The U.S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries conducted a red tide symposium from March 5-7, 1958, in Galveston, Texas. Program participants, topics covered, and discussions are presented.

U.S. BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES
GULF FISHERIES INVESTIGATIONS
RED TIDE SYMPOSIUM
Galveston, Texas
March 5-7, 1958

 

PARTICIPANTS

Advisory Group (invited by Director Donald L. McKernan)

  • Robert M. Ingle, Director of Research, Florida State Board of Conservation
  • Dr. Robert F. Hutton, St. Petersburg Laboratory of the Florida State Conservation
  • Frank Chew, Marine Laboratory, University of Miami, Florida
  • Dr. E.F. Corcoran, Marine Laboratory, University of Miami, Florida
  • Dr. James B. Lackey, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
  • Dr. Gordon Gunter, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, Mississippi
  • Dr. Luigi Provasoli, Haskins Laboratories, New York
  • Dr. Howard T. Odum, Institute of Marine Science, Port Aransas, Texas
  • Dr. Carl H. Oppenheimer, Institute of Marine Science, Port Aransas, Texas
  • Dr. K.M. Rae, Oceanography Department, Texas A & M, College Station, Texas
  • Albert Collier, Marine Laboratory, Texas A & M, Galveston, Texas
  • William W. Anderson, Chief, South Atlantic Fishery Investigations, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Brunswick, Georgia
  • Dr. Herbert W. Graham, Chief, North Atlantic Fishery Investigations, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
  • Dr. Theodore R. Rice, Radiobiological Laboratory, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Beaufort, North Carolina

Other Visiting Participants

  • Seton H. Thompson, Regional Director, Gulf and South Atlantic Regions, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, St. Petersburg Beach, Florida
  • Dr. Albert L. Tester, Chief, Division of Biological Research, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C.
  • Howard H. Eckles, Chief, Branch of Marine Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C.
  • Dr. J. Towne Conover, Institute of Marine Science, Port Aransas, Texas
  • Dr. Theodore J. Starr, University of Texas, Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas

Staff of Gulf Fisheries Investigations

  • Dr. George A. Rounsefell, Chief
  • John Watson, in charge of Florida Laboratory
  • John H. Finucane, Florida Laboratory
  • Alexander Dragovich, Florida Laboratory
  • William B. Wilson, Red Tide Laboratory, Galveston, Texas
  • Dr. Sammy Ray, Red Tide Laboratory, Galveston, Texas
  • Dr. David Aldrich, Red Tide Laboratory, Galveston, Texas
  • Kenneth T. Marvin, Chief Chemist, Galveston, Texas
  • Zoula Zein-Eldin, Chemist, Galveston, Texas
  • Ray Wheeler, Biologist (Ore Dike Studies), Galveston, Texas
  • Dr. Abraham Fleminger, Zooplankton, Galveston, Texas
  • Edward Chin, Shrimp Investigations, Galveston, Texas
  • Donald M. Allen, Shrimp Investigations, Galveston, Texas
  • Anthony Inglis, Shrimp Investigations, Galveston, Texas
  • Edgar L. Arnold, Menhaden Investigations, Galveston, Texas

We regret that three of the group invited by the Director were unable to attend:

  • Dr. Bostwick H. Ketchum, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
  • Dr. John Ryther, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
  • Dr. Sydney W. Fox, Florida State University

INTRODUCTION

Mr. Seton Thompson, Regional Director of the Gulf and South Atlantic Region, St. Petersburg, Beach, Florida, was introduced by Dr. Rounsefell. Mr. Thompson spoke as follows:

Mr. Donald McKernan, Director of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, has requested to extend a hearty welcome to all who have come in response to his invitation to aid in appraisal of our research program on red tide.

