Tuesday, August 15, 2006

A new revolutionary device was tested in Venice that could potentially bring researches closer to figuring out the cause of red tide. The device is called an autonomous microbial genosensor uses genetic evidence to detect toxic bloom in the water prior to any other signs of red tide. Some of the warning signs of red tide are dead fish washed ashore and discoloration of waters to red or brown. The new device also tracks blooms throughout the growth process to provide scientist with some explanations of conditions which facilitate the outbreak. David Fries the leading researcher in the project is confident that the mechanism works and will be a great replacement for the old way of predicting red tides. The only approved way of detecting red tides by FDA is infection of shellfish, by counting cells under a microscope.