ABSTRACT
Brevetoxins are a suite of neurotoxic polyether compounds (Baden et al. 2005) that are produced by the marine dinofl agellate Karenia brevis. Blooms of K. brevis (red tide) occur regularly in the Gulf of Mexico, especially in the coastal regions of southwest Florida. K. brevis blooms have affected the entire Gulf Coast, and have impacted Atlantic regions of the US as far north as North Carolina. Brevetoxin-producing algal blooms have been reported in other parts of the world, but not as frequent and intense as in the Gulf of Mexico. A major recorded outbreak due to brevetoxin-producing algal blooms occurred in New Zealand in 1992/1993, causing illness in more than 180 people.
