http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/122705/tp6np9.htm?date=122705&story=tp6np9.htm
Demonstration indicates red tide cure
Red tide is back already, after a brief disruption called Hurricane Wilma.
A new Karenia brevis red tide bloom along the coast of southwest Florida extends from southern Pinellas to northern Sarasota counties, according to the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
Nearshore concentrations ranged from very low to low. One sample in Sarasota Bay from early last week, at New Pass where Mote Marine Laboratory is located, was medium. It's enough to kill fish.
So it was with renewed interest that Venice High's science teacher Charlie Powell gave a demonstration of local inventor Bob Rigby's red tide cure to area officials and activists last week.
Powell described the test process by which he proved the solution that kills Karenia brevis, the dinoflagellate that causes red tide, actually works, and explained why certain types of fish were used to test the formula.
The purpose of the demonstration was to dispel misinformation -- even disbelief -- about a cure.
"I wanted to let officials witness firsthand how it kills red tide without harming other marine life," Rigby said.
Sitting at somewhat cramped school desks for part of the demonstration were Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton; Charlotte County Commissioner Tom Moore; Chairman of the Marine Advisory Council for Charlotte County, Mel Staudmyer; a representative for Sarasota City Commissioner Louann Palmer; staffer Christina Knight from Sen. Mel Martinez' office; realtor Judith Hamilton; and Richard Leydon and Lisa Leydon-Surdam, a father-daughter team from Little Gasparilla who run Red Tide Alert, a local organization that tracks red tide and efforts to mitigate its impact.
Each took turns examining Karenia brevis extracted from a beaker under an electron microscope. They also looked at hundreds of healthy mysids (shrimp-like crustaceans) in a separate small aquarium.
The mysids are almost transparent and barely visible to the naked eye -- about 3/32nds of an inch. They are the proverbial canary in a coal mine, said Powell -- the organisms die easily when exposed to red tide. That's why they are EPA-approved for this kind of testing, he said.
Mysids are so fragile that Powell used a small beaker to extract them because using a small fish net would kill them.
He then drained most of the water from the beaker containing mysids and emptied it into the beaker containing Karenia brevis. Normally, red tide in this amount, about 100,000 per million, would kill the mysids in short order, said Powell. He then added 12 parts per million of Rigby's formula that kills red tide.
Within minutes, Powell took another sample of water from the beaker. Each official took turns looking into the microscope again, this time witnessing the dead red tide organisms extracted from the same beaker containing live mysids.
No hooey
Rigby is hoping the demonstration will dispel some of the misinformation he claims has been disseminated.
"Some people still think this is a bunch of hooey," he said. "They were all satisfied about the claim that this is a viable formula that kills red tide without harming other marine life."
Others at the demonstration questioned the relationship -- or lack of one -- between Mote Marine, the leading red tide research marine laboratory, and Rigby, specifically why they are unable to collaborate on a solution.
Some had questions about the source of red tide, especially as it relates to stormwater runoff and agricultural activity.
Powell closed his remarks by saying more research was necessary to confirm Venice High's research and move forward.
Rigby said once he receives funding, it will take only two years to finish designing and then build the apparatus to disperse the red tide killer solution into ocean waters.
Private interests
Richard Leydon, a retired developer from Little Gasparilla Island, used to live on the beach until he developed chronic respiratory problems he attributes to red tide. He attended the demonstration on behalf of a private interest "who has the will, power and money" to commit to finding a solution.
"The private interest would prefer to remain in the background at this time," said Leydon, and "move forward at an appropriate time. There is quantum interest out there to find a cure for red tide."
Leydon blames big dollars and red tape for impeding efforts to find a solution. He shares Rigby's theory about a conspiracy to stall a solution for red tide.
"Mote Marine has denigrated this man," he said, referring to Rigby. "They are receiving millions for doing almost nothing. Who stands to benefit from not coming forward with a solution? Fifty million is a lot of money. (Research) has evolved into a bureaucracy itself. It feeds itself with grants. In the meantime, don't tell me there is a solution here. It's a full-blown disgrace.
"I've encouraged Mr. Rigby to keep pursuing his efforts in the face of adversity of big government and researchers who appear more interested in staffing up than solving the problem. If I were a politician, I'd latch onto this in a heartbeat, because who are your opponents? Everyone wants to find a cure, for economic and physical reasons.
"Mote is trying to get millions in grants to address red tide, and here is this gentleman who spent $4,000 to come up with a solution. It's rather indicative of the structure we live in ... that it has to be done out of a garage and not as a result of millions in government grants. That's how personal computers developed.
"Wednesday's demonstration showed the efficacy of Mr. Rigby's formula on eradicating a bloom. I am adamant about seeing this gentleman gets some money to move forward. It's a question of sitting down and funding the program. Maybe we can get something done out of the private sector," Leydon said.
