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Tag: cyanobacteria

  • Stranded dolphins may have Alzheimer’s, say scientists

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    Some dolphins found stranded on beaches may have ended up their because they suffer from a form of Alzheimer’s disease linked to toxins in the water. 

    This is the conclusion of a study led by researchers from Florida’s Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, who suspect that—just like some adult humans with dementia are occasionally found wandering far from their homes—dolphins may become similarly disoriented when suffering from Alzheimer’s. 

    Their findings, published in the journal Communications Biology, point to chronic exposure to toxins produced by microorgansims known as cynobacteria—which are frequently found in freshwater, estuarine and marine waters—as a possible trigger. 

    The cyanobacterial toxin β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), as well as its isomers 2,4-diaminobutyric acid (2,4-DAB), and N-2-aminoethylglycine (AEG), have been found to be extremely toxic to neurons.

    BMAA triggers Alzheimer’s-like neuropathology and cognitive loss in experimental animals. These toxins can be biomagnified as they accumulate up the food chain in the marine ecosystem towards top predators like dolphins. 

    The resarcher’s study, which involved 20 common bottlenose dolphins stranded in the Indian River Lagoon in eastern Florida during the summer cyanobacterial bloom season, identfied markers of Alzheimer’s disease. 

    The duration of cyanobacterial blooms is increasing due to climate change and nutrient pollution from agricultural runoff and sewage discharges. Cyanobacterial-laden waters have often been released down the St. Lucie River from Lake Okeechobee into the Indian River Lagoon, intensifying exposure risks even in humans. 

    “Since dolphins are considered environmental sentinels for toxic exposures in marine environments, there are concerns about human health issues associated with cyanobacterial blooms,” said paper author and neuropathologist Dr. David Davis of the University of Miami said in a statement.

    Studies of villagers on the island of Guam show that chronic dietary exposure to cyanobacterial toxins are associated with misfolded tau proteins and amyloid plaques characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. 

    “Among Guam villagers, exposure to cyanobacterial toxins appeared to trigger neurological disease,” explained Dr. Paul Alan Cox, of the Brain Chemistry Labs in Jackson Hole, in a statement. 

    In 2024, Miami Dade County had the highest prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in the United States.

    “Although there are likely many paths to Alzheimer’s disease, cyanobacterial exposures increasingly appear to be a risk factor,” adds Dr. Davis. 

    Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about dolphins? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.

    Reference

    Noke Durden, W., Stolen, M. K., Garamszegi, S. P., Banack, S. A., Brzostowicki, D. J., Vontell, R. T., Brand, L. E., Cox, P. A., & Davis, D. A. (2025). Alzheimer’s disease signatures in the brain transcriptome of Estuarine Dolphins. Communications Biology, 8(1), 1400. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08796-0

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  • College students team up with NASA for innovative water quality research

    College students team up with NASA for innovative water quality research

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    NASA is working with students at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Meyers, Florida. They are using technology to work with future scientists to analyze water quality.”We are looking for people to make an impact on the whole ecosystem that uses NASA’s earth science information,” NASA DEVELOP program manager Kenton Ross said. Dr. Rachel Rotz, a professor in the FGCU Department of Marine and Earth Sciences, will have the water school host this research team. NASA DEVELOP selected five future scientists to participate. Nathan Hewitt is one of them. He is working on getting his master’s degree right now at FGCU. He heard about this research opportunity and wanted to apply.”My main goal for this was to learn more coding,” Ross said. “So the coding workshops have been fantastic. Even some of the stuff I didn’t really think about the project, but kind of working as a team, but utilizing our strengths and learning about the different kind of personality types and how they best built the team has been really interesting.”Over the next 10 weeks, Hewitt and the four other researchers will spend part of their day at the water school looking under a microscope.”They’re looking into cyanobacteria and understanding how organisms do their thing on a microscopic scale,” Ross said.They are analyzing water quality near Seminole tribes in Southwest Florida.”They’re really testing out if this information from NASA is relevant to the tribe,” Ross said. “So is the tribe is thinking about water quality in the area in their location, in and around them. They’re interested in how nutrients are flowing through those natural systems.”They are looking at different types of algae, seeing where it is located. Then they take a look from a wider scope, up in space!”Our purpose is to help them rise in their career, and that’s going to happen when they are energized about the knowledge they can gain and about the skills they can apply to problems like this,” Ross said.Hewitt said he will take what he has learned from this research program and apply it to his future, maybe even working for NASA one day.To learn more about NASA DEVELOP and how to apply for the next research study, visit this website.

    FORT MYERS, Fla. —

    NASA is working with students at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Meyers, Florida. They are using technology to work with future scientists to analyze water quality.

    “We are looking for people to make an impact on the whole ecosystem that uses NASA’s earth science information,” NASA DEVELOP program manager Kenton Ross said.

    Dr. Rachel Rotz, a professor in the FGCU Department of Marine and Earth Sciences, will
    have the water school host this research team. NASA DEVELOP selected five future scientists to participate. Nathan Hewitt is one of them. He is working on getting his master’s degree right now at FGCU. He heard about this research opportunity and wanted to apply.

    “My main goal for this was to learn more coding,” Ross said. “So the coding workshops have been fantastic. Even some of the stuff I didn’t really think about the project, but kind of working as a team, but utilizing our strengths and learning about the different kind of personality types and how they best built the team has been really interesting.”

    Over the next 10 weeks, Hewitt and the four other researchers will spend part of their day at the water school looking under a microscope.

    “They’re looking into cyanobacteria and understanding how organisms do their thing on a microscopic scale,” Ross said.

    They are analyzing water quality near Seminole tribes in Southwest Florida.

    “They’re really testing out if this information from NASA is relevant to the tribe,” Ross said. “So is the tribe is thinking about water quality in the area in their location, in and around them. They’re interested in how nutrients are flowing through those natural systems.”

    They are looking at different types of algae, seeing where it is located. Then they take a look from a wider scope, up in space!

    “Our purpose is to help them rise in their career, and that’s going to happen when they are energized about the knowledge they can gain and about the skills they can apply to problems like this,” Ross said.

    Hewitt said he will take what he has learned from this research program and apply it to his future, maybe even working for NASA one day.

    To learn more about NASA DEVELOP and how to apply for the next research study, visit this website.

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