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Picture of red tide taken from the NOAA Research Vessel Ron Brown. Courtesy of NOAA

Harmful Algal Bloom Resources

News
Documents
HAB Links

In the Gulf of Mexico, harmful algal blooms (HABs) can cause massive fish kills, animal mortality, and neurotoxic shellfish poisoning and respiratory irritation in humans. At least 40 species of toxic, or potentially toxic, marine microalgae have been identified in Gulf of Mexico waters. Because HAB events appear to be increasing in number, extent, and severity, the need to understand their causes and to predict their occurrence is growing more urgent (see National Assessment of Harmful Algal Blooms in US Waters, 2000). The most common algae blooms in Gulf of Mexico's coastal regions are caused by the microalgae Karenia brevis and are known as red tides (a consequence of the color imparted by the algae which observers can see floating towards the coast during high tides).

From EPA Harmful Algal Blooms in the Gulf of Mexico http://www.epa.gov/futureofscience/invest/harmful_algae.html

NEWS

July 26, 2007 - naplesnews.com

House approves nearly $9 million for red tide research

Daily News staff

Thursday, July 26, 2007

The U.S. House approved a federal spending bill Thursday that includes almost $9 million for red tide research. The Commerce, Justice and Science spending bill passed by a 281-142 vote and survived efforts by Republican lawmakers to cut its $54 billion price tag.The bill represents a $3 billion spending increase compared to this year and contains $1 billion more than President Bush requested. >> Read the article

July 24, 2007 - Environment News

Castor Boosts Red Tide Research

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 24 July, 2007 : - - As a member of the powerful Rules Committee, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) late yesterday pushed through committee a bipartisan amendment to significantly boost red tide research. The amendment is part of a funding bill for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, H.R. 3093. >> Read the article

DOCUMENTS

1. HARRNESS, 2005. Harmful Algal Research and Response: A National Environmental Science Strategy 2005–2015.
Ramsdell, J.S., D.M. Anderson and P.M. Glibert (Eds.), Ecological Society of America, Washington DC, 96 pp.

Several hundred scientists and managers, from a wide array of different fi elds, contributed to the extensive knowledge base on which this science strategy is based. Over the last two years, an intensive collaborative effort was undertaken including an open forum discussion of 200 participants at the US National HAB Meeting, a detailed web-based questionnaire yielding more than 1,000 targeted responses, a workshop of 50 US HAB experts, an Advisory Committee to guide, and a Steering Committee to assemble and review the most current information available for use in developing this document.
Download the PDF.

2. Harmful Algal Research and Response: A Human Dimensions Strategy.
Bauer, M., ed. 2006. National Office for Marine Biotoxins and Harmful Algal Blooms, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, 58 pp.

The first report to expand upon the recommendations of Harmful Algal Research and Response: A National Environmental Science Strategy 2005–2015 (HARRNESS). HARRNESS is a new national plan for HABs that builds on the US Commission on Ocean Policy’s Final Report to the President and Congress, An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century. Specifically, it elaborates upon the Blueprint’s themes related to HABs and specifies actions needed to implement a new framework to coordinate activities, target funding, and achieve a vision for managing HABs in thecoming decade.

Download the PDF.

3. National Assessment of Efforts to Predict and Respond to Harmful Algal Blooms
in U.S. Waters
By The Interagency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, Hypoxia and Human Health
September 7, 2006

This report is the first step in a process to create an innovative research and development plan for HAB prediction and response. The second report, the National Scientific Research, Development, Demonstration and Technology Transfer Plan for Reducing Impacts from Harmful Algal Blooms (RDDTT Plan), will establish research priorities and a plan for peer-reviewed, competitive prevention, control, and mitigation (PCM) efforts to advance current prediction and response capabilities.

Download the PDF.

4. Action Plan for HABs-GCOOS: Results from a Regional Workshop

The workshop and this report were supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal Services Center with assistance from the Environmental Protection Agency Gulf of Mexico Program and the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Wildlife Research Institute. Thanks are due to all workshop participants for their efforts to review the state of the science and management of HAB events and determining the next steps forward. The steering committee provided critical guidance in determining the objectives for this workshop. Special thanks to the workshop chairs for their leadership in this effort.

Download the PDF.

5. Harmful Algal Blooms in Coastal Waters of Lee County, FL: Bloom Dynamics and Identification of Land-Based Nutrient Sources

Prepared by: Brian E. Lapointe1, Brad Bedford (1), Larry Brand (2), and Charles S. Yentsch1, (3)
1) Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, 5600 U.S. 1 North, Fort Pierce, FL 34946; www.hboi.edu;
2) Rosenstiel School of Atmospheric and Marine Science, University of Miami, Rickenbacker Cswy, Virginia Key, FL
3) Plankton Research & Instruments, Bahama Street, Key West, FL 33040 June 2006.

The Phase II research performed in August and September 2005 included examination of existing data files that began in Phase I of this research. We continued to examine hard scientific data collected from published scientific papers, unpublished scientific manuscripts, government reports, digital libraries, and websites. Existing data from satellite imagery and aerial photography was also used. Personnel at organizations such as University of South Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, Mote Marine Laboratory, county environmental laboratories, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Sierra Club, and other non-governmental organizations were considered for information that could be useful in testing the hypotheses.

Download the PDF.

6. Harmful Algal Blooms in Florida: A Report by the Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force Technical Advisory Group

Prepared by: K. A. Steidinger, J. H. Landsberg, C. R. Tomas, J. W. Burns. March 1999

In 1999, the Florida Legislature created the Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force in Chapter 370 F.S. “The Harmful-Algal-Bloom Task Force shall: (a) Review the status and adequacy of information for monitoring physical, chemical, biological, economic, and public health factors affecting harmful algal blooms in Florida; (b) Develop research and monitoring priorities for harmful algal blooms in Florida, including detection, prediction, mitigation, and control; (c) Develop recommendations
that can be implemented by state and local governments to develop a response plan and to predict, mitigate, and control the effects of harmful algal blooms; and (d) Make recommendations to theFlorida Marine Research Institute by October 1, 1999, for research, detection monitoring, prediction, mitigation, and control of harmful algal blooms in Florida.”

Download the PDF.

7. Prevention, Control and Mitigation of Harmful Algal Blooms A Research Plan

Submitted to the United States Congress September 2001 by the National Sea Grant College Program Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Department of Commerce

This report, Prevention, Control and Mitigation of Harmful Algal Blooms: A Research Plan, outlines a forward-looking research program that provides the means for academic, government, and industry scientists and engineers to combine their efforts with those of coastal communities and managers in order to lessen the impacts of HABs on our Nation’s coasts. The program directly addresses prevention, control, and mitigation of HABs by integrating research findings into effective HAB management strategies, with the following goal: To reduce the impacts of harmful algal blooms on public health, the economy, and coastal ecosystems.

Download the PDF.