Press Releases

October 14, 2002
Southampton College Researcher Documents Reemergence of Brown Tide

Professor Chris Gobler Also Identifies New Causes and Controls of the Killer Algae

Contact:
Jane Finalborgo
(631) 287 8313
Fax: (631) 283 4081

For the third time in four years, Quantuck Bay, which is surrounded by the hamlets of Quogue and Westhampton in the Town of Southampton, was plagued by an intense brown tide bloom that persisted for most of the summer. Southampton College Marine Science Professor Chris Gobler tracked the bloom from its beginnings in the spring and recorded densities exceeding one billion cells per liter over the summer.

Gobler, 32, has been investigating various causes and controls of the deadly algae. In a scientific breakthrough this summer, he and a group of his marine science students successfully isolated several viruses from Long Island estuaries which proved capable of killing brown tide cells cultured in his laboratory.

"This finding is very exciting because these viruses are species specific, and thus far, kill the brown tide cultures in a matter of days," Gobler said. "Although the research is preliminary, we may have identified the ultimate predator -- one that kills the brown tide and nothing else."

Since 1985, dense brown tide blooms caused by the species Aureococcus anophagefferens have occurred in many Long Island bays resulting in severe economic impacts including the decimation of scallop and hard clam fisheries. Although many estuaries on Long Island that have historically been plagued by brown tides, such as Great South Bay and the Peconic Estuary, remained free of the alga in 2002, Quantuck Bay experienced a dense bloom lasting through the summer. Quantuck Bay, which is surrounded by Quogue and Westhampton and between Shinnecock and Moriches Bays, is currently classified as a brown tide "hot-spot," as this marks the third time in four years this bay has had an intense brown tide bloom.

Professor Gobler recently published a paper in the journal "Limnology and Oceanography" that sheds additional light on the causes of these blooms. In collaboration with researchers at Old Dominion and Stony Brook universities, Gobler's research demonstrates that the brown tide organism can break down organic compounds extracellularly and use these organic compounds to acquire both nitrogen and carbon for growth. The study marks the first time researchers have documented use of organic carbon by the brown tide organism during a bloom.

This ability may give the brown tide organism a competitive advantage over other phytoplankton that must rely on photosynthesis to obtain carbon for growth. Light levels and photosynthetic rates during algal blooms are extremely low. Hence, the ability of the brown tide organism to use organic carbon represents a significant ecological advantage over other algal species which rely strictly on photosynthesis to obtain carbon.

Professor Gobler will be presenting his research findings about organic nutrients, viruses and brown tides at the 10th International Conference on Harmful Algae during the week of Oct 21st in St. Petersburg, Fla.