NC Coastal Algae, People, and Environment — tracking harmful algal toxins and health risks
Official title: North Carolina Center for Coastal Algae, People, and Environment (NC C-CAPE)
Funded at North Carolina State University Raleigh · NIH-11371083 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how harmful algal blooms and their toxins in North Carolina coastal waters might affect local people and the safety of seafood.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | North Carolina State University Raleigh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Raleigh, United States) |
| Project start | February 21, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $548,106 |
| NIH project number | 5P01ES035542-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11371083 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are coastal North Carolina residents, recreational water users, fishers, and people who eat locally harvested seafood or live in affected counties.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not live near or use coastal waters and who never consume local seafood are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you live, work, or fish along North Carolina's coast, this center will monitor coastal waters and seafood for cyanobacterial toxins like microcystins and map where and when risks appear. Scientists will combine ocean measurements, computer models, lab toxicology, and health data to link environmental exposures to possible liver harm. The team will also work with local communities to share results, improve testing, and develop warnings to reduce exposure. Animal and lab studies will help interpret how long-term, mixed-toxin exposure may affect human liver health so guidance can be safer and more protective.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reduce people's exposure to coastal cyanotoxins, make seafood safer, and lead to clearer local warnings and health guidance.
How similar studies have gone: Animal studies have linked microcystins to liver injury, but human evidence is limited and this integrated coastal approach to toxin mixtures is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
North Carolina State University Raleigh
Raleigh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schnetzer, Astrid — North Carolina State University Raleigh
- Study coordinator: Schnetzer, Astrid
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.