Environmental Protection: Coordinated Federal Efforts Are Being
Undertaken to Address Harmful Algae (Letter Report, 06/30/1999,
GAO/RCED-99-192).
Outbreaks of the toxic algae Pfiesteria in the Chesapeake Bay and in
North Carolina estuaries have received national attention. The outbreaks
are part of a larger problem of harmful algae that represent a
significant and expanding threat to human health and marine resources
along the U.S. coastline and around the world. This report (1) discusses
the available information on harmful algae and their effects on human
health and the environment and (2) describes the status of federal
efforts to address the problem of harmful algae, particularly the
coordination of research and management strategies among the federal
agencies. GAO found that according to most current research, the toxins
produced by harmful algae can affect human health and marine ecosystems
in various ways. The toxins can kill or injure fish that come in direct
contact with them and can accumulate in the tissues of fish and
shellfish at levels that are harmful or lethal when ingested by larger
fish, sea birds, marine mammals, or humans.
--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------
REPORTNUM: RCED-99-192
TITLE: Environmental Protection: Coordinated Federal Efforts Are
Being Undertaken to Address Harmful Algae
DATE: 06/30/1999
SUBJECT: Health hazards
Plants (organisms)
Oceanographic research
Interagency relations
Environmental monitoring
Toxic substances
Research programs
Marine resources conservation
IDENTIFIER: North Carolina
Chesapeake Bay
NOAA Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms
Program
Pfiesteria
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United States General Accounting Office GAO Report
to Congressional Committees June 1999 ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION Coordinated Federal Efforts Are Being Undertaken to
Address Harmful Algae GAO/RCED-99-192 GAO United
States General Accounting Office Washington, D.C. 20548 Resources,
Community, and Economic Development Division B-282701 June 30,
1999 The Honorable John Mica Chairman, Subcommittee on Criminal
Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources Committee on Government
Reform House of Representatives The Honorable Christopher Shays
Chairman, Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs, and
International Relations Committee on Government Reform House of
Representatives Dear Mr. Chairman: Outbreaks of the toxic algae
Pfiesteria in the Chesapeake Bay and in North Carolina estuaries
have received national attention. These outbreaks are part of a
larger problem of harmful algae that represent a significant and
expanding threat to human health and marine resources along the
U.S. coastline and around the world. While marine algae are
present in all oceans and coastal areas, they become a problem
when certain species rapidly multiply, leading to large blooms
that can produce toxins.1 In light of harmful algae's potential
threat, you requested that we (1) discuss the available
information on harmful algae and their effects on human health and
the environment and (2) describe the status of federal efforts to
address the problem of harmful algae, particularly the
coordination of research and management strategies among the
federal agencies. Results in Brief According to the most
current research, the toxins produced by harmful algae can affect
human health and marine ecosystems in various ways. These toxins-
among the most potent chemical compounds known-can kill or injure
fish that come in direct contact with them and can accumulate in
the tissues of fish and shellfish at levels that are harmful or
lethal when ingested by larger fish, sea birds, marine mammals, or
humans. Symptoms of algae poisoning in humans are neurological
(headaches, dizziness, memory loss, and impairment of motor
function); gastrointestinal; and cardiovascular. With respect to
marine ecosystems, 1For purposes of this report, we use the term
"harmful algae" to refer to these blooms. Page 1
GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental Protection B-282701 as the algae
outgrow the nutrients available to sustain them, their blooms die,
and their decomposition depletes the concentration of dissolved
oxygen in the water. The lack of oxygen causes the death of
aquatic organisms present in marine ecosystems. Outbreaks of
harmful algae appear to be increasing in scope, frequency, and
intensity, and their economic impacts are likely to increase.
