Latest news with #algalblooms
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Why Americans who live near coastlines and lakefronts may face heightened ALS risk
If you live near bodies of water frequently impacted by harmful algal blooms, you may be at an increased risk of dying from ALS, new research reveals. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the debilitating neurodegenerative disease commonly known as 'Lou Gehrig's Disease,' is influenced by genetics and environmental factors. It dramatically slashes the patient's life expectancy, with people typically passing away within two to five years of diagnosis. Some 5,000 are diagnosed with ALS each year in the U.S., and there are approximately 15 new cases each day. Recently, Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane announced he was battling the disease and told Good Morning America that his body's right side had 'completely stopped working.' Now, researchers at the University of Michigan Medicine say toxins produced by algal blooms in lakes and along American coasts could influence disease progression. 'While there is still limited research into the mechanism by which cyanobacteria toxins affect neurodegenerative diseases, our findings suggest that living near or participating in activities in these water bodies may influence the progression of ALS,' Dr. Stephen Goutman, the school's Harriet Hiller research professor, director of the Pranger ALS Clinic, and associate director of the ALS Center of Excellence, said in a statement. Goutman is the senior author of the study which was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Specifically, the researchers have found a toxin produced by the bloom cyanobacteria in brain and spinal fluid cerebral spinal fluid samples of people with ALS. It's known as ß-methylamino-L-alanine. Increasingly driven by human-caused climate change and nutrient pollution, the blooms are caused when cyanobacteria grows dense and out of control. Cyanobacteria produce several toxic agents that are linked neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. They surveyed participants who were seen at the University of Michigan Pranger ALS Clinic, many of whom lived within three miles of a harmful algal bloom. They measured the duration and extent of their exposure using satellite data from the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network and their residential and health histories. Ultimately, they found that living near blooms -- especially if swimming or boating -- was associated with dying of ALS nearly one year sooner. The people with the most significant exposures both lived near harmful blooms and used a private well as their water source. People in the Midwest may be particularly threatened partially due to pervasive industrial and agricultural productions in the region. Michigan's Lake Erie is frequently impacted by these blooms. 'If exposure to cyanobacteria toxins is a meaningful risk factor for ALS, the large number of inland lakes from to such bacteria in the Midwest may partly explain why the disease incidence is much higher than other parts of the country,' Dr. Stuart Batterman, first author and professor of environmental health sciences at the university's School of Public Health, said.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
As Earth's Magnetic Field Grows Stronger, Oxygen Levels Rise
When the magnetic field around the Earth grows stronger, oxygen levels rise. That is the surprising finding of a new study looking at more than half a billion years of planetary history. Researchers can track the rise and fall in oxygen levels by studying charcoal left over from ancient wildfires. The more oxygen, the larger the fires. And they can gauge changes in the geomagnetic field by studying rocks formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. Magnetic crystals found in cooling lava align with the geomagnetic field, offering some indication of its strength. The new study combined these data, revealing a powerful link between oxygen levels and the strength of the geomagnetic field. Over the last 540 million years, the strength of the magnetic field has trended up, and so has the level of oxygen, making the planet more hospitable to life. The findings were published in Science Advances. 'We don't really have a good explanation for it,' coauthor Benjamin Mills, of the University of Leeds, told Nature, though he offered a few ideas. As the tectonic plates have shifted, over hundreds of millions of years, their movements have, at times, unleashed essential nutrients, such as zinc and phosphorus, into the ocean, fueling massive algal blooms. Those blooms produced huge volumes of oxygen. It may be the case, scientists propose, that the same currents driving the movement of the tectonic plates may also be affecting the Earth's iron core, the source of its magnetic field. Can Toxic Mining Waste Help Remove CO2 from the Atmosphere?
