Tracking losses of brevetoxins on exposure to phytoplankton competitors: Ecological impacts

The frequent occurrence of devastating blooms of the harmful dinoflagellate Karenia brevis in the Gulf of Mexico has motivated research into bloom dynamics and potential mitigation strategies. The use of competing phytoplankton to lower waterborne concentrations of the most abundant and toxic brevetoxins produced during these blooms has been proposed. However the ecological impacts of using such biocontrol agents have not been addressed. This study investigated the impact on marine invertebrates of lowered brevetoxin concentrations due to the presence of competing phytoplankton. Even at low brevetoxin concentrations, the presence of the common diatom Skeletonema grethae ameliorated harmful toxic effects of brevetoxins upon the brine shrimp, Artemia salina, and reduced the incidence of negative physiological and morphological responses of the sea anemone Aiptasia pallida. In addition, brevetoxin biotransformation products formed by competing phytoplankton appear to be non-toxic or do not trigger the same physiological responses as brevetoxins in the model organisms used. These findings may impact the interpretation of ecotoxicological data gathered during bloom events, since the presence of phytoplankton competitors in Karenia blooms is likely to reduce the harmful effects seen on many marine invertebrates.     

Florida red tide and brevetoxins: Association and exposure in live resident bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the eastern Gulf of Mexico,U.S.A.

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) along the Gulf of Mexico are frequently exposed to blooms of the toxic alga, Karenia brevis, and brevetoxins associated with these blooms have been implicated in several dolphin mortality events. Studies on brevetoxin accumulation in dolphins have typically focused on analyses of carcasses from large‐scale die‐offs; however, data are scarce for brevetoxin loads in live individuals frequently exposed to K. brevis blooms. This study investigated in vivo brevetoxin exposure in free‐ranging bottlenose dolphins resident to Sarasota Bay, Florida, utilizing samples collected during health assessments performed during multiple K. brevis blooms occurring from 2003 to 2005. Brevetoxins were detected by ELISA and LC‐MS in 63% of bottlenose dolphins sampled (n= 30) concurrently with a K. brevis bloom. Brevetoxins were present in urine and gastric samples at concentrations ranging from 2 to 9 ng PbTx‐3 eq/g, and in feces at concentrations ranging from 45 to 231 ng PbTx‐3 eq/g. Samples from individuals (n= 12) sampled during nonbloom conditions (≤1,000 cells/L) were negative for brevetoxin activity. Brevetoxin accumulation data from this study complement dolphin carcass and prey fish data from the same study area, and aid in evaluating impacts of harmful algal blooms on sentinel marine animal species along the west Florida coast.     

Bacteriocidal effects of brevetoxin on natural microbial communities

The sensitivity of bacteria to the marine neurotoxins, brevetoxins, produced by the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis and raphidophytes Chattonella spp. remains an open question. We investigated the bacteriocidal effects of brevetoxin (PbTx-2) on the abundance and community composition of natural microbial communities by adding it to microbes from three coastal marine locations that have varying degrees of historical brevetoxin exposure: (1) Great Bay, New Jersey, (2) Rehoboth Bay, Delaware and (3) Sarasota Bay, Florida. The populations with limited or no documented exposure were more susceptible to the effects of PbTx-2 than the Gulf of Mexico populations which are frequently exposed to brevetoxins. The community with no prior documented exposure to brevetoxins showed significant (p = 0.03) changes in bacterial abundance occurring with additions greater than 2.5 μg PbTx-2 L⁻¹. Brevetoxin concentrations during K. brevis blooms range from ∼2.5 to nearly 100 μg L⁻¹ with typical concentrations of ∼10–30 μg L⁻¹. In contrast to the unexposed populations, there was no significant decrease in bacterial cell number for the microbial community that was frequently exposed to brevetoxins, which implies variable sensitivity in natural communities. The diversity in the bacterial communities that were sensitive to PbTx-2 declined upon exposure. This suggests that the PbTx-2 was selecting for or against specific species. Mortality was much higher in the 200 μg PbTx-2 L⁻¹ treatment after 48 h and >37% of the species disappeared in the bacterial communities with no documented exposure. These results suggest that toxic red tides may play a role in structuring bacterial communities.     

