Ocean Champions

Help Stop Killer Algae!

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can kill fish, marine mammals, and birds. They can contaminate shellfish with toxins, and harm human health, sometimes resulting in fatalities. They are proven to have a negative impact on coastal lifestyles including tourism. In fact, it has been estimated that toxic algal blooms, like “red tide” cost coastal communities over $80 million every year. These problems are getting worse, as the incidence, duration, and severity of HAB events are on the rise.

Please contact your Representative today and ask them to support the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2009! (H.R. 3650) (Please take a moment to personalize the sample text below-- personalized emails can make a tremendous difference.)

May 21, 2013

Subject:

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can kill fish, marine mammals, and birds.  They can contaminate shellfish with toxins, and cause human illnesses that are sometimes fatal.  They are proven to decimate tourism and impair coastal lifestyles. NOAA conservatively estimates that toxic algal blooms like “red tide” cost coastal communities over $80 million every year.  These problems are getting worse as the incidence, duration, and severity of HAB events are on the rise.

I am writing to ask you to co-sponsor the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2009 (H.R. 3650), which will improve and modernize existing law regarding research and monitoring of HABs and hypoxic zones.  This legislation will enhance the Nation’s ability to predict, monitor, and ultimately control the dangerous toxins that threaten ocean wildlife and coastal lifestyles.

HABs have become a nationwide problem.  Toxic algae outbreaks have been reported in recent years along all U.S. coasts - the East and West, as well as along the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes.  The severity of the outbreaks has risen with dramatic impact – shutting down fisheries, forcing surfers out of the water in California, tourists off beaches in Florida, and in some cases sending wheezing people to emergency rooms for treatment.  America needs a national strategy to combat these outbreaks and this legislation will develop and implement an overall action strategy complemented by regional research and action plans to better understand and ultimately prevent these dangerous outbreaks.  This approach combines national strength and regional flexibility to understand, target, predict and control the toxic blooms that are unique to each locality.

Please support this legislation to help control and prevent toxic algal blooms.

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