Book Release on
March 21, 2008

Contact: Dr. H. Kenneth Hudnell, 919-932-7229,

(Dickinson, ND) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nine other government organizations, and experts from around the world participated in the development of a monograph entitled, Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms: State of the Science and Research Needs. The monograph is being released March 21 by Springer Press, Inc., in the series, Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, Vol. 619, Hudnell, H. Kenneth (Ed.) 2008, XXIV, 960 p. 80 illus., 17 in color. Hardcover, ISBN: 978-0-387-75864-0.

Evidence indicates that cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms are increasing in spatial and temporal extent. Blooms regularly occur in many drinking water and recreational water reservoirs. Cyanotoxins can pose a risk to human health and ecosystem sustainability. EPA’s Office of Water has included several does cyanotoxins on the Chemical Contaminant list to assess the risk of cyanotoxins or support the development of materials for management of bloom issues. The reauthorization and expansion of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act in December, 2004, mandated that a group of Federal agencies provide information on cyanobacteria to Congress. The monograph is to help inform those responding to the mandates of the Act and the general public concerning cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms.

The Monograph chapters are based on platform presentations, workgroup discussions, and poster presentations from the Interagency, International Symposium on Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (ISOC-HAB) that was held in Research Triangle Park, NC.

Co-sponsoring organizations were NOAA, ACE, USGS, FDA, NIH, CDC, NIEHS, and UNC-IMS. For more information about the monograph, ISOC-HAB, and free chapter downloads, visit the Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/cyano_habs_symposium/.

The International Symposium on Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (ISOC-HAB)

Dr. Ken Hudnell led the interagency effort to supply the scientific basis for producing the report, Scientific Assessment of Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms, that was mandated by the U.S. Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (reauthorized in December, 2004). That effort included hosting the Interagency, International Symposium on Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (ISOC-HAB) - http://www.epa.gov/cyano_habs_symposium/

The platform presentations and work group meetings at ISOC-HAB were synthesized into chapters for the book, Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms: State of the Science and Research Needs. The abstract from the 1st chapter of the book provides a description of ISOC-HAB and its products.

Chapter 1: An Overview of the Interagency, International Symposium on Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (ISOC-HAB): Advancing the Scientific Understanding of Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms
H Kenneth Hudnell, Quay Dortch, Harold Zenick

Abstract
There is growing evidence that the spatial and temporal incidence of harm-ful algal blooms is increasing, posing potential risks to human health and ecosystem sustainability. Currently there are no US Federal guidelines, Water Quality Criteria and Standards, or regulations concerning the man-agement of harmful algal blooms. Algal blooms in freshwater are pre-dominantly cyanobacteria, some of which produce highly potent cyanotox-ins. The US Congress mandated a Scientific Assessment of Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms in the 2004 reauthorization of the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act. To further the scientific understanding of freshwater harmful algal blooms, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established an interagency committee to orga-nize the Interagency, International Symposium on Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (ISOC-HAB). A theoretical framework to define scientific issues and a systems approach to implement the assessment and manage-ment of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms were developed as organizing themes for the symposium. Seven major topic areas and 23 subtopics were addressed in Workgroups and platform sessions during the symposium. The primary charge given to platform presenters was to describe the state of the science in the subtopic areas, whereas the Workgroups were charged with identifying research that could be accomplished in the short- and long-term to reduce scientific uncertainties. The proceedings of the sym-posium, published in this monograph, are intended to inform policy deter-minations and the mandated Scientific Assessment by describing the scien-tific knowledge and areas of uncertainty concerning freshwater harmful al-gal blooms.

To purchase the book from Springer Press, visit the Web site at: http://www.springer.com/biomed/neuroscience/book/978-0-387-75864-0