Cells From Hell Hit Southern Waters

ABC Science

A deadly marine algae which has devastated waters off the US state of North Carolina has now been found in waters around New Zealand.

The findings were announced in December at a private seminar on toxic algae at the Woods Hole Institute but were only made public last night on Quantum.

The North Carolina State University Centre for Aquatic Ecology made the discovery after running tests on water samples sent in from around the world to detect for the presence of the microbe. Tests found the microbe to be present in Tasman Bay off New Zealand's South Island, and in waters off Scandinavia and Latvia.
Pfiesteria piscida - which literally means 'fish killer' - has been dubbed the "cells from hell" as they are normally a docile grazer, feeding on photosynthetic algae but metamorphose into flesh-eating toxin-secreting amoebas when waters become polluted and food becomes scarce.

It has been responsible for large fish kills in Northern Carolina, and can cause ulcerations and even death in people who are in prolonged contact with the water. One species of Pfiesteria became toxic when effluent from chicken and pig farms caused nitrogen levels in the water to rise.

So far there have been no fish kills associated with the New Zealand infestation of Pfiesteria.