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
230 New Giant Viruses Have Been Found In Most of the Planet's Oceans
Scientists at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science looking at water from the world's oceans discovered something odd: 230 types of giant viruses that were previously unknown. 'Giant' is a relative term here, since we're dealing with viruses, and viruses aren't known to be all that big. But in virus sizes, these new ones are positively enormous. A giant virus (yes, it's a scientific term) can be as large as two microns. For context, if you were to pull out a piece of your hair, it would likely be in the 70 micron range. But for a virus, two microns is Godzilla-sized. And while there are almost certainly many more viruses floating around out there that we don't know about just yet, the scientists who found these new ones are pretty excited about their discovery. It'd be easy to think that finding a bunch of new viruses in the ocean is bad, but it's actually a pretty good thing. Right now many oceans are in the middle of a wide-ranging algal bloom that's full of domoic acid. That's bad for things like seals and sea lions, because domoic acid can kill. But by studying these new giant viruses, researchers are learning a whole lot about how they can deal with things like harmful algal blooms. 'By better understanding the diversity and role of giant viruses in the ocean and how they interact with algae and other ocean microbes, we can predict and possibly manage harmful algal blooms, which are human health hazards in Florida as well as all over the world,' explained Mohammad Moniruzzaman, one of the two authors of the new study. 'The novel functions found in giant viruses could have biotechnological potential, as some of these functions might represent novel enzymes.' Giant viruses don't generally infect humans or animals, instead preferring things like algae or amoebas, so we don't have anything to worry about unless something out of a zombie movie happens to them. They are, however, very important in the grand scheme of things. 'We discovered that giant viruses possess genes involved in cellular functions such as carbon metabolism and photosynthesis – traditionally found only in cellular organisms, said Benjamin Minch, the lead author of the study and a doctoral student in the Department of Marine Biology and Ecology at the Rosenstiel School. 'This suggests that giant viruses play an outsized role in manipulating their host's metabolism during infection and influencing marine biogeochemistry.' Since things like phytoplankton act as a bit of a foundational building block for the ecosystems in the ocean, understanding how these giant viruses interact with them could have sweeping impacts. 'Overall, our work provides new insights into the diversity and functional potential of [giant viruses] in the world's oceans through our addition of 230 genomes with an expanded set of photosynthesis proteins as well as many other metabolic genes,' the paper finished. 'We hope that these new genomes along with protein annotations, will be useful in the expansion of insights into [giant viruses] from further metagenomic datasets across all aquatic ecosystems.'
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
US researchers identify 230 new viruses with surprising effect on ocean health
Tiny ocean organisms like algae, amoebas, and flagellates are key to the marine food chain, and giant viruses that infect them can affect how they grow and survive. In some cases, these viruses may also lead to public health issues, such as harmful algal blooms. In the quest to unravel the varying kind of viruses found inside our planet's large water-bodies, scientists at University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science have uncovered 230 new giant viruses using advanced computing tools and ocean data. Researchers also identified 530 new proteins within these viruses, including nine linked to photosynthesis—suggesting the viruses may interfere with how their hosts convert sunlight into energy. According to Mohammad Moniruzzaman, co-author of the study and assistant professor in the university's Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, gaining a better understanding of the diversity and role of giant viruses in the ocean—and how they interact with algae and other microbes—could help predict and potentially manage harmful algal blooms, which pose risks to human health in Florida and around the world. "Giant viruses are often the main cause of death for many phytoplankton, which serve as the base of the food web supporting ocean ecosystems and food sources. The novel functions found in giant viruses could have biotechnological potential, as some of these functions might represent novel enzymes,"explained Moniruzzaman in a press release on University of Miami's website. Detecting giant viruses has proved to be a challenge so far because current computer methods had limitations. To overcome this, the research team created a new tool called BEREN—a program which offers a simple, all-in-one tool for identifying and classifying giant viruses in sequencing datasets To conduct their study, researchers gathered DNA sequencing data from nine major ocean sampling projects spanning the globe. Using BEREN they extracted giant virus genomes from this data. The scientists then analyzed the genomes using public gene function databases to identify the roles and activities encoded by these viruses. Following this, the results were compared to known giant virus genomes to uncover previously unknown functions and gain deeper insight into their diversity. Benjamin Minch, lead author of the study and a doctoral student at the Rosenstiel School, observed that giant viruses carry genes linked to important cellular functions like carbon metabolism and photosynthesis—processes usually found only in living cells. This finding suggests that these viruses have a significant role in altering their host's metabolism during infection and may impact key marine chemical cycles. The researchers used the University of Miami's Pegasus supercomputer at the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC) to process and assemble large metagenomes, often over a gigabase per sample, allowing them to reconstruct hundreds of microbial community libraries. Minch also noted that the study helped create a framework to improve tools for detecting new viruses, which could enhance efforts to monitor pollution and pathogens in waterways. Findings of the study have been published in the journal npj Viruses.