Federal efforts to protect the public from harmful algae started
in 1992 with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
sponsorship of a workshop for government agencies and other
research organizations. This workshop led to the publication of a
report entitled Marine Biotoxins and Harmful Algae: A National
Plan. Prior to 1992, federal efforts were generally restricted to
responding on a case-by-case basis to new outbreaks. The national
plan set in place an ongoing interagency process for addressing
certain objectives and resulted, in 1996, in the establishment of
an interagency coordination program. Under this program, five
federal agencies have provided approximately $22 million for basic
research projects directed at better understanding the scientific
uncertainties associated with harmful algae. Although the initial
research projects were funded in 1997, outbreaks of Pfiesteria in
the Chesapeake Bay focused national attention on the problem and
resulted in the funding of additional projects in 1998. Since most
projects are long-term research efforts, significant progress in
protecting public health and the environment may be many years
away. A scientific panel also recommended, in 1997, the creation
of a program to complement basic research efforts by focusing on
the coordination of federal efforts to prevent, mitigate, and
control harmful algae. After finding that little has been done at
the federal level to prevent and control harmful algae, , the
Congress enacted the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and
Control Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-383, Nov. 13, 1998), which required
the creation of an interagency task force to address the problem.
Background Over the past 25 years, the observed incidence and
intensity of harmful algae have increased substantially. Marine
biotoxins and harmful algae have affected coastal ecosystems
throughout the United States and the world. Marine algae, which
are present in all ocean and coastal areas, are generally benign
and form a critical part of the food web. Among the thousands of
species of algae, only a few dozen are known to produce toxins or
conditions that adversely affect other marine life, wildlife, and
humans. Scientists have not identified all the factors that cause
some algae species to shift from benign to toxic forms. Page 2
GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental Protection B-282701 When conditions
(nutrients, temperature, ocean currents) are favorable, the algae
population rapidly increases. Although the reasons for harmful
algae in U.S. waters are unclear, some possibilities include
natural transportation by tides and currents and the
transportation of algae species in ships' ballast water. Available
data also indicate that algae increase in areas where there is an
abundance of nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, in the
water, and these increases can include increases in harmful
species. These nutrients largely result from human activities,
such as increases in animal waste because of concentrated animal
agriculture, farm and urban runoff, sewage, and other types of
pollution. We have previously reported on the impacts of animal
waste and other types of nonpoint-source water pollution.2 Harmful
algae have significant economic impacts, including the costs to
federal, state, and local governments for conducting research and
monitoring programs and expenditures for the medical treatment of
exposed populations. Economic losses are difficult to estimate and
fluctuate widely from year to year. While an estimate of the
annual economic impacts resulting from harmful algae in the United
States is still being developed by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Office for Marine
Biotoxins and Harmful Algal Blooms, preliminary analyses indicate
an average annual impact of over $42 million for 1987 through
1993. These estimated losses are attributed to reduced harvests of
shellfish and fish, reductions in seafood sales, and reductions in
tourism-related businesses. Harmful algae can have significant
economic impacts on the individual areas affected. In fact, 1997
Pfiesteria outbreaks in the Chesapeake Bay resulted in the
collapse of Chesapeake seafood sales and boat charters, causing an
estimated $43 million in losses for watermen, seafood dealers, and
restaurants. According to the Deputy Director of NOAA's Coastal
Ocean Office, harmful algae outbreaks are increasing in scope,
frequency, and intensity, and the annual economic impacts are
likely to continue to increase. Harmful Algae Can
Harmful algae represent a significant and expanding threat to
human Adversely Affect health and marine
environments in the United States. According to the Director of
NOAA's National Office for Marine Biotoxins and Harmful Algal
Human Health and the Blooms, humans are vulnerable to illness from
consuming fish or shellfish Environment
contaminated with the toxins produced by harmful algae, or in some
cases, from contact with the skin or from inhaling spray from
water 2See Water Quality: Federal Role in Addressing and
Contributing to Nonpoint Source Pollution (GAO/RCED-99-45; Feb.