Government role
What's the next step for the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners?
"I am trying to figure that out myself," said Thaxton. "I would love for somebody to come to me with suggestions. There is not a clear answer to that yet."
"I'm not an expert in product development, and clearly that's what Mr. Rigby wants. I know he is only trying to protect his proprietary rights, but that's not the county's gig. To be realistic about it, it's a rigorous process -- additional testing is needed from independent groups to confirm the original thesis, and then go through state agencies to permit testing in the gulf.
Thaxton said unanswered research questions contribute to the confusion and lack of direction in seeking a solution.
"Right now they have no proof that red tide today -- meaning the intensiveness, duration and frequency of outbreaks -- is being affected by human activity. The assumption is that's the case. If that's so, my first inclination is to work toward removing nutrients that generally are known to contribute to algae blooms. It's a no-miss strategy."
"But we do not want to eliminate red tide. It's a natural phenomena. The organism has a critical place in the marine ecosystem. You can't just take it out. Every time we do, the consequences are more damaging than the cure.
"What is the natural role of Karenia brevis and how do we keep it natural? If we are causing (blooms), it is legitimate to bring it back to its original state.
Thaxton said the demonstration answered a couple of his concerns.
"The demonstration was convincing. It did test the level of solution that is optimal for killing the organism. And it tested against other vulnerable organisms. Its effect on other algae, however, wasn't answered. Does it only effect dinoflagella, or only red and brown algae, or all algae? Where does it stop? How specific is it at eradicating organisms? Powell said it is not species specific, so could it kill other algae?
"Some by-kill is acceptable. You can afford to kill some other species in a very small area, but not on a larger scale. That's why I am confident of spending money on current research efforts by Mote to predict and isolate blooms.
"The first thing we need to do is early detection. (Red tide) only seems to start in exacting water conditions, all the more reason why we need to predict where it's going to first break.
Only then would application of a cure like Rigby's become viable, he said.
Red tides are harmful algal blooms that occur when toxic, microscopic algae in seawater proliferate to higher-than-normal concentrations (bloom), often discoloring the water red, brown, green or yellow, according to the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
More than 40 species of toxic microalgae live in the Gulf of Mexico. The most common is the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism.
To learn more about red tide, visit floridamarine.org
You can e-mail Greg Giles at: ggiles@venicegondolier.com.
By GREG GILES
Staff Writer
Demonstration indicates red tide cure
Red tide is back already, after a brief disruption called Hurricane Wilma.
A new Karenia brevis red tide bloom along the coast of southwest Florida extends from southern Pinellas to northern Sarasota counties, according to the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
Nearshore concentrations ranged from very low to low. One sample in Sarasota Bay from early last week, at New Pass where Mote Marine Laboratory is located, was medium. It's enough to kill fish.
So it was with renewed interest that Venice High's science teacher Charlie Powell gave a demonstration of local inventor Bob Rigby's red tide cure to area officials and activists last week.
Powell described the test process by which he proved the solution that kills Karenia brevis, the dinoflagellate that causes red tide, actually works, and explained why certain types of fish were used to test the formula.
The purpose of the demonstration was to dispel misinformation -- even disbelief -- about a cure.
"I wanted to let officials witness firsthand how it kills red tide without harming other marine life," Rigby said.
Sitting at somewhat cramped school desks for part of the demonstration were Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton; Charlotte County Commissioner Tom Moore; Chairman of the Marine Advisory Council for Charlotte County, Mel Staudmyer; a representative for Sarasota City Commissioner Louann Palmer; staffer Christina Knight from Sen. Mel Martinez' office; realtor Judith Hamilton; and Richard Leydon and Lisa Leydon-Surdam, a father-daughter team from Little Gasparilla who run Red Tide Alert, a local organization that tracks red tide and efforts to mitigate its impact.
Each took turns examining Karenia brevis extracted from a beaker under an electron microscope. They also looked at hundreds of healthy mysids (shrimp-like crustaceans) in a separate small aquarium.
The mysids are almost transparent and barely visible to the naked eye -- about 3/32nds of an inch. They are the proverbial canary in a coal mine, said Powell -- the organisms die easily when exposed to red tide. That's why they are EPA-approved for this kind of testing, he said.
Mysids are so fragile that Powell used a small beaker to extract them because using a small fish net would kill them.
He then drained most of the water from the beaker containing mysids and emptied it into the beaker containing Karenia brevis. Normally, red tide in this amount, about 100,000 per million, would kill the mysids in short order, said Powell. He then added 12 parts per million of Rigby's formula that kills red tide.
Within minutes, Powell took another sample of water from the beaker. Each official took turns looking into the microscope again, this time witnessing the dead red tide organisms extracted from the same beaker containing live mysids.
