ISSN 1930-1448 FISH AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH INSTITUTE TECHNICALTECHNICAL REPORTSREPORTS Resource Guide for Public Health Response to Harmful Algal Blooms in Florida Based on Recommendations of the Florida Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force Public Health Technical Panel Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission FWRI Technical Report TR-14 2009 Charlie Crist Governor of Florida Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Kenneth D. Haddad Executive Director The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) is a division of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The FWC is “managing fish and wildlife resources for their long-term well-being and the benefit of people.” The FWRI conducts applied research pertinent to managing fishery resources and species of special concern in Florida. Programs at FWRI focus on obtaining the data and information that managers of fish, wildlife, and ecosystem resources need to sustain Florida's natural resources. Topics include managing recreationally and commercially important fish and wildlife species; preserving, managing, and restoring terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats; collecting information related to popula- tion status, habitat requirements, life history, and recovery needs of upland and aquatic species; synthesizing ecological, habitat, and socioeconomic information; and developing educational and outreach programs for classroom educators, civic organizations, and the public. The FWRI publishes three series: Memoirs of the Hourglass Cruises, Florida Marine Research Publications, and FWRI Technical Reports. FWRI Technical Reports contain information relevant to immediate resource-management needs. Gil McRae, FWRI Director James F. Quinn, Jr., Science Editor Judith G. Colvocoresses, Copy Editor Llyn C. French, Publications Production Resource Guide for Public Health Response to Harmful Algal Blooms in Florida Based on Recommendations of the Florida Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force Public Health Technical Panel G. Meghan Abbott1* Jan H. Landsberg1 Andrew R. Reich2 Karen A. Steidinger 1,3 Sharon Ketchen2 Carina Blackmore2 1Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue Southeast St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 USA 2Florida Department of Health Division of Environmental Health 4052 Bald Cypress Way Tallahassee, Florida 32399 USA 3University of South Florida Florida Institute of Oceanography 830 First Street South St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 USA *Present address follows Acknowledgments Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission FWRI Technical Report TR-14 2009 . Cover Photographs Center: Mercenaria mercenaria hard clams (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). Clockwise from upper left: Saxitoxin puffer fish poisoning warning sign in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida (Florida Department of Health). Cyanobacteria bloom in Crescent Lake outflow into Coffee Pot Bayou, Florida (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). Red tide aerosol studies (Mote Marine Laboratory). Florida red tide fish kill, July 2005 (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). Copies of this document may be obtained from http://research.MyFWC.com Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue SE St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5020 USA Attn: Librarian For more information on living resource health in relation to Harmful Algal Blooms, please contact Jan H. Landsberg Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Fish and Wildlife Health Program [email protected], 727-896-8626 For more information on public health in relation to Harmful Algal Blooms, please contact Andrew R. Reich Florida Department of Health, Aquatic Toxins Program [email protected].fl.us, 850-245-4299 Document Citation Abbott, G. M., J. H. Landsberg, A. R. Reich, K. A. Steidinger, S. Ketchen, and C. Blackmore. 2009. Resource guide for public health response to harmful algal blooms in Florida. Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Technical Report TR-14. viii + 132 p. Document Production This document was composed in Microsoft Word® and produced using QuarkXPress® on Apple Macintosh® computers.The headline font is Adobe® Avant Garde, the text font is Adobe® Palatino, and the cover headline is Adobe® Gill Sans. The cover and text papers used in this publication meet the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z39.48—1992. FWC image Dinoflagellate bloom in Bayboro Harbor, St. Petersburg, Florida Preface In October 1997,Virginia Wetherell, then Secretary tions from this report contributed to the drafting of of the Florida Department of Environmental Pro- F.S. Ch. 370.06092 (now F.S. Ch. 379.2271), which tection, conceived and created the Florida Harm- assigned four tasks for the FHABTF. As of 2003, ful Algal Bloom Task Force (FHABTF) as an ad hoc only three had been completed: group to identify gaps in information on harmful “(a) Review the status and adequacy of information algal blooms (HABs) in Florida, particularly Kare- for monitoring physical, chemical, biological, eco- nia brevis red tides and potential Pfiesteria fish kills. nomic, and public health factors affecting harmful Secretary Wetherell invited Dr. James Howell, then algal blooms in Florida; Secretary of the Florida Department of Health “(b) Develop research and monitoring priorities for (FDOH), to co-chair the ad hoc task force. The harmful algal blooms in Florida, including detection, FHABTF received a legislative mandate in July prediction, mitigation and control; …and 1999, Florida Statute (F.S.) Chapter (Ch.) 370.06092 “(d) Make recommendations to the Florida Fish and (now F.S. Ch. 379.2271). Wildlife Research Institute for research, detection, One product of the FHABTF, “Harmful Algal monitoring, prediction, mitigation, and control of Blooms in Florida”(Steidinger et al., 1999), was an harmful algal blooms in Florida.” unpublished technical report presented to the Florida legislature in October 1999. Recommenda- F.S. Ch. 379.2271 iii . The remaining task (F.S. Ch. 379.2271 [2][c]) were conducted at FWC–FWRI in St. Petersburg. was to “develop recommendations that can be im- The first workshop titled “Florida Public Health plemented by state and local governments to de- Meeting on Harmful Algal Blooms and their Ef- velop a response plan and to predict, mitigate, and fects”was held 27–28 September 2005.The second control the effects of harmful algal blooms.” In workshop titled “Florida Harmful Algal Bloom 2003, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Public Health Agenda: Information for Develop- Commission (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research ing Local Response Capacity”was held 9–10 Au- Institute (FWRI) created the FHABTF Public Health gust 2006. At the second workshop specific Technical Panel. In the same year, FWC–FWRI re- recommendations were made by participants on ceived funds from the FDOH (made available by informational materials needed for a user-friendly the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guide to address county public health response to Grant U50-CCU423360-01) for support of this HABs.The two workshops were co-chaired by Jan initiative to assist in the development of recom- Landsberg (FWC) and Andrew Reich (FDOH) mendations for an integrated public health envi- and were attended by public health, environ- ronmental monitoring response plan.The portion mental, natural resource, agriculture, and research of the statute on “predict,mitigate, and control the professionals from state agencies, universities, effects of harmful algal blooms”was addressed in and private laboratories (see Acknowledgement part by the Red Tide Control and Mitigation Pro- of Participants). gram administered by FWC–FWRI. However, This document is an extension of the activities legislative budget cuts that began in 2008 threaten performed by the Public Health Technical Panel, the program’s future. and addresses in part tasks directed by the leg- The Public Health Technical Panel first met in islatively created FHABTF.The final phase is the ac- October 2004 to discuss a framework for local tual development of public health response plans, public health response plans. In the next phase, and this will be done by local county health de- two workshops on informational needs for the partments assisted by the FDOH Aquatic Toxins development of local public health response plans Program. iv . Table of Contents PREFACE ........................................ iii ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PARTICIPANTS......................... vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................viii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................. 1 Chapter 1 Background on Harmful Algal Blooms .................. 2 INTRODUCTION .................................... 2 BREVETOXINS AND NEUROTOXIC SHELLFISH POISONING ............... 3 SAXITOXIN, PUFFER FISH POISONING, AND SAXITOXIN PUFFER FISH POISONING .... 8 CIGUATOXIN AND CIGUATERA FISH POISONING .................... 11 CYANOBACTERIA (BLUE–GREEN ALGAE) AND CYANOTOXIN POISONING ........ 14 EMERGING HAB THREATS TO PUBLIC HEALTH ..................... 18 OTHER POTENTIAL HAB PROBLEMS........................... 19 Chapter 2 Agency Responsibility Matrices ...................... 22 AQUATIC ANIMAL MORTALITY RESPONSIBILITY AND/OR AUTHORITY ......... 22 ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLING RESPONSIBILITY AND/OR AUTHORITY .......... 23 SHELLFISH RESPONSIBILITY AND/OR AUTHORITY ................... 24 HUMAN SURVEILLANCE