26, 1999); and Animal Agriculture: Information on Waste Management
and Water Quality Issues (GAO/RCED-95-200BR; Jun. 28, 1995). Page
3 GAO/RCED-99-192
Environmental Protection B-282701 contaminated with toxins from
harmful algae. Large quantities of fish and marine mammals,
turtles, and birds that come in direct contact with the toxins
produced by harmful algae can be killed or injured. In addition,
the algae can alter marine habitats, including degrading aquatic
vegetation and phytoplankton3. Because aquatic vegetation and
phytoplankton are the foundation of the marine food chain, their
decline decreases the overall ecological productivity of an
affected area. Impacts on Human Health NOAA has reported that
algae are responsible for significant health problems in the
United States and the world. The toxins they produce are among the
most potent chemical compounds known. Humans are exposed to these
toxins primarily when they consume contaminated seafood. The
consumption of a single clam or mussel contaminated with certain
algal toxins can be fatal.4 Some of the more common human
illnesses caused by these toxins are discussed below. See figure 1
for the affected areas. * Paralytic shellfish poisoning is a life
threatening illness associated with the consumption of shellfish
or certain fish containing a class of algal toxins that affect the
neurological system. Symptoms appear shortly after eating the
food, and in the most severe cases, respiratory arrest occurs
within 24 hours. With medical support, victims usually recover
within 12 hours. Large-scale monitoring programs to identify toxin
levels in mussels, oysters, scallops, and other shellfish and the
rapid closure of harvest areas suspected of containing toxin-
infested waters are the methods used to address the problem. All
of the coastal New England states and much of the West Coast, from
Alaska to California, have been affected. * Neurotoxic shellfish
poisoning affects individuals who eat shellfish that have
accumulated a class of algal toxins called brevetoxins. Although
there are no reported human deaths from neurotoxic shellfish
poisoning, the poisoning causes severe gastrointestinal and
neurological symptoms. Also, individuals who come into contact
with this toxin through sea spray experience asthma-like symptoms.
Beach clean-up efforts and public health advisories are used to
manage fish kills and other ecological problems associated with
the toxin-producing algae. The states that are most affected
include Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. * Amnesic
shellfish poisoning, a sometimes fatal illness, results in a
variety of gastrointestinal and neurological disorders, including
nausea, 3Phytoplankton (small plant organisms) are algae that
include harmful species that float or drift in the water. 4The
Food and Drug Administration provides public information and
education on its Seafood Hotline (1-800-332-4010) and web page
(www.foodsafety.gov). Page 4
GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental Protection B-282701 abdominal
cramps, dizziness, seizures, disorientation, respiratory
difficulty, and short-term memory loss. Research has shown that
domoic acid, the toxin responsible for amnesic poisoning,
accumulates in fish, crabs, and other fisheries resources, and in
marine mammals, making it a significant risk to humans. The toxin
was first identified in Canada in 1987 and has been detected in
shellfish from both the west and east coasts of the United States
and in the Gulf of Mexico. Incidents of amnesic shellfish
poisonings have increased in recent years. * Ciguatera fish
poisoning is associated with algal toxins called ciguatoxins,
which accumulate in tropical fish. Victims experience
gastrointestinal, neurological, and cardiovascular symptoms. While
incidences of paralysis and death have been documented, the
symptoms are usually less severe and will either subside within a
few days or continue for several years. Information reported to
the Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention indicates that ciguatera fish poisoning is
responsible for about half of all seafood poisonings in the United
States. Ciguatera poisoning is estimated to affect up to 50
percent of the people living in tropical and subtropical states
and territories, such as the U. S. Virgin Islands. * Pfiesteria
and closely related organisms have been linked to massive fish
kills and to living fish with open, bleeding lesions or erratic
behavior. Researchers exposed to mist from laboratory tanks
containing toxic Pfiesteria experienced severe memory problems and
other neurological and pulmonary effects that persisted for months
to years. People who have been in contact with affected waterways
during a Pfiesteria outbreak have experienced memory loss,
headache, skin lesions, and burning sensations on the skin.