No hooey
Rigby is hoping the demonstration will dispel some of the misinformation he claims has been disseminated.
"Some people still think this is a bunch of hooey," he said. "They were all satisfied about the claim that this is a viable formula that kills red tide without harming other marine life."
Others at the demonstration questioned the relationship -- or lack of one -- between Mote Marine, the leading red tide research marine laboratory, and Rigby, specifically why they are unable to collaborate on a solution.
Some had questions about the source of red tide, especially as it relates to stormwater runoff and agricultural activity.
Powell closed his remarks by saying more research was necessary to confirm Venice High's research and move forward.
Rigby said once he receives funding, it will take only two years to finish designing and then build the apparatus to disperse the red tide killer solution into ocean waters.
Private interests
Richard Leydon, a retired developer from Little Gasparilla Island, used to live on the beach until he developed chronic respiratory problems he attributes to red tide. He attended the demonstration on behalf of a private interest "who has the will, power and money" to commit to finding a solution.
"The private interest would prefer to remain in the background at this time," said Leydon, and "move forward at an appropriate time. There is quantum interest out there to find a cure for red tide."
Leydon blames big dollars and red tape for impeding efforts to find a solution. He shares Rigby's theory about a conspiracy to stall a solution for red tide.
"Mote Marine has denigrated this man," he said, referring to Rigby. "They are receiving millions for doing almost nothing. Who stands to benefit from not coming forward with a solution? Fifty million is a lot of money. (Research) has evolved into a bureaucracy itself. It feeds itself with grants. In the meantime, don't tell me there is a solution here. It's a full-blown disgrace.
"I've encouraged Mr. Rigby to keep pursuing his efforts in the face of adversity of big government and researchers who appear more interested in staffing up than solving the problem. If I were a politician, I'd latch onto this in a heartbeat, because who are your opponents? Everyone wants to find a cure, for economic and physical reasons.
"Mote is trying to get millions in grants to address red tide, and here is this gentleman who spent $4,000 to come up with a solution. It's rather indicative of the structure we live in ... that it has to be done out of a garage and not as a result of millions in government grants. That's how personal computers developed.
"Wednesday's demonstration showed the efficacy of Mr. Rigby's formula on eradicating a bloom. I am adamant about seeing this gentleman gets some money to move forward. It's a question of sitting down and funding the program. Maybe we can get something done out of the private sector," Leydon said.
Government role
What's the next step for the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners?
"I am trying to figure that out myself," said Thaxton. "I would love for somebody to come to me with suggestions. There is not a clear answer to that yet."
"I'm not an expert in product development, and clearly that's what Mr. Rigby wants. I know he is only trying to protect his proprietary rights, but that's not the county's gig. To be realistic about it, it's a rigorous process -- additional testing is needed from independent groups to confirm the original thesis, and then go through state agencies to permit testing in the gulf.
Thaxton said unanswered research questions contribute to the confusion and lack of direction in seeking a solution.
"Right now they have no proof that red tide today -- meaning the intensiveness, duration and frequency of outbreaks -- is being affected by human activity. The assumption is that's the case. If that's so, my first inclination is to work toward removing nutrients that generally are known to contribute to algae blooms. It's a no-miss strategy."
"But we do not want to eliminate red tide. It's a natural phenomena. The organism has a critical place in the marine ecosystem. You can't just take it out. Every time we do, the consequences are more damaging than the cure.
"What is the natural role of Karenia brevis and how do we keep it natural? If we are causing (blooms), it is legitimate to bring it back to its original state.
Thaxton said the demonstration answered a couple of his concerns.
"The demonstration was convincing. It did test the level of solution that is optimal for killing the organism. And it tested against other vulnerable organisms. Its effect on other algae, however, wasn't answered. Does it only effect dinoflagella, or only red and brown algae, or all algae? Where does it stop? How specific is it at eradicating organisms? Powell said it is not species specific, so could it kill other algae?
"Some by-kill is acceptable. You can afford to kill some other species in a very small area, but not on a larger scale. That's why I am confident of spending money on current research efforts by Mote to predict and isolate blooms.
"The first thing we need to do is early detection. (Red tide) only seems to start in exacting water conditions, all the more reason why we need to predict where it's going to first break.
Only then would application of a cure like Rigby's become viable, he said.
Red tides are harmful algal blooms that occur when toxic, microscopic algae in seawater proliferate to higher-than-normal concentrations (bloom), often discoloring the water red, brown, green or yellow, according to the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
More than 40 species of toxic microalgae live in the Gulf of Mexico. The most common is the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism.
To learn more about red tide, visit floridamarine.org
You can e-mail Greg Giles at: ggiles@venicegondolier.com.
By GREG GILES
Staff Writer
