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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