Pfiesteria workshop white paper now available

"Molecular Technologies and Pfiesteria Research: A Scientific Synthesis"

March 31, 1998 -- The University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute's Center of Marine Biotechnology (COMB) and the Maryland Sea Grant College have published a white paper summarizing a scientific workshop held last October at COMB with participation by prominent scientists and scientific managers involved in research on Pfiesteria. Copies are available from both COMB and Maryland Sea Grant or on the Web at http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/fish-health/Pfiesteria/biotech_rpt/index.html

Pfiesteria piscicida, along with one or more Pfiesteria-like algal species, is thought to be responsible for fish kills in the Chesapeake Bay's Pocomoke River in 1997. Pfiesteria is also suspected of releasing toxins damaging to human health. Tracking the presence and the impact of Pfiesteria continues to be difficult. Unlike other harmful algae that often reveal their presence in the water by red or brown pigmentation, Pfiesteria species appear with no early warning signal. The first signs that toxins have been released generally are fish with deep lesions -- fish that often succumb to this "ambush" predator.

To protect public health, public agents need new tools for rapid detection of the potential release of Pfiesteria toxins. The October workshop developed a scientific consensus to define the necessary tools for detecting Pfiesteria toxins -- particularly by employing the sophisticated capabilities of molecular biology -- and to set priorities for development strategies.

Titled "Molecular Technologies and Pfiesteria Research," the synthesis report identifies the following needs:

• Develop certified pure cultures of Pfiesteria-like organisms so that research among different laboratories is comparable and transferable.
• Distinguish the different species that make up the complex of Pfiesteria-like organisms so that toxin-producing species and stages can be clarified.
• Develop molecular probes that can rapidly detect the presence of different Pfiesteria-like organisms and their toxins. These probes must distinguish between toxin- and non-toxin producing stages.
• Characterize the chemical composition of Pfiesteria toxins.
• Continue studies on the impact of Pfiesteria-like toxins on human health, among them, respiratory problems and memory loss.

The report was prepared by the Maryland Sea Grant College and COMB in cooperation with the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Also on the Maryland Sea Grant Web site is a link titled "Fish Health and the Chesapeake Bay," which provides comprehensive information and links to other major Web sites on issues of Pfiesteria and harmful algal blooms.