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History of Florida’s Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force

Learn more about harmful algal blooms, creation of the Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force and its Technical Advisory Group, and past funded projects.

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Harmful Algal Blooms

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur worldwide in aquatic environments and are a common problem in the United States in both inland and coastal waters. HABs are a growing global concern because of their negative impacts on natural and economic resources. HAB species primarily include microscopic organisms, such as dinoflagellates, diatoms, and cyanobacteria that are capable of producing potent toxins. Harmful blooms occur when these organisms reach higher than background concentrations, sometimes appearing as visible discolorations in water and threatening environmental or human health. Visible, large, seaweed-like species of macroalgae are also included in the definition of HABs. In recent decades, more HAB species and more toxins have been identified. Although some of these species were known and accounted for, they were not previously known to be toxic.

Both non-toxic and toxic HABs can negatively impact the environment, aquatic life, and human health by disturbing the food web and ecosystem, and by contaminating seafood. More than 100 toxic HAB species are found worldwide, with approximately 70 being found in Florida (~50 marine/estuarine and ~20 freshwater). Toxin producing species can cause human illness or death and mass mortalities of aquatic animals including fish, mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds. Types of toxin include: hepatotoxins (affecting the liver), neurotoxins (affecting the nervous system), and dermatotoxins (affecting skin and mucous membrane). Exposure to toxins can result from ingesting contaminated water or biota (flora or fauna), inhaling aerosolized toxin, or having skin contact with algae. Many HAB species present a particularly unique threat to human health because their toxins cannot be destroyed by cooking or storing (e.g. freezing or drying).

Economic impacts of HABs include related healthcare costs, commercial and recreational fisheries losses, reduced recreation and tourism, and costs for management, monitoring, and clean-up. Although detailed analyses are yet to be completed, revenue losses have been estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars annually. Florida red tides are estimated to cost greater than $20 million per year in tourism losses alone (Anderson et al., 2000). Losses are dependent on the geographic extent and duration of an event. The 2005 red tide event along much of Florida’s west coast that lasted for over one year likely caused millions of dollars of damage (final amount still not estimated).

Florida’s Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force - History

In 1997, the Florida Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force was created to address the on-going and emerging problem of multiple HAB events in Florida. The then Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Virginia Wetherell, organized this ad hoc body in response to two major 1996 HAB events: 1) a Pfiesteria fish kill crisis along the eastern United States seaboard, and; 2) an uncommon winter-spring Karenia brevis red tide that caused the largest documented manatee mortality event in Florida (147 of these endangered animals died from red tide effects).

The Task Force was designed to address the issues of health, environment, and economic impacts of HABs in Florida. The membership, consisting of more than 50 people, included scientists, engineers, economists, citizens groups, and managers representing federal, state, county, and city agencies, academia, environmental organizations, and private and non-profit laboratories. A 15 member Technical Advisory Group (TAG) was created to develop a review of HAB issues in Florida for the Task Force to consider and approve. In March 1999, the TAG released the report "Harmful Algal Blooms in Florida" often referred to as the "White Paper" (Steidinger et al. 1999) which listed data gaps, identified needed research, and contained recommendations. The top six concerns identified in the report for having negative impacts and potential human health risks in Florida were, in order of priority:

• red tides caused by Karenia brevis;
• possible fish kills or disease events caused by Pfiesteria piscicida;
• ciguatera fish poisoning events due to Gambierdiscus toxicus and other ciguateric dinoflagellates;
• blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms in freshwater, estuarine and marine systems; 
• potential tumor causing microalgae such as Prorocentrum; and
• macroalgal blooms caused by Caulerpa, Codium, Gracilaria and other marine macrophytes.

The HAB report was approved and finalized by the Task Force in June 1999 and submitted to the state legislature by October of the same year. This resulted in the creation of statutes Ch. 370.06092, F.S. and Ch. 310.06093, F.S. mandating the Task Force to act as an advisory body reporting to the Director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI). It also authorized the implementation of a cooperative HAB program through the appropriation of state, federal, and private grant funds.

The statute charged the Task Force with three main tasks:

• determine the status and adequacy of existing information and research;
• develop research, monitoring, and management priorities (including detection, prediction, mitigation, and control); and
• develop recommendations for the creation of response/contingency plans to fit specific needs and resources.

 The resulting funded priorities focused on a number of important information and research needs associated with the effects of HABs on natural resource and human health. The Florida FWC/FWRI appropriated $3 million dollars for projects between 1998 and 2001. Studies related to red tides received approximately one-half of all project dollars: blue-green algae $683,050; Pfiesteria and Pfiesteria-like organisms $500,000; macroalgae $83,475; and administrative costs received the remaining funds.

