Mote and FGCU partner on red tide research
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and Florida Gulf Coast University signed an agreement Thursday to start a partnership that addresses impacts of harmful algal blooms to Florida’s environment, economy and quality of life.
The memorandum of understanding, signed by Mote President and CEO Michael P. Crosby and FGCU President Michael V. Martin, sets the framework for future collaboration on an issue that pummeled the region last year with a widespread red tide bloom that lasted 18 months.
Read more: Complete coverage of red tide in Southwest Florida
Karenia brevis is a single-celled plant-like organism that is carried to shore through environmental conditions such as wind and ocean currents. Scientists debate whether nutrient pollution, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, allows it to reproduce close to shore.
The toxic algae prefer warm and calm salt water. When the red tide cells die, they emit a brevetoxin that kills sea life, including 589 sea turtles during the last episode — the most in any single red tide event — along with 213 manatees and 153 bottlenose dolphins since July 2018.
“Working in partnership, Mote and FGCU will use science to develop innovative technologies to decrease the impacts of red tide and other harmful algal blooms,” Crosby said in a statement. “This MOU will facilitate collaboration through productive, basic and applied scientific research, innovative engineering and technology development, and education related to harmful algal blooms. Our joint goal is to not just gain a greater understanding about the ecological forcing functions of red tide and other harmful algal blooms, but to actually do something to decrease the devastating impact of HABs to our environment, our economy and our quality of life.”
Mote and FGCU will pursue productive scientific research, innovative technology development and undergraduate and graduate education with a focus on harmful algal blooms.
“FGCU is very pleased to formalize an ongoing partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory,” Martin said in a statement. “Most assuredly working together, and with other colleagues across the state and nation, we can bring science to bear on the challenges of maintaining Florida’s critical water resources. This is a great day for FGCU and the citizens we serve, current and future.”
Several opportunities for partnership between the two organizations are outlined in the agreement, with a term of five years and the option to renew.
Mote and FGCU will collaborate on: Improved understanding of dynamics and forecasting of harmful algal blooms; developing effective and ecologically-sound mitigation technologies to decrease the adverse effects of harmful algal blooms; and joint appointments of instructional and research faculty for undergraduate and graduate courses, procurement of funding for research and implementation of cooperative research projects.
“We’re very excited about this partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory,” said Greg Tolley, who leads The Water School at FGCU, in a statement. “We have been working with Mote scientists off and on since we opened, but this new collaboration will bring together the best talent in Southwest Florida to address one of our most pressing water issues — red tide.”
.