1. Pfiesteria Hysteria: The Towns Tale

2. Youre an aquatic ecologist with North Carolina State University, you have been assigned to be a field biologist at the Pamlico Sound Research Station. http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a000700/a000756/ To zoom in on your North Carolina location click the link below:

3. Pamlico is a small fishing town...

4. that loves and depends on their fish a lot.

5. Then one day, a local fisherman brings you a fish and says he thinks there is something in the water killing all the fish. He tells you there must be millions of dead fish in the Pungo River.

6. You and your team immediately go and investigate.

7. With your findings the Governor has set up a task force comprised of the following people: Commercial Users of the Bay: Watermen: Crabs, Oysters, etc, Commercial Fishermen Seafood Processor Boat & Dock Maintenance Associated Commercial Use Transportation: Trucker, Rail, etc Seafood Restaurant Grocery Motel Owner Boat & Recreation (ie Waterskiing, etc) Small Farming Industrial Chicken Farming (Purdue) Stockholders in Commercial Real Estate Health Insurance

8. Personal Applications Homeowner, Retiree Water & Sport User Scientific Molecular Biologists @ NIH, CARB, Marine Biotechnology (Columbus Center) Environmental, Natural Scientists @ EPA, CBF, FDA, DNR Water Company Filtration Plant Physicians @ Local, State Health Department Media & Publicity Local & National TV, Radio, Newspaper Public Relations for State & Region Education Students, Teachers, Public Public Policy Local, State & National Politicians

9. In order to prepare for our Governors Conference you will: 1. Complete the Pfiesteria Lit to gain background knowledge about the organisms biology; the effects on the ecosystem; the health, economic, and public policy issues involved. 2. Meet with your groups and consider which groups of people, or organizations might a. be impacted by a Pfiesteria outbreak b. have pertinent knowledge about the cause or solution to an outbeak c. might be able to implement policy to prevent further outbreaks

10. 3. Role play as a member of one of the constituencies identified in #2. As part of your assignment, you will identify risks (risks to the ecosystem, the health, the economy) and perform a risk / benefit analysis for your particular issue. This will also be prepared as a written document to appear in the permanent record. 4. Present your testimony to the Governor and his panel at the conference. The Governor will discuss an overall risk / benefit analysis and make a final decision for future action.

11. Good luck. The health of this ecosystem depends on you!