Current Karenia brevis Research

-A new hypothesis was recently proposed by Dr. Richard Stumpf (NOAA) based on NOAA research models that show that during the summer months the Mississippi River plume changes its outflow direction from the Western Gulf of Mexico to the Eastern Gulf because of wind shifts. The nutrients that travel downstream, both natural and man-made, from the Mississippi River plume may stimulate Karenia brevis, the red tide organism. The scientific article written by Dr. Stumpf can be found in a special issue of the Continental Shelf Research journal that is focused on Florida red tide. This hypothesis will need to be tested in the field to determine if, and to what extent, nutrients from the Mississippi River play a role in the formation of Florida red tide blooms.

-The most recent version of Science (31 August 2007) highlighted two researchers at MIT, Ivan Vilotijevic and Timothy Jamison, who have developed a way to synthesize the red tide toxin, brevetoxin. Implications of this research are large, especially for fellow Florida red tide researchers. The toxins produced by Karenia brevis will be more available for studies on how the toxin affects marine life and human health.

-A recent article in the June 2007 Science revealed some interesting research on one of the compounds that is produced by Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism. Brevenal is naturally produced by the microscopic cells and acts as a blocker to the more toxic compounds that K. brevis produces. The compound was discovered in 2004 and is currently being evaluated as a possible treatment for cystic fibrosis, a debilitating lung disorder. In addition, researchers have been granted a 'compassionate use' permit from the Food & Drug Administration to test brevenal's therapeutic potential on manatees that are stricken by red tide.

-National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) scientists have confirmed the simultaneous presence of brevetoxin and domoic acid in tissues of dolphins caught during a July 2006 capture-release health assessment in St. Joseph Bay, off the Florida Panhandle in the Gulf of Mexico. These data will be used by the NOAA Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources and NCCOS researchers who have been conducting dolphin health assessments in the Florida Panhandle as part of the investigation into repeated mortality events. This research will help scientists and resource managers understand the apparently greater sensitivity of Panhandle dolphins to marine toxins relative to those living in southwest Florida.

--The recently granted NOAA funding is a large stride in the direction of determining the possible role that nutrients, both natural and man-made, play in red tide bloom development and maintenance. The diverse research team has over 125 combined years of K. brevis research experience and will focus on identifying nutrient sources, measuring the significant of the sources and identifying regulatory alternatives. Part of the funding will be used, in conjunction with funding from the state of Florida, to continue the extensive red tide monitoring efforts that are already in place and to increase the use of new technologies, such as remote water quality detectors with 24-hour-a-day Web reporting capabilities.

-Collaborators from California Polytechnic State University and Mote Marine Laboratory have developed and tested the use of autonomous underwater vehicles to remotely detect red tide blooms. The new technology was designed to be used in conjunction with satellite imagery to provide a more complete understanding of the environmental conditions that occur in bloom areas. This information will not only locate blooms that are offshore, but will also provide information that increases researchers ability to predict the location and conditions of K. brevis bloom formation.

-Researchers from the College of Marine Science and the Center for Ocean Technology, both at the University of South Florida, have developed new technology to improve monitoring of red tide in the field. Their research has combined RNA extraction technology with a hand held sensor to provide rapid and inexpensive testing of both water and shellfish tissues in order to ensure the safely of shellfish harvested for human consumption.