Brevetoxin exposure,superoxide dismutase activity and plasma protein electrophoretic profiles in wild-caught Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) in southwest Florida

Because of their vulnerable population status, assessing exposure levels and impacts of toxins on the health status of Gulf of Mexico marine turtle populations is critical. From 2011 to 2013, two large blooms of the red tide dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, occurred along the west coast of Florida USA (from October 2011 to January 2012 and October 2012 to April 2013). Other than recovery of stranded individuals, it is unknown how harmful algal blooms affected the Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) inhabiting the affected coastal waters. It is essential to gather information regarding brevetoxin exposure in these turtles to determine if it poses a threat to marine turtle health and survival. From April 2012 to May 2013, we collected blood from 13 immature Kemp's ridley turtles captured in the Pine Island Sound region of the Charlotte Harbor estuary. Nine turtles were sampled immediately after or during the red tide events (bloom group) while four turtles were sampled between the events (non-bloom group). Plasma was analyzed for total brevetoxins (reported as ng PbTx-3 eq/mL), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, total protein concentration and protein electrophoretic profiles (albumin, alpha-, beta- and gamma-globulins). Brevetoxin concentrations ranged from 7.0 to 33.8 ng PbTx-3 eq/mL. Plasma brevetoxin concentrations in the nine turtles sampled during or immediately after the red tide events were significantly higher (by 59%, P = 0.04) than turtles sampled between events. No significant correlations were observed between plasma brevetoxin concentrations and plasma proteins or SOD activity, most likely due to the small sample size; however alpha-globulins tended to increase with increasing brevetoxin concentrations in the bloom group. Smaller (carapace length and mass) bloom turtles had higher plasma brevetoxin concentrations than larger bloom turtles, possibly due to a growth dilution effect with increasing size. The research presented here improves the current understanding of potential impacts of environmental brevetoxin exposure on marine turtle health and survival.     

Development and application of LSU rRNA probes for Karenia brevis in the Gulf of Mexico, USA

The brevetoxin producing dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, is the target of several monitoring and research programs in the Gulf of Mexico, where it forms extensive and frequently long-lived annual blooms that can cause human intoxication and fish kills, as well as severe economic losses to coastal communities. Rapid, reliable methods for the detection and enumeration of K. brevis cells, as well as their discrimination from morphologically similar species, are valuable tools for managers and scientists alike. Our aim was to produce a species-specific molecular probe that would serve as a tool to facilitate the efficient and reliable detection of K. brevis in the Gulf of Mexico. We sequenced a fragment of the large-subunit ribosomal RNA gene (LSU rDNA) from five K. brevis cultures isolated from the Texas Gulf coast, the Florida Gulf coast, and the Atlantic coast of Florida, and detected no differences among these isolates. A consensus sequence was thus compiled and compared to a previously published sequence from Karenia mikimotoi, the closest known phylogenetic relative to K. brevis, for the purpose of identifying unique K. brevis signature sequences. Fluorescently-labeled (FITC) oligonucleotide probes targeting these regions of the K. brevis LSU rRNA were designed to include at least two base pair differences, as compared to K. mikimotoi. Among seven probes designed, one uniquely identified all K. brevis isolates to the exclusion of all other species tested (Kbprobe-7), including a Gulf of Mexico K. mikimotoi isolate (Sarasota, FL) and several additional Gymnodinium species, as well as other dinoflagellate, diatom, and raphidophyte taxa. Importantly, K. brevis cells in samples taken during a 2001 bloom, fixed with a mixture of modified saline ethanol and 10% formalin, and stored at 4 °C for 7 months were successfully labeled with Kbprobe-7. In addition, preliminary analysis of labeled cells by flow cytometry revealed that K. brevis could be distinguished from K. mikimotoi in solution, suggesting other potential applications of this probe.     

Extraction and analysis of lipophilic brevetoxins from the red tide dinoflagellate Karenia brevis

