Blooms of toxic algae that stain huge swathes of the oceans red could one day be controlled with a compound more usually used to treat athlete’s foot, say Japanese researchers. The team has even designed a prototype ocean-going craft to dispense the antifungal where it might be needed. These algal blooms, nicknamed 'red tides', can cause havoc on the high seas. They cause mass deaths in economically important fisheries, harm other marine species and can even close beaches to tourists. (source: nature.com)
|