Pfiesteria and Pfiesteria-like species have been identified in
estuaries from Delaware to Florida. Page 5
GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental Protection B-282701 Figure 1:
Distribution of Toxic Algae in the United States Paralytic
shellfish poisoning Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning Amnesic
shellfish poisoning Ciguatera fish poisoning Toxic Pfiesteria
Source: National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Environmental
Health and Biomolecular Research. Page 6
GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental Protection B-282701 Effects on
Marine Algal toxins present major ecological threats to marine
environments. Ecosystems Different types of harmful
algae can affect marine ecosystems. Red tides5 have been linked to
massive fish kills in the Gulf of Mexico. They are found most
frequently along Florida's west coast, where they were noted as
early as 1844. In the 50 years between 1946 and 1996, 42 red tides
were observed along Florida's west coast. During a red tide, it is
common to find dead birds and fish. Red tides have also been
blamed for the deaths of large numbers of dolphins and manatees,
including more than 150 endangered manatees in Florida in 1996. In
1997, an estimated 21 million fish were killed by a red tide off
the Texas coast. (See fig. 2.) 5The term "red tide" refers to the
concentration of algae that colors the water. Page 7
GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental Protection B-282701 Figure 2: Dead
Fish From Red Tides on the Florida and Texas Coasts Dead Fish in
Red Tide Off the Florida Coast
Beached Dead Fish Caused by a Texas Red Tide Sources: National
Office for Marine Biotoxins and Harmful Algal Blooms,Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution and ECOHAB, A National Research Agenda,
photo by Brazosports Pfiesteria has also been implicated in
significant environmental events in the coastal waters of the Mid-
Atlantic States. The toxins produced by the Pfiesteria organism
are believed to have killed more than one billion fish Page 8
GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental Protection B-282701 in the coastal
waters of North Carolina and more than 30,000 fish in coastal
tributaries in Maryland. Fish exposed to Pfiesteria are stunned
and develop sores. (See fig. 3.) Pfiesteria and Pfiesteria-like
organisms have been identified in the waters from Delaware to
Florida. Figure 3: Fish Killed by Pfiesteria Source: Dr. JoAnn
Burkholder, Aquatic Botany Laboratory, North Carolina State
University. Page 9
GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental Protection B-282701 Even those algae
that do not produce toxins can be dangerous to the marine
environment. For example, as they use up the nutrients needed to
sustain them, the algae die and decompose, depleting dissolved
oxygen in the water and causing hypoxia-low oxygen concentrations-
and anoxia-no oxygen. Large hypoxic areas, or dead zones, such as
the one that forms each year in the northern Gulf of Mexico,
result from the death of massive but largely nontoxic harmful
algae. Coordinated Federal Coordinated federal efforts to
protect the public from harmful algae Efforts Are Being
started in 1992 with a workshop sponsored by the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration. This workshop led to the 1993
publication of Undertaken a report entitled Marine
Biotoxins and Harmful Algae: A National Plan. Prior to 1992,
federal efforts were generally restricted to responding on a case-
by-case basis to new outbreaks of harmful algae. The national plan
set in place an ongoing interagency process for addressing the
objectives set out in the plan and resulted, in 1996, in the
creation of the interagency Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful
Algal Blooms (ECOHAB) program. While the objectives in the
national plan (see below) are still current, funding limitations
have delayed the start of many of the projects addressing the
objectives. For example, the ECOHAB program began funding several
large regional projects in 1997. At the same time, however, the
outbreaks of Pfiesteria in Maryland during the summer of 1997
tended to focus national attention on the need to take action
against harmful algae, and, as a result, additional projects were
funded in 1998. Because most of these projects have only recently
gotten under way and have multiyear time frames, significant
progress in protecting the public from harmful algae is still many
years away. Coordinated Efforts to The 1992 NOAA sponsored
workshop brought scientists and regulatory Learn About and Manage
officials together to address the problems of harmful algae. This
workshop the Effects of Harmful resulted in the 1993
publication of a national plan-Marine Biotoxins and Algae
Harmful Algae: A National Plan-for conducting basic research and
developing management and mitigation strategies to protect the
public and the environment from problems associated with harmful
algae. In the plan, representatives from federal and state
government, academia, and industry stated that the U. S. research,
monitoring, and regulatory infrastructure is not adequate to meet
the expanding threats from harmful algae and established the goal
of effectively managing fisheries, public health, and ecosystem
problems. According to the plan, the following eight specific Page
10 GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental
Protection B-282701 research objectives must be addressed to
comprehensively evaluate, model, and manage harmful algae and its
impacts: * isolating algae toxins and characterizing their
chemical and pharmacological actions, * developing tests to
identify individual toxins based on their unique chemistry, *
developing the capability to predict the occurrence and assess the
impacts of harmful algae. * determining the source and
consequences of algae toxins in the marine food web. * developing
management and mitigation strategies to minimize the impacts of
harmful algae, * identifying and improving access to databases on
toxic algae occurrences and impacts. * developing programs to
communicate educational and public health information, and *
providing rapid response programs for harmful algae outbreaks. The
national plan set in place an interagency process for addressing
these objectives. A December 1995 report-The Ecology and
Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms: A National Research Agenda-
serves as a blueprint for carrying out the federal research
program on the ecology and oceanography of harmful algae. This
report resulted in the establishment of the ECOHAB program, the
first federally coordinated effort dedicated to conducting the
basic research necessary to understand the nature of harmful
algae, the reasons they occur, and the steps that can be taken to
control them. Under the auspices of the ECOHAB program, five
federal agencies-NOAA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Office of Naval
Research (ONR), and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA)-have funded research projects that are
carried out in-house or by universities and other organizations.