Harmful Algal Blooms-Current Activities

Although not all top six priorities were funded by this initiative, the members of the Task Force and scientific community continue to address these HAB concerns in both the public and private sectors. From 1999 through 2006, much research has occurred and progress been made to address these HAB information and research gaps. Projects have included investigation into the economic impacts of HABs by the University of Florida (UF); research into the development and testing of rapid chemical assays for the detection of brevetoxins in shellfish by the University of Miami (UM); a state-wide survey of fresh and brackish waters for toxic cyanobacteria posing potential threats to human health by the St.Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD); an epidemiological study of potential respiratory effects of red tides on people, a cooperative with Mote Marine Laboratory (MML), Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and UM; an assessment of macroalgae in Florida by the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution (HBOI); and a real-time satellite red tide monitoring and imaging program for early movement detection of potential surface blooms in the Gulf of Mexico, a cooperative with the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), FWRI, and the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The Task Force continues to exist today as an advisory body serving alliances of multiple bodies and technical panels created to address specific HAB issues and human health risks such as blue-green algae in drinking water reservoirs, red tides causing respiratory irritation, and saxitoxins causing Puffer Fish Poisoning (PFP). Alliances and panels formed through this initiative include such bodies as the Red Tide Alliance, the Florida HAB Public Health Technical Panel, and the Caulerpa Advisory Panel. Members of these bodies include representatives from state agencies, universities, local utilities, and other public and private sector personnel. These include personnel from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida Department of Health (DOH), Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP),U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CDC, Water Management Districts (WMDs), NOVA University, UF, UM, University of South Florida (USF), county health agencies, county commissioners, Solutions To Avoid Red Tide (START), MML, and GreenWater Laboratories.

Ongoing initiatives or projects originating from Task Force priorities, funded through various sources together with the Florida HAB Public Health Technical Panel funded by CDC/DOH, include and focus primarily on:

• determining where and when blooms occur initially in order to develop methods for predicting their development and movement;
• developing new, more rapid and cost effective methods of testing for species and their toxins;
• developing studies to determine the fate and effects of toxins in the environment and food-webs;
• continuing monitoring programs statewide for accurately documenting and forecasting HABs and possibly for mitigation of HABs;
• developing studies focused on human health risks (such as blue-green algae in drinking water, effects of red tide aerosols, and saxitoxins causing Puffer Fish Poisoning);
• developing and promoting public outreach and communication, especially to health field professionals, to increase awareness of symptoms and the effects of exposure to toxic HAB species; and
• assessing economic impacts, including development of monitoring tools in cooperation with industry, to assign dollar values to specific events.

For more information on the Florida Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force (FHABTF) history including the white paper, funded projects, and the Task Force’s role in blue-green algae studies, please read-on and visit the following links.

Florida’s Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force (FHABTF) and blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) studies sponsored by the FWC/Fish and Wildlife Research Institute for the FHABTF.

References

Anderson, D. M., and P. Hoagland. 2000. Estimated Annual Economic Impacts from Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the United States. Woods Hole Oceanog. Inst. Tech. Rept., WHOI-2000-11, p.6 (2000). http://www.whoi.edu/redtide/pertinentinfo/Economics_report.pdf

Steidinger, K. A. 2002. Florida’s harmful algal bloom task force: history and focus. In: Johnson, D. and Harbison, R.D. (2002). Proceedings of health effects of exposure to cyanobacteria toxins: state of the science, August 13-14, 2002, Sarasota, Florida, pp.6-15. http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/community/aquatic/pdfs/cyanobacteria_200208.pdf

Steidinger, K.A., Landsberg, J.H., Tomas, C.R., and Burns, J.W. 1999. Harmful algal blooms in Florida, Unpublished technical report submitted to the Florida Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force, Florida Marine Research Institute, 63pp.

Projects funded by the Task Force

Assessment of macroalgae with focus on Codium – University of Florida / Florida Institute of Oceanography (USF/FIO) and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) 2000-2001

Automated instrumentation applied to cyanotoxins – University of South Florida (USF) Center for Ocean Technology 2000-2001

Cyanobacteria and related public health and education: Frequently asked questions about blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) and their toxins – University of Miami (UM) 2000-2001

Cyanobacteria studies: identification, monitoring, and histopathology – University of Miami (UM) 2000-2001

Detection of toxic cyanobacteria in Florida waters – Wright State University (WSU) 2000-2001

ECOHAB supplemental for shiptime for colored dissolved organic matter and sample coordination – University of Florida / Florida Institute of Oceanography (USF/FIO) 2000-2001

Epidemiological study of potential health impacts, with focus on respiratory effects, caused by red tide Karenia brevis (formerly Gymnodinium breve) – Mote Marine Laboratory (MML) 1998- 2001

Histopathological effects of Microcystin-LR on the liver of the hardhead catfish and gulf killifish – US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) 2000-2001

Investigation of toxicity of Pfiesteria-like organisms known in Florida’s coastal waters – National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration / National Ocean Service (NOAA/NOS) 1998-2001

Survey of Florida fresh and brackish waters for toxic cyanobacteria that can present human threats – St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) 1998-2001

Use of limno-corrals to evaluate clay as a red tide mitigation strategy - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) / Mote Marine Laboratory (MML) 1999-2001

Economic impact assessment attributable to red tide Karenia brevis (formerly Gymnodinium breve) – University of Florida (UF) 1998-2000

Pilot study on the removal and use of dead fish from red tides or harmful algal bloom events – Solutions To Avoid Red Tide (START) 1998-2000

Development of molecular probes for the rapid detection of Pfiesteria-like organisms known in Florida’s waters – Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) 1998-1999

Development and testing of rapid chemical assays for the detection of brevetoxins in shellfish – University of Miami (UM) 1998-1999

Investigation of human health impacts attributable to harmful algal blooms – Florida Department of Health (FDOH) 1998-1999