Environmental drivers of toxic algal blooms and shellfish toxin risk
Official title: Project 2: Environmental forcing of harmful algal blooms and toxicity exposure
Funded at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution · NIH-11360099 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are building models to predict when toxic algae will bloom and how people who eat shellfish or live near the coast might be exposed to toxins.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Woods Hole, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2018 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $136,377 |
| NIH project number | 5P01ES028938-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11360099 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include people who harvest or frequently eat shellfish, live in affected coastal regions, or participate in community shellfish monitoring programs.
✕Less likely to help
People with health concerns unrelated to seafood toxin exposure or those living far from coastal shellfish areas may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will combine ocean observations, lab studies of toxin-producing algae (Alexandrium catenella and Pseudo-nitzschia), and computer models to understand bloom timing and toxicity. They will update an Alexandrium model, develop a Pseudo-nitzschia model, and run hindcast simulations for the Gulf of Maine, comparing results to shellfish toxin measurements and other observations. A submodel will estimate human exposure to saxitoxin and domoic acid and models will be refined iteratively until they match real-world data before being used to forecast future events. The team will also apply and test their approach in Nauset Marsh and coastal Arctic settings to see how regional conditions change risks.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could give communities earlier warnings about toxic shellfish and help prevent poisonings.
How similar studies have gone: Prior monitoring and forecasting efforts have helped reduce some toxin exposures, and this project builds on that work with newer, region-specific models and expanded testing.
Where this research is happening
-
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ralston, David K — Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
- Study coordinator: Ralston, David K
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.