Other agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences (NIEHS), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are
involved Page 11 GAO/RCED-99-192
Environmental Protection B-282701 in conducting research and
disseminating information to the public on harmful algae. Research
supported by CDC and NIEHS primarily focuses on the human health
effects that result from exposure to water or aerosols containing
harmful algae, while FDA's research focuses on the human health
effects from exposure to toxins from consuming seafood.
Collectively, these agencies spent more than $40 million in 1997
and 1998 on these efforts. (See table 1.) Table 1: ECOHAB and
Other Key Agency Funding for Research on Research organizations
1997 1998 Harmful Algae
ECOHAB (NOAA, EPA, NSF, ONR, NASA)a
$10,200,000 $11,700,000 CDC
$0 $7,000,000 National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences
$975,000 $2,400,000 Food and Drug Administration
$4,200,000 $4,200,000 Total
$15,400,000 $25,300,000 aThese amounts represent
the total funding for multiyear projects. Before the ECOHAB
program, research on the effects of harmful algae was typically
isolated and uncoordinated. Often, the research was carried out by
individual scientists and was not sustained over time. Before the
program, there was essentially no overall federal coordination of
the work to ensure that important national priorities were being
addressed. A second report was issued in February 1997. Developed
on the basis of the objectives in the national plan, Harmful Algal
Blooms in Coastal Waters: Options for Prevention, Control and
Mitigation describes the processes and mechanisms that need to be
employed to control harmful algae and their impacts. According to
NOAA officials, this report is the basis for new initiatives for
intervention strategies to deal with harmful algae to minimize
human health, ecological, and economic impacts. The National
Harmful Algal Bloom Research and Monitoring Strategy, published in
November 1997, presents a national strategy for federally-
supported research and monitoring for problems associated with
harmful algae, particularly Pfiesteria and Pfiesteria-like
organisms. The report is intended to serve as an action plan for
Pfiesteria research and monitoring within the framework of the
broader objectives identified in the national plan. In November
1998, NOAA published The Status of U.S. Page 12
GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental Protection B-282701 Harmful Algal
Blooms: Progress Towards a National Program, which described a
number of interagency programs designed to understand and
ameliorate the impacts of harmful algae without attempting to
provide a quantitative assessment of progress. Addressing Harmful
Algae Research on harmful algae is generally long-term. Most
ECOHAB-sponsored Problems Is a Long-Term research projects are
just getting under way, including two 5-year Process
multidisciplinary programs to study toxic algal blooms in the
Gulfs of Maine and of Mexico. Some delays have been encountered.
According to NOAA officials and several key researchers, there has
been a significant delay in identifying the chemical composition
of the Pfiesteria toxins. They stated that researchers cannot get
enough Pfiesteria toxins to characterize their chemical and
molecular structure. Massive amounts of tiny algal cells must be
isolated in pure laboratory cultures to produce enough toxins for
the analyses. Thus far, the Aquatic Botany Laboratory at North
Carolina State University has been the only facility able to
provide significant quantities of toxic Pfiesteria cultures to the
scientific community. According to the laboratory director,
funding limitations have precluded the facility from producing
sufficient quantities of the toxins for identification and
characterization. Until toxin supplies for Pfiesteria and other
harmful algae are increased and the chemical analyses are
completed, other important research objectives, such as developing
management and mitigation strategies to minimize the impact on
human health and the environment, are unlikely to be achieved.
