Nature out of Balance - Documentary Video

News Release:

Why do harmful algal blooms suddenly turn toxic and pose a health threat to fish and humans?

Tune in to "Nature Out of Balance" as prominent scientists address the ecological and health concerns of Pfiesteria piscida and other harmful species.

"We wanted to make the complex subject of harmful algal blooms a little clearer," said North Carolina Sea Grant education specialist Lundie Spence, who co-produced the show with Jim Bramlett of UNC-TV. "We are trying to let scientists tell their stories. The series illustrates how water quality policy based on sound science can lead to better decisions."

The series of scientific detective stories follows researchers to North Carolina rivers and sounds to probe the secrets of mysterious microorganisms. The first part examines the scientific context of harmful algal blooms, which are spreading geographically and occurring more frequently. The second show deals with the human health effects, particularly those associated with Pfiesteria.

Pfiesteria was first identified by a team of researchers at NC State University in the late 1980s and investigated by JoAnn Burkholder, director of the NC State Aquatic Botany Laboratory and North Carolina Sea Grant researcher.

The series features Burkholder; Hans Paerl, Sea Grant researcher and Kenan professor of marine and environmental sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Sciences; and William Roper, dean of the UNC School of Public Health. Other experts include Rick Dove, Neuse Riverkeeper; Patricia Tester, a researcher at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/National Marine Fisheries Services in Beaufort; and Don Anderson, scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts.

The program is a co-production of UNC-TV, North Carolina Sea Grant and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Video copies of the series are available from Sea Grant at $10. Contact 919/515-2454.