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Justin Brower

@naturespoisons.bsky.social

5.8K followers 460 following 850 posts

Forensic Toxicologist, PhD Organic Chemist & Prince of Poisons. Writing NATURE'S POISONS, the science & history of nature's most vicious creations (WW Norton, 2025). Also into gardening, fountain pens, photography, and 3D printing. NaturesPoisons.com

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Nov 15

Count me as one more leaving toxic Twitter! I pretty much disappeared 2 years ago, but I miss the good people, telling tales of poisons, and science communication, as well as my other dorky interests. So follow along if you like!

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 14

Yeah, I'm not feeling too good either *cough cough*

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 14

Didn't know that. Thanks!

Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 12

Best band ever! And the only one I've seen in concert.

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Reposted by Justin Brower

Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

It's time for Tox Tuesday and some fountain pen structures! This beast is BREVETOXIN-1, produced by the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. It is also the cause of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP). But aside from harming humans, it also harms our economy, so buckle up!

The chemical structure of brevetoxin-1, drawn with a TWSBI ECO fountain pen and Iroshizuko Kon-peki ink (a vibrant blue).

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

I think you could pull off 3

Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

You better be wearing some short shorts at SOFT to show off those thighs

Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

Thank you for reading!

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

Damn. And I recently gave up my 2 pot a day habit. Cold turkey.

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

Thanks!

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

So that's the story of beautiful brevetoxin, full of polycyclic ethers of various sizes, and the dangers it poses to individuals and communities, either airborne or in shellfish. Am I upset? Yes, but I think you figured that one out already. Should you be? Also yes. Anyway, take care, everyone.

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

BONUS: The genus Karenia is named after Dr. Karen Steidinger, a long-time scientist with Florida state wildlife agencies. She started as a lab tech, earned a Ph.D. while working, and today is one of the world's top experts on dinoflagellates and HABs. I wonder how pissed off she is right now.

A photo of Dr. Karen Steidinger at a microscope.

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

Can we monitor warming waters, reduce CO2 emissions, and help curb fertilizer runoff? Of course we can! Will we? No, not in Florida where science is a dirty word. And right now, the US is shutting down research into this very thing - they think they can "save" millions while costing us billions.

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

Fertilizer runoff from farms and household lawns into the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean is also a huge factor. Fertilizer with nitrogen and phosporus spurs algae growth. Karenia brevis and dinoflagellates aren't plants, but they are very "plant-like," so of course fertilizer will help them grow.

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

One is the warming of waters. The Gulf of Mexico is warming, about 2 degrees F (1 celsius) over the last 50 years. Algae likes to grow in warm water, so this is obvious. But it also means HABs are traveling north, along with the warmer waters, so it's no longer restricted to the Gulf of Mexico.

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

The bad part about the HABs is that they are here to stay and are only getting worse. The blooms are denser and last longer, which only create more dire economic situations for coastal cities. There are solid, science-backed reasons why, but we also have science deniers that make things worse.

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

And this is happening RIGHT NOW in Florida and the states along the Gulf of Mexico. If you own a hotel, a restaurant, rent boats, or are a fisherman, you're pretty much F'd because tourists won't visit, or if they do, they never will again. So it's not a temporary setback; it's long-lasting.

Impacts from red tide off Florida's Gulf Coast extend to Gainesville and beyond

UF scientist Mike Allen said that while red tide is a natural phenomenon, human factors are exacerbating the problem.

www.gainesville.com

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

The closure of beaches also means fewer tourists - and coastal cities are heavily dependent upon tourist dollars for survival. Revenue loss due to brevetoxin and HABs is estimated to be hundreds of millions to billions of dollars. No vacations, no hotel stays, no fisheries. It is devastating.

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

So that's the physical toll of brevetoxin, but I also mentioned an economic toll. Brevetoxin coming from HABs leads to beach closures. And in Florida, beaches can be closed for months. And really, people wouldn't want to be out there anyway due to watery eyes and itchy lungs.

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

Brevetoxin is also responsible for Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP). Shellfish are filter-feeders. They take in algae and sequester brevetoxin in their tissues. When people eat tainted shellfish, they can have headaches and numbness, along with the trifecta of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

Symptoms of brevetoxin poisoning are headaches, fatigue, burning eyes and throat, coughing, respiratory distress, paresthesia (pins and needle tingling) in the face, and loss of coordination. And there is no "antidote," just removal from the situation - the beach - and supportive care.

Another sign onthe beach saying "Take caution where red tide is present" and lists the symptoms of poisoning, like irritation of the eyes and throat, coughing and sneezing, and respiratory distress.

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

Brevetoxin activates voltage-gated sodium channels in nerve cells and keeps them open - like a constant firing of nerves. These channels are important for cell signaling and muscle contraction. It's like pistons misfiring in your car's engine - lot's of RPMs, but it's not moving so well.

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

Karenia brevis is fragile, and when crashing upon the shore, it physically breaks apart and releases brevetoxin. Brevetoxin is now airborne and can be inhaled and hit your eyes. This is bad because brevetoxin is neurotoxic. And in general, things described as neurotoxic are bad for you.

A warning sign on a beach saying "CAUTION: Red tide present."

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

This algae is responsible for the area's "red tide," which is a harmful algal bloom (HAB) that can color the waters a rusty red, hence the name red tide. Aside from the murky, reddish waters, these HABs can be physically dangerous and cause beaches to close. So, how can a simple algae cause this?

An aerial view of a red tide, showing miles-long patches of rust-colored waters along the coastline.

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

The dinoflagellate Karenia brevis is a microscopic marine algae that is found primarily along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, but is also detected as far north as North Carolina on the Atlantic Ocean side.

Photo of the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, probably from a scanning electron microscope or something like that.

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Justin Brower @naturespoisons.bsky.social · Mar 11

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