Recognizing that many of ECOHAB's research projects represent long
term efforts and are primarily directed to resolving scientific
uncertainties, a 1997 scientific panel recommended the creation of
a federal program that would complement the ECOHAB program by
focusing on the prevention, mitigation, and control of harmful
algae. While NOAA, EPA, and other federal agencies have conducted
or supported efforts in this area, the efforts have generally been
carried out in a piecemeal manner, as basic research was done
before the ECOHAB program. For example, after the 1997 outbreak of
Pfiesteria in Maryland and Virginia, the administration created an
ad hoc interagency task force to assist the states in preventing,
mitigating, and controlling Pfiesteria. Similar efforts for other
harmful algal species, however, have not been established, and, in
September 1998, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation reported that little had been done at the federal
level to prevent and control harmful algae given the scope and
seriousness of the problem. Page 13
GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental Protection B-282701 The Congress Has
In November 1998, the Congress enacted the Harmful Algal Bloom and
Mandated an Interagency Hypoxia Research and Control Act of
1998, which is focused on federal Effort on Harmful Algae
prevention, mitigation, and control efforts. The act requires the
Toxins establishment of an interagency task
force on harmful algal blooms and hypoxia. Task force members
include representatives of NOAA (serving as chair), EPA, the
National Science Foundation, the Food and Drug Administration, the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Office of
Science and Technology Policy, the Council on Environmental
Quality, and the departments of Agriculture, Interior, Navy, and
Health and Human Services. Among other things, the task force is
required to complete an assessment of the ecological and economic
consequences of harmful algae; develop alternatives for reducing,
mitigating, and controlling the outbreaks of blooms; and examining
the social and economic costs and benefits of such alternatives.
In addition, the assessment should identify alternatives for
preventing unnecessary duplication of effort among federal
agencies and departments and provide for federal assistance to the
states and local governments in preventing, reducing, managing,
mitigating, and controlling harmful algae and its public health
and environmental impacts. The assessment is to be submitted to
the Congress by November 13, 1999. Agency Comments We
provided a draft of this report to NOAA and EPA for their review
and comment since they are the lead agencies for coordinating
federal efforts to address the problems of harmful algae. The
agencies generally agreed that the report accurately describes
what is known about the effects of harmful algae on human health
and the environment and the federal efforts to address the
problem. In commenting on the report, NOAA stated that it is
committed to reducing the impacts of harmful algae on U.S. coastal
resources, economies, and public health. NOAA also made a number
of specific technical suggestions, which we incorporated into the
report as appropriate. EPA said that the report provided an
accurate and informative summary of the issues. EPA also made
several observations about the report. First, EPA stated the draft
did not address the problem of mitigating and controlling harmful
algae and pointed out that while the Ecology and Oceanography of
Harmful Algal Blooms program is doing research on the impacts of
harmful algae, it is not addressing current efforts to mitigate
the problem. The draft report discussed mitigation efforts,
including information on the interagency task force created by the
Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Page 14
GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental Protection B-282701 Research and
Control Act of 1998. The task force is intended to complement the
Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms program by
coordinating federal efforts to control and mitigate harmful
algae. Second, EPA pointed out that Pfiesteria is only one of the
toxin-producing organisms requiring research and suggested that
the report describe the Ecology and Oceangraphy of Harmful Algal
Blooms projects and the level of funding provided by the
contributing agencies. The report clearly states that although
Pfiesteria outbreaks have received recent attention, the newly
created interagency task force is to address alternatives for
reducing, mitigating, and controlling all harmful algae that have
the potential for affecting human health and the environment.
Furthermore, the report provides summary research and funding
information. Third, EPA indicated that it would be useful to
include information on the ability to detect contaminated seafood
before it is made available to consumers. We agree and added
information on FDA's seafood hotline and web site. See appendixes
I and II, respectively, for the text of NOAA's and EPA's comments.