Efficient extraction and accurate analysis of lipophilic brevetoxins (PbTxs), produced by the harmful algal bloom (HAB) species Karenia brevis, are essential when assessing the toxicological potential of this dinoflagellate. One of the most commonly used brevetoxin extraction methodologies employs C18 solid-phase extraction (SPE). In this study, C18 SPEC discs were tested for extraction of spiked PbTx-3 in seawater and naturally produced brevetoxins from K. brevis. Quantification of brevetoxin in the extracts was determined using four independent methods: receptor binding assay (RBA), radioimmunoassay (RIA), neuroblastoma (N2A) cytotoxicity assay, and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). In addition to quantification of the brevetoxin concentration, LC/MS analysis provided identification of individual congeners and each of their hydrolyzed products. SPEC disc extractions prepared from sonicated cultures of non-brevetoxin-producing Karenia mikimotoi cultures spiked with PbTx-3 yielded extraction efficiencies of 108, 99, and 125% as determined by the RBA, RIA, and N2A cytotoxicity assay, respectively. In SPEC disc extracts of brevetoxin-producing K. brevis (isolate SP3) cultures, LC/MS analysis yielded the highest total concentrations, possibly due to the concurrent detection of hydrolytic brevetoxin congeners that accounted for up to 20% of the congener profile. Relative to the brevetoxin concentration as determined by LC/MS, the RBA, RIA, and N2A cytotoxicity assay detected 73, 83, and 51% of the total brevetoxin concentration. Stability experiments demonstrated that brevetoxins remain stable on the SPEC discs for at least 30 days, making this extraction method suitable for shipboard collections.     

Sublethal effects of the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia brevis on marine copepod behavior

Apart from grazing interactions, little is known regarding thesublethal effects of Karenia brevis cells on copepod behavior.We conducted grazing and mortality experiments with K. breviscells and brevetoxins (PbTx-2), establishing routes of toxicityfor the copepods Acartia tonsa, Temora turbinata and Centropagestypicus. Subsequent behavioral experiments determined whethercopepod swimming and photobehavior, both behaviors involvedin predator avoidance, were impaired at sublethal K. brevisand PbTx-2 levels. Copepods variably grazed toxic K. brevisand non-toxic Prorocentrum minimum at bloom concentrations.Although copepods accumulated brevetoxins, significant mortalitywas only observed in T. turbinata at the highest test concentration(1 x 10⁷ K. brevis cells L^–1). Acartia tonsa exhibitedminimal sublethal behavioral effects. However, there were significanteffects on the swimming and photobehavior of T. turbinata andC. typicus at the lowest sublethal concentrations tested (0.15µg PbTx-2 L^–1, 1 x 10⁵ K. brevis cells L^–1).Although physiological incapacitation may have altered copepodbehavior, starvation likely played a major role as well. Thesedata suggest that sublethal effects of K. brevis and brevetoxinon copepod behavior occur and predicting the role of zooplanktongrazers in trophic transfer of algal toxins requires knowledgeof species-specific sublethal effects.     

HIGH BREVETOXIN CONCENTRATIONS IN GYMNODINIUM BREVE BLOOMS ALONG THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA COAST DURING 1999

Blooms of the dinoflagellate Gymnodinium breve (i.e. red tides) produce brevetoxins (PbTx) that negatively impact the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem, human health, and local economies. Characterizing and predicting bloom events and their impacts requires knowledge of G. breve abundance and PbTx concentrations in the water column. We report results from a bloom that occurred during the fall and winter of 1999 in NW Florida coastal waters. Data were collected from 16 stations on 3 sampling dates (29 Sept., 9 Nov., 1 Dec.), including basic hydrography, nutrient concentrations, G. breve abundances, and brevetoxin concentrations. G. breve cells were enumerated using flow cytometry and PbTx's were isolated from seawater using dichloromethane (DCM) partitioning. Brevetoxins were quantified by HPLC-DAD using a C-18 column and an acetonitrile-water gradient elution. Literature estimates of total PbTx concentration (PbTx's 1, 2, 3) of cultured and field-collected G. breve suggest a range in concentration from 7 to 17 pg cell⁻¹. We measured total PbTx levels that greatly exceeded these values [Sept., 47–67 pg cell⁻¹ (n=5); Nov., 59–126 pg cell⁻¹ (n=3), Dec., 12–63 pg cell⁻¹ (n=8)]. PbTx-2 was the predominant (67–75%) PbTx isomer found in these blooms. PbTx-1 and PbTx-3 were found at 11–22% and ND–28% of total PbTx, respectively.     

