A fiber optic microarray technology for the detection and enumeration of harmful algal bloom species
Project Description
Red tide — the proliferation of several toxic algal species — has been affecting fish and shellfish fisheries in Maine for decades. People who eat clams or other organisms exposed to toxic algal blooms can suffer from amnesic or paralytic shellfish poisoning, conditions with symptoms such as short term memory loss, vomiting, disorientation, paralysis, and sometimes death. Early detection of harmful algal blooms is critical for protecting fisheries, resources, and public health in Maine and worldwide.
Management Message
This study was meant to improve instrumentation capable of detecting harmful algal species. Unlike current algal detecting devices, the instrument under development is intended to be moored offshore, allowing for simplified methodology and an improved early warning system for red tide.
Principal Investigators
- Donald Anderson, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
- Ryan Hayman, Ph.D. candidate, Walt Laboratory at Tufts University
Project Period
2005-2007
Funding Sources
Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology
