Mote Marine Laboratory red tide studies. Final report.

Abstract

Florida red tide has a severe impact on many species of marine organisms. Potent neurotoxins produced by red tide cause massive fish kills, contaminate shellfish, and cause severe irritation to the respiratory system of people exposed to toxin-containing marine aerosol. To understand better the function of red tides within the coastal marine ecosystem and their impact on fisheries and other living marine resources, the Mote Marine Laboratory 1993/94 Red Tide Research Program focused efforts on the bioaccumulation of toxins in fish and shellfish exposed to sublethal concentrations of red tide, and the effects of chronic exposure to sublethal red tide blooms. This report describes the results of this study which encompasses four major study areas: laboratory culture maintenance and growth studies; ecological interaction studies; toxin chemistry and analysis; and, natural red tide bloom investigations.