Assessing the impact of shellfish harvesting area closures on neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) incidence during red tide (Karenia brevis) blooms

Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) is caused by the consumption of molluscan shellfish meat contaminated with brevetoxins produced by the dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis (K. brevis). During a prolonged and intermittent K. brevis bloom starting in 2005 lasting through early 2007 in the Gulf of Mexico off southwest Florida coast, there were 24 confirmed cases of NSP linked to the consumption of clams recreationally harvested in, or in close proximity to, regulated shellfish harvesting areas; these shellfish beds had already been officially closed to harvesting due to the presence of the K. brevis bloom. The majority of NSP cases (78%) were in “visitors,” either non-Florida residents or Florida residents living outside the county of harvest. The number of confirmed NSP cases was likely an underestimate of the actual number of cases.Current management strategy appears to be effective in limiting the number of NSP cases associated with shellfish harvested commercially during red tide events. In contrast, public notification that shellfish beds are closed to harvest, due to red tides or pathogens, is not reaching all recreational shellfish harvesters and consumers, particularly visitors from outside the county or state. The constantly changing closure status of shellfish harvesting areas in combination with overlooked notifications may lead to an apparent disregard of harvesting restrictions. It is important, therefore, to provide the general public, including visitors and those with language barriers, with improved access to up-to-date information concerning the daily openings and closings of shellfish harvesting areas. Furthermore, the risks of consuming potentially toxic shellfish should be disseminated more broadly.     

QUANTIFICATION OF THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF THE TOXIC DINOFLAGELLATE,KARENIA BREVIS (DINOPHYTA), USING UNIQUE PHOTOPIGMENTS1

Diagnostic photopigment analysis is a useful tool for determining the presence and relative abundance of algal groups in natural phytoplankton assemblages. This approach is especially useful when a genus has a unique photopigment composition. The toxic dinoflagellate Karenia brevis (Davis) G. Hansen & Moestrup comb. nov. shares the diagnostic pigment gyroxanthin‐diester with only a few other dinoflagellates and lacks peridinin, one of the major diagnostic pigments of most dinoflagellate species. In this study, measurements of gyroxanthin‐diester and other diagnostic pigments of K. brevis were incorporated into the initial pigment ratio matrix of the chemical taxonomy program (CHEMTAX) to resolve the relative contribution of K. brevis biomass in mixed estuarine phytoplankton assemblages from Florida and Galveston Bay, Texas. The phytoplankton community composition of the bloom in Galveston Bay was calculated based on cell enumerations and biovolumetric measurements in addition to chl a‐specific photopigment estimates of biomass (HPLC and CHEMTAX). The CHEMTAX and biovolume estimates of the phytoplankton community structure were not significantly different and suggest that the HPLC–CHEMTAX approach provides reasonable estimates of K. brevis biomass in natural assemblages. The gyroxanthin‐diester content per cell of K. brevis from Galveston Bay was significantly higher than in K. brevis collected from the west coast of Florida. This pigment‐based approach provides a useful tool for resolving spatiotemporal distributions of phytoplankton in the presence of K. brevis blooms, when an appropriate initial ratio matrix is applied.     

The potential threat of algal blooms to the abalone (Haliotis midae) mariculture industry situated around the South African coast

Toxic algal blooms are common world-wide and pose a serious problem to the aquaculture and fishing industries. Dinoflagellate species such as Karenia brevis, Karenia mikimotoi, Heterosigma akashiwo and Chatonella cf. antiqua are recognised toxic species implicated in various faunal mortalities. Toxic blooms of Karenia cristata were observed on the south coast of South Africa for the first time in 1988 and were responsible for mortalities of wild and farmed abalone. K. cristata and various other dinoflagellate species common along the South African coast, as well as K. mikimotoi (Isolation site: Norway, Univ. of Copenhagen) and K. brevis (Isolation site: Florida, BIGELOW), were tested for toxicity by means of a bioassay involving Artemia larvae as well as abalone larvae and spat. K. cristata, like K. brevis, contains an aerosol toxin; however, the toxin present in K. cristata has not yet been isolated and remains unknown. K. brevis was, therefore, used to determine which developmental phase of the bloom would affect abalone farms most, and whether ozone could be used as an effective mitigating agent. Of the 17 dinoflagellate species tested, K. cristata, Akashiwo sanguinea, K. mikimotoi and K. brevis pose the greatest threat to the abalone mariculture industry. K. brevis was most toxic during its exponential and stationary phases. Results suggest that ozone is an effective mitigation agent but its economic viability for use on abalone farms must still be investigated.     

