USF St. Petersburg researchers first identify the red tide virus

A group of researchers at the University of South Florida, based in St. Petersburg, recently created a history of first identifying the virus in red tide flowers.

Scientists believe the results of the groundbreaking research will help them predict and reduce red tides. While occurring naturally, extreme flowers destroy coastal economies, kill marine life, and cause human respiratory problems.

Researchers at the University of Marine Science tested water samples collected along and offshore coasts in southern Florida. They discovered several viruses, including new virus species, found in Karenia Brevis, a species that causes red tide flowers.

“The virus is very specific and can only infect those that normally infect them, so it could be used as a tool to kill Karenia Breviscells in Bloom.”

“I wasn’t surprised to find the virus. I was surprised that no one had done it before.”

Viruses exist in almost every living thing on Earth. Kerr, lab manager and outreach coordinator at Dr. Mya Breitbart Lab, said, “People are constantly using the virus as a health tool.”

Kerr said the virus found in the red tide only infects phytoplankton species and poses no threat to marine life or humans. K. Brevis is harmful to the ecosystem, economy, and human lungs by releasing neurotoxins.

The red tide is a complex problem that scientists do not fully understand. Environmental factors such as nutrient concentration, temperature, ocean circulation, and salinity affect flowers.

However, when predicting when and where the red tide will begin, peaks and ends are still important issues. Carr said he knows “all different players are important when creating models.”

Current monitoring efforts rely on satellite imagery of surface chlorophyll concentrations, glider observations of underground distributions, and traditional field sampling.

High concentrations of viruses can indicate that blooms are formed quickly or have recently succumbed to an infectious disease. “If their hosts are dead, there may be a lot more around them,” Kerr said. “There’s still a lot to do to understand that.”

Viruses target specific organisms, and can provide an eco-friendly way to manage flowers. Kerr said scientists would give the Red Tide a more isolated virus to kill K. brevis cells.

While the red tide can have serious consequences, Kerr said, “Learn everything requires a lot of tools and effort.” Funding is also a continuous hurdle.

“Our labs are constantly studying viruses and bacteria, and we have a red tide as a problem,” Kerr said. “We want to explore it more, and we want it because we have the tools to do it.”

The study, recently published in the American Society of Microbiology journal Msphere, highlights the abundance of marine research resources concentrated along the Bayborough Port in St. Petersburg’s Innovation District.

A local team of researchers led by Jean Lim, the first author of the study, used a process known as metagenomics to extract genetic material from water samples to identify viruses present in viruses containing red tides. Breitbart, a renowned university professor at the University of Marine Science and a senior author of his research, pioneered the method more than 20 years ago.

Experts from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee’s Institute were found by neighbors at the University of Marine Sciences to collect samples and assist the USF team.

“Not all labs have that ability and if that doesn’t affect them, they might not be interested,” Kerr said of the Red Tide study.

Researchers now “playing in the lab,” identifying how a certain amount of virus affects K. Brevis. Kerr said the next step was the “most amazing part.”

They also try to grow the virus in their local labs. Kerr pointed out that he would continue to search for additional viruses related to red tide flowers.

She said she used the virus to kill K. Brevis, mitigate the effects of the ocean, and that the respiratory shock is ambitious and likely to last. “But that’s what we’re reaching out.”

“There are a lot of moving pieces,” Kerr added. “And it’s cool to see that type of collaboration happening in our community.”

For now, she is encouraging residents to avoid using fertilizers containing harmful nutrients that burn red tides through rainwater runoff in the summer. Kerr also defended other forms of phytoplankton (mainly microscopic algae), which provide about half the Earth’s oxygen.

“It’s not just bad,” she said. “There are a lot of good people.”

This content is provided in collaboration with stpetecatalyst.com.