seafood and cause illness in hu-
                             lated to Pfiesteria. This award will bring               man consumers. In general, FDA research
                             together researchers at the NIEHS MFBS                   laboratories culture toxic marine organisms,
                             Center at the University of Miami, headed                then isolate and characterize the toxins they
                             by Dan Baden, Ph.D., and at the Univer-                  produce. With a continuing supply of the tox-
                             sity of Maryland School of Medicine,                     ins thus assured, FDA labs develop detection
                             headed by Glenn Morris, M.D., M.P.H., to                 methods for the toxins and examine their tox-
                             examine the potential public health impact               icity to provide a basis for regulatory policy.
                             of this organism collaboratively. This project           FDA researchers also address the broader is-
                             plans to purify and characterize toxins, ex-             sue of effective management strategy, and are
                      Figure 14. This NIEHS scientist centri-      amine their        currently exploring the utility of networks of field
                      fuges HAB cells for toxicology studies.      effects      i n   observers who take phytoplankton samples
                                                'I                 model sys-         and gather relevant environmental information.
                                                  71               tems, de-          Such networks are now in place with FDA co-
                                                                   velop a ge-        ordination in California, Maine, and Massachu-
                                                                   netic assay        setts, and show great promise as a strat,,_
                                                                   for identifica-    for reducing the cost and improving the r Ii
                                                                   tion and de-       ability of marine biotoxin monitoring programs

                                                                                                                        HAB-9-21 -















                                                       The FDA supports           community. Regarding HAB problems, NOPP
                                                       established monitor-       recently supported a 2-year project, Guff of
                                                       ing programs world-        Mexico Ocean Monitoring System, to gener-
                                          @W           wide through the pro-      ate continual surface ocean current veloci-
                                                       duction and distribu-      ties in the Gulf. This effort, a collaboration
                                                       tion of reference          between the Dynalysis Corporation, several
                                                       standards, expert as-      Federal agencies and the university research
                                                       sistance, and quality      community, will generate critically needed
                                                       assurance checks of        surface current distributions that are likely re-
                      Figure 15. FDA-trained volunteers laboratories. Marine      sponsible for distributing G. breve, a toxic
                      che p n ton samples for HABs-    blotoxin monitoring in     HAB that has plagued local coastal re-
                             the U.S. is conducted     primarily through co-      sources, economies, and public health in
                             operative programs with the states under the         Florida and the northern Gulf States, along
                             guidance of the FDA. The FDA provides pub-           the coastline of the southern United States.
                             lic information and education through its Sea-
                             food Hotline telephone service, a web page
                             that includes discussion of marine biotoxin
                             issues, and tradition channels such as the
                             print media and public information special-
                             ists.
                                                  USDA
                                U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
                             The strong linkages between land-use, nu-
                             trient loads and watershed conditions are
                             major concerns for this agency (Figure 16)
                             and have led to USDA!s advisory role in
                             ECOHAB. There is an intensive watershed
                             assessment program, providing water qual-
                             ity data critical for HAB prediction. Future ef-
                             forts will identify agricultural activities likely
                             favoring HAB expression, leading to applica-
                             tion of best management practices (BMPs)
                             for these critical activities.
                                                  NOPP
                               National Ocean Partnership Program
                             (NOPP). This congressionally mandated part-          Figure 16. USDA scientists study land-use links to HABs and
                             nership of 12 federal agencies promotes its          advise farmers on nutrient abatement measures.
                             goals of assuring national security, advanc-
                             ing economic development, protecting qual-
                             ity of life, and strengthening science educa-
                             tion and communication through improved
                             knowledge of the ocean by coordinating and
                             strengthening partnerships among Federal
                             agencies, academia, industry, and other
                             members of the oceanographic scientific
                      k                 - Bs- 22
                        %*,HA f














                            PHOTO CREPIT5 AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTE)

                         We are pleased to thank the following contributors for their high quality and expres-
                      sive photographs on various aspects of U.5. HA139. Without their contributed body of
                      work, we could hardly have prepared such a striking format to help us draw public atten-
                      tion to this subject of national concern. The authors on behalf of their federal agencies
                      thank you one and all.

                         Cover photos of manatees were provided by the Department of Environmental
                      Protection's Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI); title page photo of a fish kill
                      from FMRI; page 1 title background photo of a fish kill from J. 13urkholder; Figure 1 from
                      NOAA slide files; Figure 2 from 13. Lapointe; "ambush predator" photo of menhaden with
                      lesions from J. Burkholder; Figure 3 from 0. Early; Figure 4 from FMRI; Figure 6 dead
                      pelican photo from T. Work and dead manatees with ice lying on top of the carcasses
                      from FMRI; brown tide blooms photo from T. Whitledge; harmful cyamobacterial blooms
                                Alp sailing through turbid waters from FMRI; diarrhetic shellfish poisoning
                      photo of r
                      photo of a plate of mussels from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute's HAB web page;
                      Figure 7from J. Burkholder, HA13 fish kills from J. Rimes; Figures 8 and 10 from P Teotor,
                      Figure 11 from J. Hyland; Figure 13 from M. McGeehin; Figure 14 from A. Pearry; Figure 15
                      from 5. Hall; Figure 16 from NOAA elide files; inside cover HA13 graphic, drawn and pro-
                      vided by P. Anderson.

























































































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