Maryland's Coastal Bays Brown Tide Results

BROWN TIDES

Changes in analytical methods for detecting Aureococcus anophagefferens

In 2004 the State of Maryland decided to change the methods used for analyzing Brown Tide samples. They went from the polyclonal to the monoclonal technique. The reasons were twofold.

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2004
2005

First, the new technique was more accurate in detecting bloom concentrations of the Brown Tide organism (a standard curve is run for each set of samples and the process is automated thereby decreasing error among individual counts).

Second, the new automated technique allowed for a quicker turn around time for results (no more counting individual cells on slides). The new method was also cheaper on a per sample basis.

During 2003 split samples from Maryland were analyzed using both techniques. Data from the split samples were analyzed to determine a local adjustment factor between the two methods (monoclonal analyses are known to be higher than polyclonal counts).

Return to long term Brown Tide data set.

Return to long term Brown Tide data set.

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For more information contact Cathy Wazniak (410-260-8638)
or Dave Goshorn (410-260-8639) in DNR’s Tidewater Ecosystem Assessment Division.

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