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TEXAS HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM COORDINATION MX964014
Impact/Purpose:
To employ a Harmful Algal Bloom coordinator to:
1. Assume coordination of the Texas Harmful Algal Bloom workgroup,
2. Guide the revision, updating and maintenance of the current red tide web site,
3. Assist in developing a strategy for Texas on HAB response,
4. Formulate a comprehensive description of Texas HABs,
5. Prepare reports and make presentations to increase public awareness of HABs in Texas.
Description:
Harmful algal blooms (HAB) are an expanding problem in coastal Texas. Nearly � of the known harmful algal blooms along the Texas coast have occurred in the past ten years and have led to significant resource and tourism losses. For example, there are at least two types of toxic dinoflagellates, intermittent brown tides, reports of ciguatera, occasional toxicity from blue-green algae, and golden algal blooms in Texas. In 2000, a massive red tide killed over 20 million fish along the entire Texas coast. Economic impacts in the Galveston County area alone in 2000 from red tide approached $18 million. Objectives: Despite the growing problem of HABs in coastal Texas, there is no designated person coordinating the collection, management and dissemination of information on the types, nature, duration and location of the various algal problems along one of the largest coastlines in the United States. The current system is dependent on a variety of state and university workers with diverse missions and objectives that can devote only a fraction of their time to this position. Significant responsibilities are unassigned such as development of a contingency plan for communicating with the public and state managers the location and extent of blooms and submittal of the annual International Oceanographic Commission reports that provide input into the global HAB problem.