The meeting focused on how the health and diversity of marine and freshwater habitats on the Kenai Peninsula in south-central Alaska are critical for the resilience of both fisheries and human communities and was steps away from NCCOS’s laboratory.

For more information, contact Kris.Holderied@noaa.gov.

NOAA researchers obtain a tissue sample from a tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) in Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument; the shark was released unharmed. Credit: Robert Schwemmer/NOAA

In a newly published study, NCCOS researcher link sharks and other top predators with primary producers (benthic algae) in pristine, healthy coral reef ecosystems.  “We used chemical signatures of carbon and nitrogen found in the tissues of the algae, invertebrates, fish, and sharks from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) to trace the extent benthic algae influences the food chain of healthy coral reef ecosystems, dominated by apex-predators like sharks,” said Dr. Carolyn Currin, NCCOS scientists and lead co-author on the study.

Remote healthy coral reefs like those found in the PMNM are unique because they are dominated by large numbers of apex predators, the large carnivorous fishes such as sharks, jacks, and snapper. Like all coral reefs, the PMNM is supported by photosynthesis by algae

“Anything affecting native algal species, such as sedimentation, dredging, or the spread of non-native invasive algae, will ultimately impact the abundance of prized food fish such as snapper or jacks,” said Randall Kosaki, NOAA Deputy Superintendent of Papahānaumokuākea, and a co-author on the study.  “Taking care of the reef itself will help to ensure healthy fish populations.”

This study was a collaboration between researchers from NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and PMNM of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.  For more information contact: Anna.Hilting@noaa.gov.

A significant new study of the algae, Karenia Brevis (sic), suggests that the organisms release more toxin when they do not have enough nutrients to keep growing.

The toxin is a defense mechanism against zooplankton. Opportunistic plankton feed when the plant is not getting enough nitrogen and phosphorous — the same ingredients in many fertilizers — say researchers with North Carolina State University and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.

via Algae’s hunger ramps up red tide toxins | HeraldTribune.com.

Note: This article is about our research paper on algal bloom toxin defenses published in PLOS ONE last week.

Workshop participants learn how to perform assays to detect Enterococcus, a primary indicator of water contaminated by human waste.

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center funded NOAA and academic researchers to develop a training facility for public health officials and resource managers in advanced molecular methods to detect pathogens and harmful algae species more quickly and effectively.

Sixteen participants from public health departments and academic institutions gathered to complete training to detect Enterococcus

The first workshop, held March 11 – 15, 2013,  covered quantitative polymerase chain reaction techniques to detect Enterococcus, the primary bacterial indicator of human fecal contamination of recreational waters. Similar methods for detecting harmful algal blooms were taught at workshops in Alaska and Malaysia last year.

NOAA’s Wayne Litaker lecturing on assays that detect waterborne pathogens and harmful algae species.

These workshops grew out of requests from numerous user groups who were interested to learn how to implement new quantitative molecular detection methods in their laboratories and a desire to train individuals developing biotechnology businesses in eastern North Carolina.

Sixteen participants from public health departments and academic institutions in Alabama, California, Florida, New York, North Carolina, Maryland, Ohio, Texas, Vermont and Virginia gathered in Morehead City, NC to become the first class to complete training.

Experts from NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and University of North Carolina (UNC) led the workshops at the new Molecular Training Facility at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences.

The next workshop is scheduled for November 2013.

A photograph of the microscopic algae Karenia brevis, the plant responsible for toxic red tides in the Gulf of Mexico

A species of algae responsible for red tides plaguing Gulf coast communities protects itself by becoming highly toxic when it’s hungry and vulnerable to being eaten by predators, say scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and North Carolina State University.

The red tide organism, called Karenia brevis, reacts to low levels of nutrients–particularly phosphorus–by using its remaining energy to make itself several times more toxic than it usually is, in order to guard itself from microorganisms that would eat it in its weakened state.

The paper’s authors say that the findings could improve predictions about how toxic a nearby bloom is, based on phosphorus readings, so that local public health officials can close shellfish beds or prepare warnings for beachgoers.

The paper appears in the latest edition of the journal PLOS ONE.

A North Carolina State University press release says that “The study shows that harmful and ubiquitous Karenia brevis algae, which cause red tide blooms across the Gulf of Mexico, become two to seven times more toxic when levels of phosphorus, a major algal nutrient found in fertilizers and human waste, are low. Like wearing a suit of armor, producing highly toxic cells allows the algae to defend themselves against opportunistic waterborne grazers like zooplankton.”

