FLORIDA RED TIDE What’s New and What’s True Richard H. Pierce, Ph.D. Ecotoxicology and Mote Red Tide Research Team

Phytoplankton Ecology; Vince Lovko, Ph.D Environmental Health; Tracy Fanara, Ph.D. Chemical & Physical Ecology; Emily Hall, Ph.D. Coral Reef Monitoring & Assessment; Eric Bartels, MS Ocean Technology; Jim Hillier, Ocean Instrumentation Sp. Mote Research Partners Mote-FWC Cooperative Red Tide Research Partnership; Consistent Base funding for Mote’s Red Tide Research, Mitigation and Control studies Mote-FWC Program Leverage for Additional Research Projects

University partners USF, FGCU, FIU, UF, UNCW, Georgia Tech, Ringling, Rutgers,

Private Donors & Philanthropic Foundations Topics

Mote’s Primary Goals for Red Tide Research: ● Public Health Protection and Information Outreach ● Reducing adverse impacts on public health, coastal marine ecosystems and Florida’s economy.

To accomplish these goals, we need to answer the questions: ● What is Red Tide? ● How is Red Tide Harmful? ● What causes Florida Red Tide Events? ● What causes Red Tide to end? ●What can we do about it? FL Red Tide is a Microscopic alga a photosynthetic dinoflagellate (Karenia brevis) causes Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

25-35 µm HAB High Concentration of Microscopic Marine Algae That cause Harm two flagella World Wide: Karenia brevis > 2,000 species of marine algae dinoflagellate ~ 200 Species Known Harmful

Karenia brevis Phytoplankton culture room Karenia brevis Why is Florida Red Tide Harmful? Produces several Neurotoxins (brevetoxins)

Mode of Action: Binds to the voltage-gated sodium channel inducing Na+ ion influx, resulting in neuro-excitation from nerve membrane depolarization and spontaneous firing.

Also: ● causes bronchial constriction => Asthmatic attacks ● Inhibits immune function Florida Red Tide Facts: Occurs Naturally in the Gulf; Always present in low numbers: Background concentrations: 1 to 1,000cells/Liter (Few Toxins = No Problem) High concentrations (Bloom) up to millions of cells/Liter (Many Toxins = Serious Problem) Shellfish Closure at 5,000 cells/L

Florida Red Tide Public Health Effects: Aerosolized Toxins ● Inhalation: Dry, choking cough; Asthmatic bronchial constriction.

●Physical irritant: Burning eyes & nose;

Toxins Seafood Contamination: NSP (Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning) Shellfish Toxins and Metabolites

Food Chain Transfer & Accumulation of Toxins

Karenia brevis Filter-feeding clams Carnivorous mollusks Producing Accumulate Accumulate toxins & brevetoxins brevetoxins metabolites produce metabolites Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning symptoms (NSP):

Multiple neurological and gastrointestinal effects:

● nausea, vomiting and diarrhea; ● numbness and tingling in the lips, mouth, face, extremities ● “nerves are on fire or ants are crawling and biting all over.” ● ataxia, overall loss of coordination, and partial limb paralysis ● reversal of hot and cold sensation ● slurred speech, headache, pupil dilation, and overall fatigue. ● appearing disoriented and possibly intoxicated. ● throat tightness and chest heaviness, respiratory distress.

● Recovery usually in 3 days to a week ● Severe cases could require ventilator support Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles & birds

 Exposure through food and water:  Dolphin eating; contaminated fish  Manatees; eating contaminated seagrass  Sea Turtles; food  Sea Birds; food

 Symptoms: Immune suppression, Neurotoxic & gastrointestinal Monitoring Remote sensing for: ● Phytoplankton community ● Brevetoxins ● Water quality parameters Satellite Imagery NOAA; NASA

Drone with Autonomous Underwater Hyperspectral Camera Vehicle (AUV) Red Tide Toxin Monitoring

Today: Collect samples; Extract Toxins; HPLC-MS/MS Analysis

Future: Aptamer (DNA) -based electrochemical sensor: Rapid assessment of brevetoxins in local areas NOAA, Giner, Inc & Mote

1. Add sample to disposable 2. React for cartridge 5 min

3. Insert cartridge into sensor Programmable Hyperspectral Seawater Scanner (PHYSS). (Support from FWRI & GCOOS)

New generation, Red Tide Detection G. Kirkpatrick, J. Hillier, K. Henderson, J. Turner, J. Beclker

● Fully programmable data acquisition Fixed location, process. shallow-water version

● High resolution spectrometer, ability to identify multiple phytoplankton groups.

● Applicable to robotic deployments

Future generation for deep AUV deployment Red Tide Control

Can we? Should we?

Mitigation = reduce/avoid adverse impacts: Toxins, Dead marine life, toxic seafood, airborne toxins, hypoxia

Control = stop cell growth & toxin production, reduce nutrient availability, reduce/destroy cells & toxins

Ecologically sound

Economically Feasible

Logistically Attainable RED TIDE MITIGATION AND CONTROL

Monitoring: Prediction, Early warning Response: Preparation, Protection Chemical Control: CuSO4; Bleach, Soap, Algicides, Enzymes, Hydrogen Peroxide, Ozone Biological Control: Algal exudate, parasites, pathogens Physical Control: Clay flocculation, Fresh Water, Air Bubbles, Ozonation as On-Site Control & Restoration for Red Tide Impact R. Pierce, L.K. Dixon, V. Lovko Mote, START & FWRI & local Partners Ozone is a strong oxidizing agent that kills red tide cells, degrades neurotoxins and re-oxygenates water. ● New application based on a patented, enclosed ozone contactor used for Mote Marine Mammal Hospital tanks, no ozone Mote Patented Ozonation system used released into the ambient water for Marine Mammal Hospital ●Pilot Studies with Red Tide water from New Pass, Gulf to Sarasota Bay.

Mote 25,000 gal Mesocosm for Raw water from New Pass Ozone treated Mesocosm ORP ozonation Pilot tests Mesocosm pre-ozone ORP = to 750 mv in 12 hrs 300 mv Ozonation Field Test for Restoration of Red Tide Impacted canal systems Support from Boca Grande Community (Preliminary studies; FWCC and START)

First field test completed week of 8/17/18: Results in progress, looking Good!

water intake to ozone contactor Mote Ozone contactor system Red tide impacted Canal Treated water back into canal

Monitoring water quality in College student interns testing treated canal ozone-treated canal water