Brevenal,a brevetoxin antagonist from Karenia brevis,binds to a previously unreported site on mammalian sodium channels

Brevetoxins are a family of ladder-frame polyether toxins produced by the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. During blooms of K. brevis, inhalation of brevetoxins aerosolized by wind and wave action can lead to asthma-like symptoms in persons at the beach. Consumption of either shellfish or finfish contaminated by K. brevis blooms can lead to the development of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning. The toxic effects of brevetoxins are due to binding at a defined site on, and subsequent activation of, voltage-sensitive sodium channels (VSSCs) in cell membranes (site 5). In addition to brevetoxins, K. brevis produces several other ladder-frame compounds. One of these compounds, brevenal, has been shown to antagonize the effects of brevetoxin. In an effort to further characterize the effects of brevenal, a radioactive analog ([³H]-brevenol) was produced by reducing the terminal aldehyde moiety of brevenal to an alcohol using tritiated sodium borohydride. A K_D of 67 nM and B_max of 7.1 pmol/mg protein were obtained for [³H]-brevenol in rat brain synaptosomes, suggesting a 1:1 matching with VSSCs. Brevenal and brevenol competed for [³H]-brevenol binding with K_i values of 75 nM and 56 nM, respectively. However, although both brevenal and brevenol inhibited brevetoxin binding, brevetoxin was completely ineffective at competition for [³H]-brevenol binding. After examining other site-specific compounds, it was determined that [³H]-brevenol binds to a site that is distinct from the other known sites on the sodium channel, including the brevetoxin site, (site 5) although some interaction with site 5 is apparent.     

Neurological illnesses associated with Florida red tide (Karenia brevis) blooms

Human respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses can result from exposures to brevetoxins originating from coastal Florida red tide blooms, comprising the marine alga Karenia brevis (K. brevis). Only limited research on the extent of human health risks and illness costs due to K. brevis blooms has been undertaken to date. Because brevetoxins are known neurotoxins that are able to cross the blood-brain barrier, it is possible that exposure to brevetoxins may be associated with neurological illnesses. This study explored whether K. brevis blooms may be associated with increases in the numbers of emergency department visits for neurological illness. An exposure-response framework was applied to test the effects of K. brevis blooms on human health, using secondary data from diverse sources. After controlling for resident population, seasonal and annual effects, significant increases in emergency department visits were found specifically for headache (ICD-9 784.0) as a primary diagnosis during proximate coastal K. brevis blooms. In particular, an increased risk for older residents (≥55 years) was identified in the coastal communities of six southwest Florida counties during K. brevis bloom events. The incidence of headache associated with K. brevis blooms showed a small but increasing association with K. brevis cell densities. Rough estimates of the costs of this illness were developed for hypothetical bloom occurrences.     

Florida Red Tide Toxins (Brevetoxins) and Longitudinal Respiratory Effects in Asthmatics

Having demonstrated significant and persistent adverse changes in pulmonary function for asthmatics after 1 h exposure to brevetoxins in Florida red tide (Karenia brevis bloom) aerosols, we assessed the possible longer term health effects in asthmatics from intermittent environmental exposure to brevetoxins over 7 years. 125 asthmatic subjects were assessed for their pulmonary function and reported symptoms before and after 1 h of environmental exposure to Florida red tide aerosols for up to 11 studies over seven years. As a group, the asthmatics came to the studies with normal standardized percent predicted pulmonary function values. The 38 asthmatics who participated in only one exposure study were more reactive compared to the 36 asthmatics who participated in ≥4 exposure studies. The 36 asthmatics participating in ≥4 exposure studies demonstrated no significant change in their standardized percent predicted pre-exposure pulmonary function over the 7 years of the study. These results indicate that stable asthmatics living in areas with intermittent Florida red tides do not exhibit chronic respiratory effects from intermittent environmental exposure to aerosolized brevetoxins over a 7 year period.     