ABC News
01-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Six months of major marine events in south-east Tasmania
Hobart's River Derwent and other south-east Tasmanian waterways have experienced some extraordinary marine events since December: jellyfish population explosions, toxic algal blooms, wild shellfish health alerts, and mass salmon and sardine deaths. Water quality scientist Christine Coughanowr said it was not uncommon to see one or two such events in a typical summer, but "rarely would you see this many events over such a short period of time". "I think it is quite plausible that at least some of these events are related." A spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) said the incidents were "being closely examined". "While these events can occur independently, it is uncommon to see several in close succession," the spokesperson said. "It is important to note that marine events such as algae blooms are typically driven by a range of environmental factors such as water temperature, nutrient levels, and runoff from various sources, not solely agriculture and aquaculture. "However, the potential for larger toxic algal blooms exists and the ShellMAP program continues to monitor local algal species." NRE Tas and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have engaged the CSIRO to help better understand why the events occurred. "This work will inform the development of state-of-the-art tools that can be used to investigate the contributing factors of events like those experienced over the past summer," an EPA spokesperson said. "And to establish near real-time modelling tools to foster understanding and support more informed decision-making around policy, regulation, planning and incident response." The presence of warmer than usual waters is "likely to be an important factor contributing to the proliferation of marine organisms along the east and south-east coast of Tasmania", according to an EPA spokesperson. Ms Coughanowr, co-chair of Tasmania's Independent Science Council and former CEO of the Derwent Estuary program, said "increasing pollution from human activities, combined in some cases with increasing water temperatures and changes in ocean circulation" were key causal factors. "Excess nutrients, in particular, stimulate microscopic algal blooms in near-shore coastal waters, which can set off the whole cascade above," she said. December 12, 2024 — An unprecedented number of small jelly-like creatures called "salps" are seen at beaches and bays across south-east Tasmania. Lisa-ann Gershwin, a jellyfish and bioluminescence expert, told ABC Radio Hobart an abundance of phytoplankton caused by excess nutrients from aquaculture and agricultural runoff had attracted the salps, which feed on phytoplankton. Dr Gershwin cautioned that salps "literally wiped out" the phytoplankton wherever they occurred, so everything else starved. December 19, 2024 — People warn against swimming at many of Hobart's beaches after industrial waste from the Cadbury factory knocked out a wastewater treatment plant, resulting in sewage flowing into the River Derwent next to the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona). Public health alerts include "do not swim" advice applied to the River Derwent between Austins Ferry and Old Beach in the north, and Sandy Bay across to Howrah in the south. December 20, 2024 — Some residents in Hobart and surrounds post photos to social media showing a pink substance in the water. Dr Gershwin told ABC Radio Hobart the pink hue was a kind of bioluminescent algae called Noctiluca scintillans or "sea sparkles", caused by an increase of nutrients coinciding with the salp die-off. While not toxic for humans, the blooms can be a problem for fish farms, due to the fish being unable to escape should a pen be impacted by the algal bloom. December 23, 2024 – Public health mostly lifts warnings against swimming in parts of the River Derwent due to untreated sewage, except for the western end of Bellerive Beach due to a localised issue. January 1, 2025 – There are more widespread reports that Tasmania's south-east coast was aglow with the bioluminescent algae Noctiluca scintillans. It is the biggest "bloom" in almost a decade. Dr Gershwin told ABC Radio Hobart the algal bloom could lead to a spike in jellyfish populations across the state's south. She described it as an environmental red flag, which could be fatal for other sea life. January 23, 2025 – Large blooms of Aurelia aurita – moon jellyfish – are seen in the River Derwent and halfway up Tasmania's east coast. The jellyfish naturally occur in the river, but not usually in such large numbers. Dr Gershwin said the bloom had been caused by an oversupply of nutrients in the water, from runoff, overfishing, and a natural upwelling in the ocean. She said "huge amounts" of nutrients