Mapping Red Tide Cysts in the Gulf of Maine

The cruise is basically a bottom coring expedition.
We will be returning with about 180 core samples from the ocean floor from Maine to the Bay of Fundy, in addition to water samples of those sites, and water samples from the near bottom and far bottom of 18 sites.
This is the 5th year for Cyst Cruises, and the data has been compiled to create computer models hopefully predicting the severity of red tide blooms for the following fishing season.

Last year, they correctly predicted the type of season, enabling the fishing industry to plan accordingly. The Woods Hole team is striving to increase accuracy of these predictions. There are still questions about the life cycle of the Alexandrium Fundyense, beyond the basics, making it difficult to account for the distribution of these dinoflagellates and to predict their toxicity. This area of the sea, both near shore and off shore, is complex with many variables making it challenging to develop a computer model of the bloom dynamics. If the researchers are successful in their predictions of the red tide blooms, the fishing industry would receive advance notice of a toxic bloom and be able to harvest their shellfish before the bloom, or to work in another region of the sea.