THE IMPACT OF SEVERE WEATHER PHENOMENA ON KARENIA BREVIS

Abstract

The impact of 1995 Hurricane Erin on Karenia brevis, a red tide dinoflagellate, was studied from seawater samples collected from nine stations in Sarasota Bay, Florida. Comparison was made between samples collected before and after the passing of the storm. Data suggests that the hurricane may have had a positive impact on K. brevis growth. Paired sample statistics confirmed a significant difference between the pre- and post-storm samples. Cell counts increased at all but one station and achieved toxic levels at six. Only one post-storm sample exceeded 1 million cells per liter, suggesting that physical features at the station's location may have contributed to the substantial increase in cell count.