Evaluation of Harmful Algal Bloom Outreach Activities.docVIP

Mar. Drugs 2007, 5, 208-219 Marine Drugs ISSN 1660-3397 ? 2007 by MDPI /marinedrugs Full Original Paper Evaluation of Harmful Algal Bloom Outreach Activities Lora E. Fleming 1,*, Eva Jerez 2, Wendy Blair Stephan 2, Amy Cassedy 3, Judy A Bean 3, Andrew Reich 4, Barbara Kirkpatrick 5, Lorraine Backer 6, Kate Nierenberg 5, Sharon Watkins 4, Julie Hollenbeck 1 and Richard Weisman 2 1 NSF NIEHS Oceans and Human Health Center, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA 2 South Florida Poison Information Center, Department of Pediatrics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, and Jackson Health Systems, Miami, FL 33136 USA 3 Biostatistics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45244 USA 4 Aquatic Toxins Group, Environmental Epidemiology, Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1712 USA 5 Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL 34236 USA 6 National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA 30341 USA * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; e-mail: lfleming@; mailing address: Departments of Epidemiology Public Health and Marine Biology Fisheries (MBF) University of Miami School of Medicine and Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (RSMAS), Clinical Research Building (CRB), 10th Floor (R 669), 1120 NW 14th Street, Miami, FL 33136, USA; Tel: +1 305 243 5912 Fax: +1 305 243 3384 Received: 30 October 2007 / Accepted: 12 December 2007 / Published: 14 December 2007 Abstract: With an apparent increase of harmful algal blooms (HABs) worldwide, healthcare providers, public health personnel and coastal managers are struggling to provide scientifically-based appropriately-targeted HAB outreach and education. Since 1998, the Florida Poison Information Center-Miami, with its 24 hour/365 day/year free Aquatic Toxins Hotline (1-888-232-8635) available in