Beach sign developed by Solutions to Avoid Red Tide (START), a local business group concerned with the impacts of red tide on local communities and tourism. Image courtesy of the Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.

Red tide is responsible for killing seabirds, mammals, and massive amounts of fish, including a large amount of manatees this year. Humans who breathe “red tide air” are at risk of severe respiratory irritation. People who eat shellfish tainted with the toxin can contract Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP), a rare but debilitating condition that can send them to the hospital.

NCCOS scientists also developed and refined red tide forecasts for both Florida and Texas. Now operated by a sister office in NOAA, these forecasts provide advance warning for blooms so local managers can selectively close shellfish beds and beaches, rather than blindly closing hundreds of miles of shoreline.

Watch as hunters become the hunted in this story of a delicious but damaging invasive predator and efforts to remove them from our fragile reefs.  Lionfish released in U.S. waters are ruining these critical resources by eating fish and shellfish that are valuable to you and me, as well as the reefs they live on. Participating in lionfish catching derbies or cookoff competitions are ways you can play a part keeping their numbers down and our reefs invasives-free.

In Louisiana, it’s oyster drills, where the invasive creatures that can destroy entire oyster beds are marketed and consumed as “Biganos snails” — similar to escargot. In Texas and other parts of the Gulf, black tiger shrimp — cannibals that eat smaller shrimp before destroying their homes — are being considered as alternatives to regular Gulf shrimp. This would allow Gulf shrimp populations to rebuild while removing the harmful but delicious black tiger shrimp from the waters.

Chef Randy Evans at Haven has a similar solution for the lionfish, which has been equally destructive as the black tiger shrimp since 2011. Although the lionfish — a species native to the Pacific Ocean — was first spotted in the Gulf several years ago, its numbers have mushroomed since then. Scientists are worried about the long-term effect the lionfish will have on the Gulf, especially in light of what took place recently in the Caribbean.

via Locavores, Meet Invasivores: Cooking and Eating Invasive Lionfish at Haven – Houston – Restaurants and Dining – Eating Our Words.

A scanning electron micrograph showing a ventral (topside) view of Gambierdiscus caribaeus collected from Marathon Key, Florida.

A recently published finding may contribute to the development of a long-elusive affordable ciguatoxin detector, crucial for equatorial peoples worldwide at risk of contracting a severe type of seafood poisoning.

While researching toxicity differences in the several species of tropical algae that cause ciguatera, researchers from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and partners found that another substance in the algae exists in more easily detectable amounts and directly correlates to the amount of ciguatera toxin the tiny plants have. This alternative means may be the key to inexpensive detectors.

Scientists have been on the hunt for a less costly means to detect ciguatera, which is made by a microscopic alga called Gambierdiscus. The toxin is responsible for more human illness than all other harmful algal bloom species combined. It’s toxic in extremely minute amounts, so any detection method must be very sensitive.

Images of G. carolinianus (left) and G. carpenteri (right). The color images are of live cells and show typical cell morphology (form & structure) and pigmentation for each species.

The algae sicken people who eat top predators (usually sportfish popular with tourists) which concentrate the toxin by preying on small algae-grazing reef fish. The illness is difficult to diagnose and no tests are commercially available. There is no monitoring program on coral reefs to help detect it, and there is no effective treatment or antidote for it.

The scientists’ preliminary results indicate that the relative production of the easy-to-measure maitotoxins by various Gambierdiscus species is correlated to the amount of ciguatera toxins produced by the same species. If this correlation holds up during the next phase of the project, it will possible to adapt a maitotoxin assay as an effective method for assessing the risk of ciguatera in outbreak-prone regions.

This work was conducted in partnership with scientists from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences.

The unmoored buoy, foreground, and its rescue team on the deck of a local fishing vessel. From left to right are Tim Blackmon (KBRR), Kris Holderied (NOAA), Jasmine Maurer (KBRR) and Sid Wolford (boat captain).

In early January, a wave buoy operated by the Alaska Ocean Observing System in Cook Inlet broke free from its mooring for the third time in less than two years. The inlet has 30-foot tides and strong tidal currents, so immediate action was necessary to rescue the floating device before it escaped into the Pacific Ocean.

The Director of the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science’s Kasitsna Bay Laboratory led the rescue effort with support from staff at the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Homer harbormaster and local fishermen. Using a fishing vessel, NOAA tide and current information and satellite-transmitted locations, the team was able to pick up the 400-lb buoy less than a day after it broke loose. They hauled it back to a nearby warehouse to keep it sheltered from the instrument-freezing elements.

