Mote and Partners Field-Testing Promising Red Tide Initiative Technologies

Mote Marine Laboratory is excited to announce that three promising red tide mitigation technologies have completed rigorous laboratory testing and received regulatory approvals to begin the field deployment research stage. These advancements mark a significant milestone in the fight against Florida’s and harmful red tide, Karenia brevis blooms, and offer a science-based path toward reducing their detrimental effects on marine ecosystems, public health, and Florida’s economy.

Red tides, or red tide harmful algal blooms, are a higher-than-normal concentration of microscopic alga that occur in ocean and coastal waters. In Florida, the toxin producing Karenia brevis is the species causing most red tides. Red tides in Florida have been documented since the 1700’s and can harmfully affect sea life, lead to massive fish kills, cause human respiratory problems, close beaches, and determinately impact shellfish, fishing, hotel, restaurant, recreational, and tourism industries.

To address this challenge, Mote partnered with the State of Florida through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to establish the Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative. This Initiative, is an independent and coordinated effort among public and private research entities to develop prevention, control and mitigation technologies and approaches that will decrease the impacts of Florida red tide.