And the Waters Turned to Blood

An aquatic ecologist from North Carolina State University, JoAnn Burkholder almost serendipitously discovered a new species of dinoflagellate, a single-celled organism living in the coastal waters of North Carolina. Years of experiments led her to conclude that toxins produced by this organism were responsible for many of the massive fish kills periodically occurring throughout the state and for a host of maladies experienced by people working and playing in the state's rivers and estuaries. Here, Barker (Dancing With the Devil) tells the gripping story of Burkholder and of the dinoflagellate that might well become a public health menace of enormous magnitude. The facts, from the bizarre and deadly behavior of the dinoflagellate to the arrogance and ineptitude of those governmental bureaucrats charged with assessing the situation, are astounding. But Barker undermines his story by writing in hyperbolic prose, casting Burkholder as a modern-day David battling against all sorts of Goliaths, including fellow scientists jealous of her growing fame, politicians fearful of the truth and public health officials more interested in protecting their reputations than the health of citizens. An intriguing and chilling scientific detective story comes across as less believable owing to these excesses. (Apr.)