came from salmon hatcheries upriver and fish farms. February 16, 2025 – Chunks of biological waste are discovered on a southern Tasmanian beach, prompting community calls for testing and an investigation into the nature of the waste. EPA later confirms the waste, which washes up at other beaches in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel over the following weeks, is congealed fish oil from dead salmon. February 20-21, 2025 – The Bob Brown Foundation shares images and videos of dead salmon floating on the edges of fish pens, and piled up in industrial skip bins. There are reports the salmon industry in south-east Tasmania is grappling with a widespread bacterial disease outbreak that is causing mass mortality events. March 20, 2025 – Tasmania's Chief Veterinary Officer Kevin de Witte makes a statement about the salmon deaths, saying the mortality event in the lower D'Entrecasteaux Channel is largely due to an endemic bacterium known as Piscirickettsia salmonis (P. salmonis). The bacterium did not present a human or animal health, or food safety risk, Mr de Witte said. "The bacterium also does not pose a risk to freshwater fish nor is it known to pose a threat to other marine [saltwater] species." May 5, 2025 – Tasmania's Environment Protection Authority (EPA) reports a decline in fish deaths after the mass salmon die-off and says water-quality monitoring no longer detects the presence of antibiotics used to treat the fish infection. May 8, 2025 – Public health issues a wild shellfish alert for Boomer Bay in south-east Tasmania. It warns toxic algal blooms (also known as harmful algal blooms or HABs) are present in Tasmania and that elevated levels of algal toxins have been detected in shellfish in the area. May 16, 2025 – Public health expands its wild shellfish alert to include the Mercury Passage in Eastern Tasmania. It advises not to eat "recreationally harvested mussels, oysters, clams, pipis, cockles, wedge shells abalone and scallop roe". May 17, 2025 – Hundreds of small fish, later confirmed to be sardines, are found dead along the shoreline of the River Derwent. A few days later, Kevin de Witte, tells ABC Radio Hobart the sardines most likely died "due to a toxic algae" called Heterosigma. In Tasmania, the EPA is the primary statutory regulator for water quality and its management, alongside NRE Tas. Both were involved in testing and reporting during and following the recent salmon mortality event. The Derwent Estuary Program also plays an important role coordinating a range of projects aimed at restoring and promoting the estuary and reducing pollution. Following the salmon mortality event, the EPA conducted an internal debrief to "capture lessons from the mortality event" and participated in an inter-agency debrief that extended to consultations with the three salmon companies, an EPA spokesperson said. "Mortalities are a known aspect of salmon farming worldwide. From an EPA perspective, the critical issue is timely collection and management of mortality waste in an approved manner." Ms Coughanowr said more "robust monitoring" of both the condition of, and many activities affecting the health of, our rivers and coastal waters was required. "Often people just call up and report what they are seeing, but we need a more systematic approach than that. Ms Coughanowr said a marine event of the scale of South Australia's toxic algal bloom, which is bringing unprecedented destruction to the state's marine environment, "would be a terrible outcome for Tasmania". "It is important that we don't just blunder into this with our eyes closed," she said. A spokesperson for NRE Tasmania said Biosecurity Tasmania was continuing to look into the recent deaths of the sardines found along the shores of the River Derwent. "At this stage, investigations indicate this mortality event is not linked to the salmon mortality incident in south-east Tasmania from January to April," the spokesperson said. "Biosecurity Tasmania understands it is not pollution-related and the events are likely due to different infectious causes. From ongoing testing, and POMV have been ruled out as the cause of the sardine deaths. "Initial results of testing conducted of the sardines indicate it is likely to be a result of Heterosigma, a type of algae. It is currently not believed to be a bloom, however further testing continues." Ms Coughanowr said whatever the cause of the most recent fish deaths, the health of our waterways needed to be a priority for Tasmania. "We need to reduce pollution and other pressures on our rivers and coastal waters to make them as resilient as possible," she said. Members of the public who observe dead fish, pollution events or suspected biological material can call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 or the EPA Incident Response Hotline on 1800 005 171.
