1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff from how Stuff Works, Hey, brain Stuff, 2 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: Lauren vocal bomb here. The Sahara Desert is a long 3 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: way from the Caribbean, but that doesn't matter. What happens 4 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: in Africa doesn't necessarily stay in Africa. Take dust, for instance. 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: The dirt on the ground in North Africa is dry 6 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 1: and the desert is windy. Every summer, dust from the 7 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: dunes of the world's largest desert pours into the atmosphere 8 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: over the North Atlantic to see the world's oceans with 9 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,880 Speaker 1: nutrients that are sorely limited in many marine ecosystems, most 10 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: notably iron, which is essential to the growth of plants. 11 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 1: What happens to that dust after it leaves home can 12 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: be very good or very bad. It's sort of a 13 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,959 Speaker 1: crap shoot. Nothing is stationary or permanent or simple on 14 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,599 Speaker 1: this wild planet of oars. The major dust related pro 15 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: the iron that gives Saharan dust its rich red color, 16 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 1: feeds the phytoplankton in the Caribbean and along the coast 17 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: of the southeastern United States, which is important because you 18 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: want to know a big reason why you're breathing air 19 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: right now phytoplankton. We spoke with Jason west Rich, a 20 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: postdoctoral research scientist in the University of George's Department of Microbiology. 21 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: He said, for a long time it's been assumed the 22 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: tropical forests of the world or the primary source of 23 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: oxygen in the atmosphere, but now it's more appreciated that 24 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: the production in the ocean acts as a second lung 25 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: for the planet. Phytoplankton photosynthesis is responsible for half of 26 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:31,039 Speaker 1: the oxygen and also a substantial uptake of carbon dioxide 27 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 1: on this planet. Now for the dust related khan In 28 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: a ten study, a research team led by Westritch found 29 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: that phytoplankton isn't the only organism in the Caribbean using 30 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: the magic desert dust bacteria. Notably, twelve different species of 31 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: pathogenic bacteria from the genus Fibrio use these nutrient infusions 32 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: to create blooms of their own. Vibrio bacteria are pretty 33 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: ubiquitous in the world's oceans, but there are freshwater species too. 34 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: You've probably of cholera, the disease brought to you by 35 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: the freshwater Vibrio colare, which infects millions of people worldwide 36 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: each year, especially in developing countries. A color outbreak after 37 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 1: the earthquake in Haiti killed an estimated ten thousand people, 38 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: and in Yemen, an ongoing cholera epidemic has infected over 39 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: a million people and killed two thousand and counting. Another fibrio, 40 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: the flesh eating marine Vibrio vulnificus, is also deadly to humans. 41 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: It can gain entry through an abrasion or puncture wound, 42 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,239 Speaker 1: such as a fish hook, leading to severe infection, especially 43 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: for immunocompromised individuals. Marine Fibrio species also play a role 44 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: in many diseases of ocean organisms. You know how you're 45 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: not supposed to eat shellfish from some places during the summer. 46 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: That's because there are more Vibrio in the water when 47 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,920 Speaker 1: it's warmer, and filter feeding shellfish accumulate two species of 48 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: Vibrio in their meat, which caused the majority of seafood 49 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: related sickness and death in the United States. Other Vibrio 50 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: species are known to be associated with diseased coral that 51 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: are already facing so many environmental stressors. Vibrio disease and 52 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,360 Speaker 1: mortality has even placed economic strain on the fishing and 53 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: shrimp farming industries. West Ritch said, Understanding what drives fluctuation 54 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: of Vibrio in the environment can help to inform our 55 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: predictive potential of when to expect increased disease risk in 56 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 1: humans and other marine organisms. For example, we can track 57 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: sahir and dust by satellite over the typical five day 58 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 1: transit across the Atlantic before it arrives in US coastal waters, 59 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: allowing us to warn a swimmer, scuba diver, or fisherman 60 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: that there might be a peak and potentially harmful Vibrio 61 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: in surface water in the Keys. Because Vibrio are one 62 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: of the most researched marine bacterial genuses, researchers already know 63 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: a lot about their biology, ecology, physiology, and genetics. And 64 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: because they can reproduce so quickly under the right nutrient conditions, 65 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: one of its species has a population doubling time of 66 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: just ten minutes. Vibrio make a great adele to probe 67 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: the lifestyle strategy of an organism capable of quickly blooming 68 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: when the nutrient circumstances are right. Next Westritch and his 69 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 1: colleagues will be working to better understand the role of 70 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: Vibrio blooms on marine iron availability to see if they're 71 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: competing with phytoplankton for that sweet, sweet iron dust. Today's 72 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 1: episode was written by Jesselyn Shields and produced by Tyler Clang. 73 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: If you love our show and want to wear your 74 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,359 Speaker 1: heart on your sleeve, check out our new store te 75 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: public dot com slash brain Stuff for shirts and other merchandise, 76 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: and of course, for more on this and lots of 77 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 1: other bloom In topics, visit our home planet, how Stuff 78 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 1: Works dot com