"MITIGATION OF ACID RAIN AND OXIDANT IMPACTS ON CROPS AND FORESTS UTILIZING MARINE EXTRACTS"

RECENT ASSESSMENTS ESTIMATE U.S. CROP LOSSES FROM ELEVATED OZONE LEVEL AND OTHER OXIDANTS (SULFUR DIOXIDE, NITROGEN DIOXIDE) TO BE AS MUCH AS $5 BILLION ANNUALLY. ADDITIONALLY,SEVERE FOREST DAMAGE MAY RESULT FROMPOLLUTION-RELATED OXI- DANTS PARTICULARLY IN EUROPE WHERE THERE HAS BEEN A DRAMATICDECLINE IN FOREST ECOSYSTEMS OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS. THIS RESEARCH IS DIRECTED AT THE MITIGATION OF SUCH DAMAGE THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF EXTRACTS DERIVED FROM CULTIVATED MARINE ALGAE TO THE FOLIAGES OF CROPS AND TREES. MARICULTURAINC.'S EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT EXTRACTS DERIVED FROM ALGAE HAVE EFFECTS ON HIGHER-ORDER PLANTS THAT BOTH PROTECT THE CROP OR TREE FROM OXIDANT DAMAGE AND AID IN THE RECOVERY OF SPECIES ALREADY INJURED BY THE AIR POLLUTANTS. THESE DAMAGE MITIGATION EFFECTS ARE DISTINCT FROM THE WELL- KNOWN ACCELERATION AND MODIFICATION OF PLANT GROWTH FROM THEALGAL HORMONES (CYTOKININS, GIBBERELLINS, AND AUXINS). IN PHASE I THE EFFECTS OF ALGAL EXTRACTS ON NORMAL AND OZONE- DAMAGED SOYBEANS, GREENBEANS, AND TOBACCO WILL BE QUANTITA- TIVELY EVALUATED UNDER GREENHOUSE CONDITIONS AND UNDER FIELD-LIKE CONDITIONS UTILIZING EXTRACTS FROM THREE DIFFER- ENT ALGAE. CHEMICAL SEPARATION CHROMATOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES WILL BE EMPLOYED TO IDENTIFY THE ACTIVE PROTECTIVE AGENTS.