Talk:Karenia brevis

Taxonomy
The order for Karenia brevis is Gymnodiniales and the family is Gymnodiniaceae according to a page I found at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=17182073.

Effect of Karenia brevis on the Florida manatee
Karenia brevis has harmful effects on the Florida manatee, which is already an endangered species. Exposure can be lethal, or can lead to long-term impacts. Through times of more extreme red tide events, more than 10% of manatees don't survive. Back in 2013 during an intense bloom, 300 manatees were lost. Although many manage to survive, they are left with harmful effects, specifically targeting the immune system.

When Karenia brevis is found in high concentrations, it is more likely to be harmful because there is a higher concentration of brevotoxins. These sea cows become affected by these toxins through inhaling them or ingesting the algae. Manatees that have been exposed to the harmful algal bloom have experienced declined lymphocyte proliferation, which is related to adaptive immune function. They have also suffered oxidative stress, leading to tissue damage and inflammation. In addition to that, there is evidence of gastrointestinal and neurological issues.

This is a growing issue for many reasons, including the health of the Florida manatee. The year 2003 saw some intense blooms, contributing to 26% of manatee deaths. In 2018, that number shot up to 35%. The state of Florida has implemented some legislation to help manatees, including the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammals Protection Act. Manatees also benefit from the Clean Water Act and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Act, which deal with water quality. However, these protections do not help so much with HABs. Manatee mortality is continuing to increase due to these factors. TheReallyReal (talk) 20:14, 13 April 2023 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: ENGW3307 Adv Writing for the Sciences 11520
— Assignment last updated by Friedman.h (talk) 16:58, 27 October 2023 (UTC)

This author contributed to this article by removing the "Effects on Manatees" section and replacing it with a more general "Effects on Environment" section to make it more tailored to the broad nature of this article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Friedman.h (talk • contribs) 18:01, 29 November 2023 (UTC)