"It has killed millions of fish and hundreds of dolphins and manatees. It has ruined countless Florida beach vacations. And it has left people with respiratory problems gasping for air.

Yet until now, how Red Tide's poisons worked remained something of a mystery.

On Thursday, though, 22 investigators from eight agencies meeting at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota unveiled the results of the biggest study ever of Florida's notoriously toxic algae.

The $15-million, decade-long study looked primarily at the human health effects rather than what causes Red Tide blooms. It found that the algae, known as Karenia brevis, contains at least 12 different toxins that can be harmful to humans. "

Craig Pittman reports for the St. Petersburg Times March 25, 2011. [2]