In August 2008, an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin was found dead on the North Carolina coast, its skin cracked and ulcerated with an alarming growth of gray and white nodules. This dolphin was confirmed as having lobomycosis, the first confirmed case in North Carolina waters of this chronic fungal skin infection. Reports of this type of [...]
Researchers from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and colleagues have identified a unique anti-biofilm chemical, derived from a sponge, that seems to be able to reverse antibiotic resistance in many strains of harmful bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). When researchers mixed the agent with antibiotics and applied them to microbial infections [...]
Caption: In marine environments, Dr. Peter Moeller has found new bacteria that yield highly selective antibiotics as well as a chemical in a sponge that makes bacteria more vulnerable to existing antibiotics. He participated in a news briefing and symposium on Friday, Feb. 13, at the 2009 AAAS Annual Meeting. For more information on Dr. [...]
Scientists from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, working with NOAA Fisheries Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response researchers, identified multiple cases of lobomycosis in stranded and live, free-swimming bottlenose dolphins from coastal North Carolina. Lobomycosis is a chronic fungal infection of the skin and, until now, only been reported in people and dolphins [...]
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science researchers, examining immune markers in wild dolphins from the Indian River Lagoon, FL diagnosed with lobomycosis during 2003-2005, compared to those without lobomycosis, found that diseased dolphins suffer from severe immunosuppression in their adaptive immunity responses. Lobomycosis (lacaziosis) is a chronic granulomatous disease of the skin and subcutaneous tissue [...]
Scientists at NCCOS’s Center for Human Health Risk (CHHR) in Charleston, S.C., have some powerful new technology available to them in the form of two just-installed world-class nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instruments. The new technology is expected to be a focal point of the laboratory’s plans to address a range of human health and coastal [...]
Three Core Research Activities address Four Fundamental Questions …with Five Partners Working Under One Exceptional Roof… Picture the face of a clock. At the top, 12 o’clock is the word “Humans.” At six o’clock is “Marine Environment.” Go clockwise, from noon to six, from Humans to Marine Environment. Think now about how the activities of [...]
Harmful algal blooms have been recognized for producing toxins since earliest recorded time “…and the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that were in the river died; and the river stank and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river…” However, confirmation of marine biotoxins has [...]