Do you need a break? Are y'all up for a quick Pen & Ink Poison? This magnificent beast is Brevetoxin-1. I love all the polycyclic ethers and the fact that it has 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9-membered rings. But as lovely as she is, she's quite harmful, both physically and economically. 
There are about a dozen structurally similar brevetoxins that are produced by the dinoflagellate (a.k.a. algae) Karenia brevis. This algae is responsible for the "red tides" along the Gulf Coast in states like Florida.
"Red tides" are harmful algal blooms (HABs), and the name is a bit of a misnomer because not all infected water is "red" and not associated with tides. But I digress. HABs due to Karenia brevis will shut down beaches and cause people to flee.
Karenia brevis is fragile, and when crashing upon the shore, breaks apart and releases brevetoxin. Brevetoxin is now airborne, and readily inhaled or hits the eyes. This is bad because brevetoxin is neurotoxic, and in general, things described as neurotoxic are bad for you.
Brevetoxin is an activator of voltage-gated sodium channels in nerve cells and keeps them open. These channels are important for cell signaling and muscle contraction. It's like having stuck pistons in your car's engine, it's not moving so well.
Symptoms of brevetoxin poisoning are headaches, fatigue, burning eyes, respiratory distress, and paresthesia (pins and needle tingling) in the face. Severe cases include loss of coordination. And there is no "antidote," just removal from the situation and supportive care.
Brevetoxin is also responsible for Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning. Shellfish are filter-feeders, and take in algae, sequestering brevetoxin. When people eat the tainted shellfish, you'll have the symptoms above, along with the trifecta of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
So that's the physical toll of brevetoxin, but I also mentioned an economic toll. Brevetoxin coming from HABs leads to beach closures. In Florida, beaches can be closed for months or more. And really, people wouldn't want to be out there anyway due to watery eyes and itchy lungs.
The closure of beaches means fewer tourists - and coastal cities are heavily dependent upon tourist dollars. Revenue loss due to brevetoxin and HABs is in the hundreds of millions, perhaps a billion. A study funded by NOAA will conclude in Aug '22 to give a more accurate picture.
The bad part about the HABs is that they are here to stay and only getting worse. The blooms are denser and last longer. A good theory as to "why" is the warming of waters, increased atmospheric CO2, and N and P runoff from fertilizers fueling growth, thus increasing brevetoxin.
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. Take care, everyone. [And seriously, @twsbi, send me your new pens and I'll showcase them here!]
BONUS: The genus Karenia is named after Dr. Karen Steidinger, a long-time scientist with various Florida state wildlife agencies. She started as a lab tech, earned a BA, MA, and Ph.D. while working, and today she is one of the world's top experts on dinoflagellates and HABs ππ
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