NITROGEN LIMITATION INCREASES BREVETOXINS IN KARENIA BREVIS (DINOPHYCEAE): IMPLICATIONS FOR BLOOM TOXICITY1

Laboratory and field measurements of the toxin content in Karenia brevis cells vary by >4‐fold. These differences have been largely attributed to genotypic variations in toxin production among strains. We hypothesized that nutrient limitation of growth rate is equally or more important in controlling the toxicity of K. brevis, as has been documented for other toxic algae. To test this hypothesis, we measured cellular growth rate, chlorophyll a, cellular carbon and nitrogen, cell volume, and brevetoxins in four strains of K. brevis grown in nutrient‐replete and nitrogen (N)‐limited semi‐continuous cultures. N‐limitation resulted in reductions of chlorophyll a, growth rate, volume per cell and nirtogen:carbon (N:C) ratios as well as a two‐fold increase (1%–4% to 5%–9%) in the percentage of cellular carbon present as brevetoxins. The increase in cellular brevetoxin concentrations was consistent among genetically distinct strains. Normalizing brevetoxins to cellular volume instead of per cell eliminated much of the commonly reported toxin variability among strains. These results suggest that genetically linked differences in cellular volume may affect the toxin content of K. brevis cells as much or more than innate genotypic differences in cellular toxin content per unit of biomass. Our data suggest at least some of the >4‐fold difference in toxicity per cell reported from field studies can be explained by limitation by nitrogen or other nutrients and by differences in cell size. The observed increase in brevetoxins in nitrogen limited cells is consistent with the carbon:nutrient balance hypothesis for increases in toxins and other plant defenses under nutrient limitation.     

Karenia brevis causes high mortality and impaired swimming behavior of Florida stone crab larvae

The dinoflagellate Karenia brevis causes harmful algal blooms commonly referred to as red tides that are prevalent along Florida’s gulf coast. Severe blooms often cause fish kills, turbid water, and hypoxic events all of which can negatively impact local fisheries. The stone crab, Menippe mercenaria, is a ˜$25 million per year fishery that occurs primarily along Florida’s gulf coast. On the west Florida shelf, red tides occur from fall through spring, although severe blooms can occur during the summer. During the summer, stone crabs are reproductive and release larvae that are transported offshore where K. brevis blooms originate. This study determined the effects of K. brevis exposure on the survivorship, vertical swimming behavior, and oxygen consumption of stage-1 larval stone crabs. Survivorship was determined by exposing larvae to high (> 1 × 10⁶ cells L⁻¹) and medium (˜1 × 10⁵ cells L⁻¹) K. brevis concentrations for 96-hrs and were compared to controls that had no algae present. Larval swimming behavior (i.e., geotaxis) and oxygen consumption were monitored after 6-hr exposure to K. brevis. After 96-hrs of exposure, mortality was 100% and 30% for larvae in the high and medium concentrations of K. brevis, respectively, relative to the control. Larval swimming behavior was reversed in the K. brevis treatment; however oxygen consumption rates did not differ among treatments. These results suggest that severe blooms during the summer may reduce larval supply and serve as a potential bottleneck for new individuals recruiting into the fishery in years following a K. brevis bloom.     

Fitness consequences for copepods feeding on a red tide dinoflagellate: deciphering the effects of nutritional value, toxicity, and feeding behavior

Phytoplankton exhibit a diversity of morphologies, nutritional values, and potential chemical defenses that could affect the feeding and fitness of zooplankton consumers. However, how phytoplankton traits shape plant–herbivore interactions in the marine plankton is not as well understood as for terrestrial or marine macrophytes and their grazers. The occurrence of blooms of marine dinoflagellates such as Karenia brevis suggests that, for uncertain reasons, grazers are unable to capitalize on, or control, this phytoplankton growth—making these systems appealing for testing mechanisms of grazing deterrence. Using the sympatric copepod Acartia tonsa, we conducted a mixed diet feeding experiment to test whether K. brevis is beneficial, toxic, nutritionally inadequate, or behaviorally rejected as food relative to the palatable and nutritionally adequate phytoplankter Rhodomonas lens. On diets rich in K. brevis, copepods experienced decreased survivorship and decreased egg production per female, but the percentage of eggs that hatched was unaffected. Although copepods showed a 6–17% preference for R. lens over K. brevis on some mixed diets, overall high ingestion rates eliminated the possibility that reduced copepod fitness was caused by copepods avoiding K. brevis, leaving nutritional inadequacy and toxicity as remaining hypotheses. Because egg production was dependent on the amount of R. lens consumed regardless of the amount of K. brevis eaten, there was no evidence that fitness costs were caused by K. brevis toxicity. Copepods limited to K. brevis ate 480% as much as those fed only R. lens, suggesting that copepods attempted to compensate for low food quality with increased quantity ingested. Our results indicate that K. brevis is a poor food for A. tonsa, probably due to nutritional inadequacy rather than toxicity, which could affect bloom dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico where these species co-occur.