Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Maine are among the recipients of a $1.7 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that “will lead to the implementation of seasonal and weekly toxic algal bloom forecasts improving accuracy and providing better early warnings for harmful algal blooms in the Gulf of Maine. State and local shellfish managers and the shellfish industry use these warnings to prepare for severe seasons, protect human health, and minimize economic losses,” according to a NOAA release.
Harmful algal blooms caused by the algal species Alexandrium can lead to serious illnesses such as paralytic shellfish poisoning in people who consume poisoned shellfish. The PCM HAB project, a four year effort, will advance seasonal and weekly bloom forecast models and transfer them to NOAA, which will issue the forecasts regularly like weather forecasts. The MERHAB project will deploy state of the art sensors for Alexandrium cells and toxins in the Gulf of Maine over five years to improve the accuracy of HAB predictions and provide better early warning
Plankton—the tiny plants and animals that teem in shallow waters—form the basis for nearly everything that lives in the ocean. But a few kinds of microscopic algae make toxic chemicals as a byproduct. When coastal conditions let these creatures “bloom” in great numbers, the toxins concentrate in the tissues of fish or shellfish. Without proper warning, people can get seriously ill from a seafood meal. Depending on the type of algae, symptoms can range from a miserable night of nausea to paralysis, amnesia, and even death.