A National Ocean Service/National Center for Coastal Ocean Science Program
Phytoplankton Monitoring Network
Promoting a better understanding of harmful algal blooms by way of volunteer monitoring
Mystery Plankton:
Identify genus and species
During the first reveal of the month only one piece of the entire plankton picture will be visible. After the first reveal of the month, there will be 2 more reveals with the last reveal showing the entire mystery plankton puzzle. The entire reveal process will take place over the course of a month. Winner will be drawn at the end of the month. Only one entry per month.
Deadline: Sunday, May 31, 2009
Please view the full contest rules.
In The News:
Thalassiosira Bloom
Read about the jelly-like algae floating off the Florida coast at clickorlando.com.
Chesapeake Bay
Check out a fisherman's account of the state of the Chesapeake Bay and what's being done to save it at cnn.com.
Fish Poisoning
Difficult to detect toxin laced fish produces bizarre symptoms that can reoccur throughout life. Read more about ciguatera fish poisoning at msnbc.com.
PMN Volunteers
Read about James Island Charter High School and PMN at charleston.net.
Schedule Trainings!
Please check the PMN training calendar for available dates and email Jeff to reserve your day and time.
NOAA Approves State Spending Plan
for Federal Red Tide Disaster Aid
Released May 14, 2009: "NOAA today approved state plans for spending $5 million in federal disaster aid intended to assist shellfish industries in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire affected by a 2008 harmful algal bloom outbreak, commonly referred to as red tide. Maine and Massachusetts will each receive $2 million and New Hampshire $1 million to support industry-driven efforts to better address future harmful algal bloom outbreaks.
On November 14, 2008, the Secretary of Commerce declared a commercial fishery failure because large areas of the coastline had to be closed to the harvesting of clams, mussels, oysters and other shellfish. Shellfish in these coastal waters tested positive for infection, containing a single-cell algae that, when ingested by humans, can lead to potentially lethal paralytic shellfish poisoning.
Highlights of State Spending Plans
States plan to collaborate on a number of cross-state and independent research initiatives among these are:
- Provide continued support to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to map the extent and location of the Alexandrium cyst bed in the western Gulf of Maine for use as a predictive tool for state program managers;
- Produce outreach materials for use during the next severe bloom to provide the public with clear, accurate, and objective information about the risks of harmful algal blooms including harvest closures, consumption advisories, and the availability of wholesome seafood in commercial markets;
- Maine and New Hampshire will explore alternative methods to detect and monitor the shellfish biotoxin and investigate paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) in lobster tomalley;
- Maine will expand its buoy arrays for an existing PSP monitoring program;
- Massachusetts will develop and implement a lost income subsidy program to compensate Massachusetts commercial shellfish harvesters for their economic loss resulting from the 2008 harmful algal bloom event. In addition, funds will be used to support a health insurance subsidy program; and
- New Hampshire will expand and diversify its coastal shellfish aquaculture program in estuarine waters."
Marine Biotoxins
Facility at CCEHBR Remodeled
When PMN volunteers send
in samples, those samples are being analyzed in the newly remodeled Marine Biotoxins
facility located at the Center for Environmental Health and Biomolecular Resesarch.
Check out the NOAA World article to learn more and view pictures of the remodeled
lab. www.noaaworld.noaa.gov.