When it’s not trying to escape, the buoy (now nicknamed “Bandit”) transmits the only real-time information about wave height and direction in Cook Inlet to many users, including NOAA weather forecasters, fishermen, boaters and even–how is this possible?–surfers. For additional information, read the post on the Alaska Ocean Observing System’s website.

A U.S. Coast Guard crane raises a sunken fishing vessel from Jakolof Bay, Alaska. The site is cordoned off with boom to prevent the boats’ oil from contaminating a nearby oyster farm.

A 5-foot snowfall created a snowy winter wonderland just before Christmas near the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Kasitsna Bay Laboratory in south-central Alaska. However, the heavy snow also sank two old, 50-foot fishing vessels in nearby Jakolof Bay, when one vessel capsized on top of the other. The U.S. Coast Guard oversaw salvage operations in mid-January to raise the vessels, but the complicated effort took four days to accomplish.

The top deck is the only visible part of a sunken fishing vessel in Jakolof Bay, Alaska. The U.S. Coast Guard raised the boats–sunk in a snowstorm–to reduce environmental damage.

Kasitsna Bay Laboratory supported the salvage effort by providing housing for the Coast Guard crew, which enabled them to stay near the operations rather than having to return across Kachemak Bay to their base each day. Removing the sunken boats prevented more diesel oil from leaking into the bay and threatening to contaminate local oyster farms.

For more information, read this article in the Homer Tribune.

Damanski, who was out fishing with his mom and some friends for his birthday last week, landed a “15- or 16-ounce” red lionfish. The photo soon made the rounds on Facebook, unbeknown to Damanski that it was the first documented case of the species within the state water boundary of Collier County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.

“When I pulled the lionfish up I don’t think anybody expected it,” Damanski said. “I know they are destroying our reefs so we killed it and tossed it in the cooler.” Make no mistake: lionfish are pigeons with a peacock’s plumage. And once they arrive, they can cause irreparable harm to the fragile underwater ecosystem. Lionfish have a voracious appetite, and will eat nearly anything that they can fit into their mouths. The fish can easily wipe out a population of juvenile fish that rely on the reef habitat for protection, and compete with native species such as snapper or the commercially crucial grouper for resources.

via Surprise lionfish catch in Gulf of Mexico a cause for concern over invasive non-native fish | ABC Action News

via NOAA Communicator – Issue 22 – November, 2012.

Congratulations to the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and Environmental Security Technology Certification Program(ESTCP) Projects of the Year, recognized for research and technology developments with significant benefits to the Department of Defense (DoD). These outstanding efforts are helping DoD achieve its mission while improving its environmental performance.

Resource Conservation and Climate Change, SERDP Project of the Year
SERDP’s Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program (DCERP)
Patricia Cunningham, RTI International
and the DCERP Project Team
Project Highlights

(excerpt) An unprecedented multi-year interdisciplinary ecological research program at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is helping the Department of Defense (DoD) manage its coastal installations in more effective and sustainable ways. The SERDP-sponsored effort, the Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program (DCERP), is using mission-relevant fundamental and applied research to produce ecosystem-based management tools that will enable the military both to continue using the installations for essential training and testing missions for decades and to sustain the environmental health of these coastal areas. At the same time, DCERP is serving as a model for ecological research management, by bringing together participants from multiple institutions and disciplines to work for several years at the landscape scale and ensuring the research is linked to practical management questions at coastal installations.

[Note: one member of this project team is Carolyn Currin from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science]

via Ecological Research Supports Training at Camp Lejeune.

See also: Ecological Study at Camp Lejeune Earns Department of Defense Award

In their paper, the investigators from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean science and partners predict that most genetic traits for enhanced fuel yield would not be advantageous in nature, resulting in low–but not zero–ecological risk. To be on the safe side, they recommend that any modified algae should be securely contained and given further genetic changes so they would die if they got into a natural waterway. Of course, these assertions will require verification through rigorous monitoring and experiments.

Genetically enhanced algae could play a major part in reducing our need for oil and gas, but those enhancements should not risk overrunning our oceans with altered organisms.

The NCCOS researcher worked with colleagues from Oklahoma State University, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, the Ecological Society of America, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the New Mexico Consortium, and Phycal, Inc.

This paper will appear in this month’s issue of Algal Research.