Scope and To identify available information on harmful algae
and their effects on Methodology human health and the
environment, we held discussions with managers and researchers
from the two lead federal agencies for the ECOHAB program-NOAA and
EPA-which have also assumed the leadership role for supporting
research on the factors responsible for harmful algae and for
developing models for predicting future outbreaks. We also
interviewed officials from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences, and the Food and Drug Administration to discuss their
research findings on the human health implications of exposure to
algae toxins. We also talked with nationally recognized experts
from academia and other organizations involved in research on
harmful algae and attended technical conferences at which
scientific information on the causes and impacts of harmful algae
were presented. We reviewed the national plan for addressing the
harmful algae problem and other scientific studies that contain
extensive information on the human health and environmental
effects associated with harmful algae. To describe the status of
federal efforts to address the problem of harmful algae,
particularly the coordination of research and management
strategies among the federal agencies, we interviewed managers and
researchers from the two lead federal agencies for the ECOHAB
program, an interagency coordination program established to
address the scientific uncertainties Page 15
GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental Protection B-282701 associated with
harmful algae. We interviewed officials from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences, and the Food and Drug
Administration to discuss the status of their research on the
human health implications from exposure to algal toxins. We also
talked with nationally recognized experts from academia and other
organizations involved in research on harmful algae and attended
technical conferences at which information on the status of
research on the causes and impacts of harmful algae and the
progress in developing management and mitigation strategies was
presented. We also reviewed NOAA's recent report on the status of
progress towards developing a national harmful algae program and
other studies that address the status and coordination of research
on harmful algae. We performed our work from August 1998 through
June 1999 in accordance with generally accepted government
auditing standards. As arranged with your offices, unless you
announce its contents earlier, we plan no further distribution of
this report until 15 days from the date of this letter. At that
time, we will send copies of this report to Senator John McCain,
Senator Ernest F. Hollings, Senator Olympia J. Snowe, Senator John
F. Kerry, Senator John H. Chafee, Senator Max Baucus, Senator
Jesse Helms, Representative Dan Burton, Representative Henry A.
Waxman, Representative Patsy T. Mink, Representative Rod R.
Blagojevich, and other interested members of Congress. We will
also send copies of this report to the Honorable Carol Browner,
Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency; the Honorable Dr.
Jeffrey Koplan, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention; the Honorable Dr. D. James Baker, Administrator,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the Honorable Dr.
Kenneth Olden, Director, the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences; and the Honorable Dr. Jane E. Henney,
Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration. We will also make
copies available to others on request. Page 16
GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental Protection B-282701 Please call me
at (202) 512-6111 if you or your staff have any questions about
this report. Major contributors to this report are listed in
appendix III. David G. Wood Associate Director, Environmental
Protection Issues Page 17 GAO/RCED-
99-192 Environmental Protection Contents Letter
1 Appendix I
20 Comments From the Department of Commerce Appendix II
21 Comments From the Environmental Protection Agency Appendix III
23 GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgements Table
Table 1: ECOHAB and Other Key Agency Funding for Research
12 on Harmful Algae Figures Figure 1: Distribution of
Toxic Algae in the United States 6 Figure 2:
Dead Fish From Red Tides on the Florida and Texas
8 Coasts Figure 3: Fish Killed by Pfiesteria
9 Abbreviations CDC Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention ECOHAB Ecology and Oceangraphy of Harmful Algal
Blooms EPA Environmental Protection Agency FDA
Food and Drug Administration NIEHS National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences NSF National Science
Foundation NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration ONR Office of Naval Research Page 18
GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental Protection Page 19 GAO/RCED-99-
192 Environmental Protection Appendix I Comments From the
Department of Commerce Page 20 GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental
Protection Appendix II Comments From the Environmental Protection
Agency Page 21 GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental Protection
Appendix II Comments From the Environmental Protection Agency Page
22 GAO/RCED-99-192 Environmental
Protection Appendix III GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgements
GAO Contacts David G. Wood (202) 512-6878 William F. McGee
(919) 899-3781 Acknowledgements In addition to those named
above, Harry C. Everett, Kellie O. Schachle, Everett O. Pace,
Richard A. Frankel, and Karen K. Keegan made key contributions to
this report. (160457) Page 23
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