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July 26, 2007

Research

Funding keeps algae research alive

The state looks to university research groups to solve a problem that is killing fish.

Story by: J. Blankenship

The Shorthorn staff

The Shorthorn: Mykah Wright

Biology professor Jim Grover is doing experiments to determine why fish are dying in Texas lakes. The state asked him to solve this problem, which is causing more than $1 million in damages to the Texas economy.

When millions of fish suddenly die, people notice. When this happens on a seasonal basis, it earns research funding and help from university scientists.

Inflicting harsh economic and environmental blows, these drastic events result from weather, biological conditions and human activity. The state of Texas calls the episodes “fish kills.” Scientists linked the problem to golden algae, which turns water a golden color and covers it with a foamy surface.

“When it first hit, fish hatcheries in West Texas were wiped out,” biology professor James Grover said. “The problem has been getting worse and will continue to be as bad as it is now.”

Texas Park and Wildlife officials said the golden algae problem is pretty bad. Fish kills disrupt the food chain by wiping out numerous species as well as hurting the fishing sport and vacation industries. The multi-billion dollar fishing sport industry encompasses licensing, equipment, hotels, campers and more.

Lost revenue from cancelled fishing trips and vacations, removing millions of dead fish, and losing stocked fish made officials act. The state addressed the concerns by issuing research grants. Grover and a team of more than 30 people have been busy seeking answers.

Grover said researchers are trying to learn about the conditions that trigger blooms and rapid growth of golden algae so they can at least warn people and ultimately control the problem. Despite intense research, the team doesn’t have a good understanding of why the algae kills fish.

“The growth of the algae that causes major problems in lakes is a lot like the growth of cancer in humans,” Grover said. “The research is complicated, and it hasn’t been easy to come up with answers.”

The Shorthorn: Mykah Wright

Biology graduate Jason Baker works with Dr. Grover to find out why so many fish are being killed in the lakes in Texas.

A combination of environmental conditions, predators and nutrition impact the algae in fickle ways. It grows well in campus laboratories that simulate summer environments where blooms and toxins are present, but most golden algae blooms in Texas occur from October to April, contrary to team lab results, Grover said. Winters bring unpredictable algae blooms in natural environments across the state that sporadically produce toxins and kill fish. The algae are an enigma impacted by multiple factors, but it’s easy to see when lakes are under siege.

“It became most abundant in waters west of I-35,” Grover said. “And it’s a worldwide problem.”

The troublesome algae were first recognized as a significant problem during the 1930s in Europe. The invasive species then spread to Asia and Australia. The genus was highly adaptable and discovered in both fresh and seawater, Grover said. It first appeared in Texas in the Pecos River in the 1980s and spread from there.

Jason Baker, an environmental and earth science graduate student, conducted much of the lab work. His dissertation focused on the golden algae problem that now sweeps the entire southwestern U.S., he said.

He graduates with his doctorate next month and said he leaves the university knowing he made a solid contribution to the project. He built his research models on data collected from researchers in the 1920s, ’70s, ’80s and the past 10 years. He added his work to Grover’s and the ongoing chain of scientists who want to make a difference.

Baker created golden algae population models from laboratory results that can be used as a basis for field research conducted by collaborators at Texas A&M University, Baylor University and the University of Minnesota. Funding from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the National Science Foundation will help researchers keep working, he said.

“Nitrogen and phosphorus will be studied more closely because they impact the algae’s growth,” he said. “I’m passing that baton to another student.”

Biology graduate student Ratheesh Nair transitions as a team member this month but wasn’t available for comment.

University students from the Honors College, McNair Scholars Program and Life Science Department continue building on the chain of research to solve puzzles about the algae’s toxic presence.

“Without more knowledge about the organism, there is very little that can be done about it,” Grover said.