A group of University of South Florida researchers have, for the first time, identified viruses present in the red tide blooms that periodically plague the Gulf coast.
This can be used to possibly predict when blooms will appear — and maybe even find a way to reduce their threat.
The study found several viruses — including one new species — present in red tide. That might help researchers figure out why blooms start and suddenly die.
Jean Lim is the study's lead author and a researcher at the USF College of Marine Science. She says the study can determine the biological causes of red tide, which are poorly understood.
"So, with this study, we can actually explore more about the viruses in the development and the determination of red tide blooms and also maybe to incorporate virus data in future forecasting and modeling efforts of red tide," she said
Eventually, they hope to target the viruses that can cause respiratory issues for people along the beaches as well as kill fish and other marine life.
Since viruses target specific organisms, they may even provide an environmentally friendly way to manage blooms.
"That's a starting point because like people have actually done some research on what is the best way to mitigate blooms. And this could include chemical approaches or biological approaches, and many of these approaches, the downside is that if when you apply this to the ocean, it could also cause downstream negative ecological impacts. But we don't know how these methods could affect other organisms or microorganisms in the ocean," Lim said.
“But viruses are really specific and less likely to cause more widespread, harmful damages to the ecosystem. So this study is just a starting point, but that could be something that could be explored in the future."
The study was published in the American Society for Microbiology’s journal, mSphere.
Lim and her team partnered with researchers from the harmful algal bloom monitoring and research program at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, who collect samples during red tide events.
In the lab, Lim used a method known as "viral metagenomics" to identify the viruses present within bloom-containing water samples.
“There may be a correlation between viral abundances and bloom dynamics,” Lim said. “For example, an increase in the number of viruses found in a sample might suggest that a red tide bloom is about to begin or that it is going to end. Researchers could use information about viral abundances to help predict bloom cycles.”
