NCCOS Staff

Leighfield is a chemist in the Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Monitoring & Reference Branch at NCCOS. He develops and applies detection products that empower communities to effectively monitor toxins produced during harmful algal blooms. His work is focused on the development of detection techniques and toxicological investigations for a variety of marine biotoxins associated with algal blooms, and has participated in multiple epidemiological investigations resulting from the impacts of harmful algal blooms to both wildlife and humans. Leighfield has led the development of environmental monitoring programs for HABs and their toxins both domestically and internationally.