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Harmful Algal Blooms

We study species of toxic algae that are responsible for disrupting human and ecosystem health.
While some of these organisms create the phenomena commonly known as “red tides,” others
can be less visible while still causing illness. From the Caribbean to the Arctic, our team is working
to understand the factors that drive these harmful algal bloom (HAB) events.

Observations and Analyses of HAB blooms in Warming Alaska Waters

March 1, 2024

The waters of western and northern Alaska, including the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas, are changing due to climate-driven warming, leading to an elevated risk of Alexandrium catenella blooms and paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs). PSTs are a recognized health concern in southeastern Alaska, but the distribution, dynamics and impacts of A. catenella blooms in the…

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Nome Nugget article highlights 2022 research findings

April 14, 2023

An article in the 4/13/23 Nome Nugget summarized research findings on R/V Norseman II cruise in July-August 2022 when extremely high concentrations of Alexandrium were detected by the Imaging Flow Cytobot (IFCB).  Health officials in six major communities across the Bering Strait and Seward Peninsula issued advisories about consuming shellfish. Here is the full article.

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Training coordinator begins work in the Bering Strait region

February 17, 2023

Emma Pate, a new training coordinator and environmental planner in the Office of Environmental Health, is working with tribes in the Bering Strait region to establish a monitoring program to track harmful algae. When a massive algal bloom was detected in the region during the summer of 2023 by scientists aboard the R/V Norseman II,…

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Red tide story builds community awareness

February 17, 2023

Kristy Lewis, research on HABs and professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF), was recently interviewed for an AccuWeather story. This story helped to raise community awareness about red tide along Florida’s southwest coast and covered health concerns related to respiratory symptoms and information about consumption of shellfish. Here is a link to the…

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Sarasota County tests clay mixture to mitigate red tide

February 17, 2023

The Anderson Lab is working with Mote Marine Labs, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, and Florida University scientists to do field trials at permitted test sites in Tampa Bay. Don Anderson was interviewed recently for this news story.

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High school students in Nome, Alaska learn about HABs

February 3, 2023

The Alaska Sea Grant newsletter featured a story on the joint outreach effort between ECOHAB and the Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC). Beltz High School students in Nome, Alaska were introduced to harmful algae in the classroom and then went on a field visit to the port of Nome, where they learned seawater sampling techniques. Read…

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Oceanus features Arctic Cruise

February 3, 2023

An article in the December 2022 issue of Oceanus discussed research findings on R/V Norseman II cruise in July-August 2022 when extremely high concentrations of Alexandrium were detected by the Imaging Flow Cytobot (IFCB).  Health officials in six major communities across the Bering Strait and Seward Peninsula issued advisories about consuming shellfish. Hentz, Daniel. 2022.…

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News story warns Alaska region of high levels of Alexandrium

August 31, 2022

On August 18-20, 2022, scientists on board the research vessel Norseman II found very high numbers of Alexandrium catenella algae cell counts near Wales, Diomede and Shishmaref. Here is a link to the story in the Nome Nugget.

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Research Cruise finds high levels of HABs in the Arctic

August 18, 2022

Significantly high concentrations of Alexandrium catenella were found in the Gulf of Alaska in July and August 2022 during the research cruise on the Norseman II. A health advisory was issued warning nearby communities that clabs, crabs, and tunicates in these waters could affect human and animal health. The full story in The Nome Nugget…

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Harmful Algal Blooms Pose a Risk in Falmouth, Massachusetts

May 4, 2022

A local news story on May 3, 2022 covered harmful algal blooms in the New England and Cape Cod region and their potential to impact Falmouth, Massachusetts, an area which is not monitored by state agencies. The full story in the Falmouth Enterprise can be found here. 

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