FW: MORE DUST STUFF...

[Precht, Bill]

Coral-List:

Just an FYI... more dust...

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Associated Press Writer

The Associated Press
Wednesday, August 29, 2001

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - Clouds of iron-rich dust from the Sahara Desert that
blow thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean may trigger blooms of
toxic algae known as red tide in the Gulf of Mexico, scientists said
Wednesday.

A study by University of South Florida researchers used satellites and
ground monitoring stations to track a Saharan dust cloud in 1999 to a
region between Tampa and Fort Myers where a huge bloom of red tide then
erupted.

The scientists believe iron in the dust causes the algae, normally present
in small quantities, to grow into large concentrations that kill fish, make
shellfish toxic and create respiratory problems for humans.

"We're still trying to figure out if all this is true, and if it is true
then we can predict it," said John J. Walsh, a USF marine science professor
who co-authored the study.

It appears in the September issue of the scientific journal Limnology and
Oceanography.

(Continued)

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On the Web:
Florida Marine Research Institute: http://www.floridamarine.org
Goddard Space Flight Center: http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov
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http://ap.tbo.com/ap/florida/MGASHOUNZQC.html
http://www.naplesnews.com/01/08/bonita/d678651a.htm
http://www.sunsentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-fredtide30aug30.story

Red Tide bloom may drift south of Fort Myers
http://www.sptimes.com/News/083001/State/Red_Tide_bloom_may_dr.shtml

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