Volume CXXXIII, Number 6 October 19, 2001 f

Profile: Professor Gregory Teegarden
CONOR WILLIAMS
STAFF WRITER

By ranking Bowdoin 77th in faculty resources, the U.S. News & World Report college rankings overlook the prestigious achievements and academic quality of faculty members such as biology and environmental studies professor Gregory Teegarden, recently acknowledged with a grant for his work.

Professor Teegarden on the deck of the NOAA research vessel used in the mouth of the Bay of Fundy. (Courtesy of Gregory Teegarden)

Here at Bowdoin, we have a recognized expert on "red tide," a coastal phenomenon of significant importance here on the coast of Maine. Professor Teegarden is part of an American/Canadian team recently awarded a $522,000 NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) grant to study the interaction between the phytoplankton causing red tide and the zooplankton that feed on them. The grant covers three years of study and will involve several scientific cruises in and around the Bay of Fundy and other portions of the Gulf of Maine.

Red tide is a naturally occurring condition that was documented as early as 1783, by Captain George Vancouver. It consists of a seasonal burst in single-celled phytoplankton reproduction, a so-called algal bloom. While the responsible organism differs geographically, Alexandrium is the primary red tide phytoplankton off the Maine coast. The problem results from a neurotoxin contained in the cells. As the population proliferates, certain invertebrates such as blue mussels and clams feed on the plankton and accumulate the toxins.

Because these are significant elements in Maine's fishing industry, it is crucial that the neurotoxin levels be monitored. "There are deaths virtually every year somewhere in the world due to this organism," said Teegarden. "There have been times and places where clams are so 'hot' that two or three could kill someone." However, the close observation here has helped to prevent human casualties to a great extent.

The name "red tide," however, is a "misnomer," said Teegarden. "While there have been historically spectacular blooms of plankton which can discolor the water, red water is not common. The name has stuck for historical reasons."
Teegarden's work will focus upon the predator-prey relationship between the phytoplankton and zooplankton in the Gulf. Red tide can occur when the Alexandrium population "escapes grazer control," explained Teegarden. His research team will seek to study the feeding behaviors of the zooplankton in differing concentrations of the toxic phytoplankton. The team will also examine the subsequent fate of the toxin in food webs once the phytoplankton is ingested by the zooplankton. With this new information, there is hope that red tide will be someday predictable and explainable.