Red tide research has now been conducted for several years, and we feel it appropriate at this time to take a careful look at accomplishments to date, at what we are currently doing, and at prospects for future accomplishments. In inviting a group of qualified specialists in the disciplines pertaining to red tide to assemble here, it was the Director's idea to obtain frank counsel on our program. In making this appraisal we are asking for neither praise nor recrimination but for objective criticism and discussion. The members of our Galveston and Florida Laboratories who are engaged in various phases of red tide work under the guidance of Mr. Wilson, Mr. Marvin and Mr. Watson will present to you the results of their research with frequent pauses for discussion. Although the time is too short for lengthy digressions, we do hope that all points will be thoroughly covered and that any points we fail to cover will be brought up by our guests. At the conclusion of this seminar on Friday afternoon we hope that the invited guests, meeting as a committee, will write down for us their considered judgment on the various phases of our research.

We wish to know, for instance, whether the group feels that we are pursuing the most profitable lines of research, or whether our efforts might better be intensified in other directions. We wish to know whether the committee feels there is any reasonable hope of formulating control methods from information that may be developed from more basic features of this research.

The Director realizes that you are all very busy people and he wishes to thank all of you for taking the time and effort to attend this symposium and help us in our thinking.

Mr. Thompson then turned the meeting over to Dr. Albert Tester, Chief, Division of Biological Research, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Washington, D.C., who acted as Moderator throughout the Symposium.

SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM (abridged)

Wednesday morning, March 5, 1958

I. Historical review of red tides and red tide research (Wilson)

A. Occurrence of red tides caused by G. breve
B. Review of research work on red tides
C. Review of research approach on red tide problem

II. Distribution of Gymnodinium breve (Finucane)

A. Population estimation methods

1. Sampling (Dragovich)
2. Enumeration (Finucane)
3. Fixing (Aldrich)

B. Geographical distribution (Finucane)
C. Occurrence between Anclote Key and Marathon since 1953
D. Concentration of G. breve in given water mass

Wednesday afternoon, March 5

III. Oceanographic studies (Dragovich)

A. Chemistry
1. Chemical methods (Marvin)
2. Results of surveys (Dragovich)

B. Physical studies (Dragovich)
1. Drift studies
2. Sea water temperatures

IV. Notes on life forms of G. breve (Wilson)

V. Laboratory studies of growth requirements of G. breve (Wilson)

A. Cultural techniques (Ray)

Thursday morning, March 6, 1958

V. (Continued)

B. Nutritional studies (Wilson)
C. Physical requirements and physiology (Aldrich)
D. Related studies (Wilson)

Thursday afternoon, March 6, 1958

VI. Toxicity studies with dinoflagellates and bacteria (Ray)
A. Toxicity studies with dinoflagellates
B. Toxicity studies with bacteria
C. Nature of G. breve toxin (Starr)

VII. Control Methods

A. Tests of copper sulfate and other algaecides (Wilson)

1. Field tests of copper sulfate
a. Early tests (Wilson)
b. Recent tests (Rounsefell)

2. Laboratory tests of algaecides
3. Factors affecting copper toxicity

Friday morning, March 7, 1958

VII. Control methods (continued)
A. Tests of copper ore (Marvin)
1. Solubility of copper from sulfide ore in sea water
2. Ore dike project
3. Laboratory studies of copper toxicity to marine organisms (Aldrich)

VIII. Forecasting (Wilson)

Friday afternoon, March 7, 1958

IX. Meeting of Advisory Group

SYMPOSIUM MINUTES (abridged)

The following minutes of the Symposium include only the discussion following each topic presented, plus the statements made by the members of the Advisory Group.

Because of the large group assembled, it was impossible to obtain an exact transcript of the discussions. The material has required considerable editing and does not purport to be accurate. We therefore ask everyone's indulgence if they fail to recognize some of the statements attributed to them.

I. Historical review of red tides and red tide research (PDF 11 KB)

II. Distribution of G. breve (PDF 26 KB)

III. Oceanographic studies (PDF 23 KB)

IV. Notes on life forms of G. breve (PDF 15 KB)

V. Laboratory studies of growth requirements of G. breve (PDF 12 KB)

VI. Toxicity studies with dinoflagellates and bacteria (PDF 20 KB)

VII. Control Methods (PDF 37 KB)

VIII. Forecasting (PDF 17 KB)

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