Research by the Bermuda Biological Station for Research indicating the toxicity of certain marine paints has made headlines with The Washington Post recently.

Last July, The Royal Gazette reported that BBSR studies showed that a herbicide commonly used in new boat anti-fouling paints is in fact highly toxic to the algae with gives corals their colour.

Previously a compound known as tributyly tin (TbT) was used as the anti-fouling agent in marine paints. However in 1989 that compound was widely banned on boats under 25 metres in length because of the danger it presents to marine life. Specifically, TbT threatens zooxanthellae, an algae which is essential to the health, growth and reproduction orf corals, as well as giving them their colour.

Because of that partial ban, the use of herbicides such as a compound called Irgarol 1051 in anti-fouling paints began to increase. And when paints containing TbT were banned altogether in January of this year, use of Irgarol 1051 and another compound called diuron was set to increase in compensation.

However, Dr. Richard Owen and the research team at BBSR discovered both Irgarol 1051 and diuron are moderately soluble and environmentally persistent, and have a similar effect on the photosynthesis of zooxanthellae as does TbT.

Intent on examining the tropical aspect of this, Dr. Owen and the team discovered that levels of Irgarol in and around the waters off Bermuda as well as the Florida Keys and St. Croix were alarmingly high.

When the concentrations of Irgarol 1051 in the Florida Keys were found to be so high, the alarm was raised in the American press, with The Washington Post contacting Dr. Owen for an interview which ran on March 31. "Its really starting to grow now," he told The Royal Gazette. "People are really starting to look at it.

"It's seasonal," he continued, explaining that concentrations increased around this time of year (when people put their boats in the water) and decreased with the approach of winter.

Damage to corals from such compounds may have slipped through a major loophole in Environmental Protection Agency regulations, he explained. "They don't have to test for damage to coral," he said, when describing the tests a bio-company must undergo before releasing a compound such as Irgarol 1051 on the market.

Fortunately, he added, none of the cruise ships which travel in and out of Bermuda's waters use the compounds in their anti-fouling paints.

Diuron is not on sale in Bermuda, but paints containing Irgarol 1051 are. "There are alternatives that do not contain this compound," said Dr. Owen.

Currently Dr. Owen and BBSR are testing to find out more about the overall health of corals in Bermuda.

They plan to develop a method of early diagnostic testing (which he compared to cholesterol testing in humans) to catch coral health problems in the early stages. The testing itself will be done during an international workshop held in Bermuda in September.