Anderson is working closely with Mote
researchers on the clay method that’s been
used to fi ght algae blooms in other parts of the
world for decades. As far as when this will be
applied to red tide in the Tampa Bay area, they
say more testing needs to be done and some
environmental regulations may need to be
changed, so it could be years away.
“I think, three or four years away, we could
be treating some large areas,” he said. “This
is just the fi rst of what we hope will be several
upcoming trials of clay fl occulation on active
blooms in the wild. What we learn here will help
us better understand how conditions in Florida
affect its success and how clay fl occulation
might be tailored to blooms of Karenia brevis,
as well as other species of algae, here and
elsewhere in the world.”
Dr. Vince Lovko, Co-Principal Investigator and
Senior Scientist at Mote, said that in addition
to cell abundance and toxin concentration,
their team is evaluating phytoplankton
community composition, multiple water quality
measurements before, during and after the clay
application to determine the success of cell and
toxins removal and the impact on other water
column parameters.
“We want to make sure the cure doesn’t
do more harm than the disease,” says UCF
Assistant Professor of Biology Kristy Lewis, who
is working with scientists from the Mote Marine
Laboratory and Aquarium and the Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution. Anderson and UCF
doctoral student Victoria Roberts, a member of
the Lewis Lab of Applied Coastal Ecology, also
played a key role in developing and designing
the experiment as part of her dissertation.
“It’s an exciting time, we’re going down
paths and research that we haven’t been down
before,” said Kevin Claridge, associate vice
president for Sponsored Research and Coastal
Policy Programs at Mote Marine Lab.
In October of 2018, when the Red Tide
Institute offi cially opened, Mote President and
CEO Dr. Michael P. Crosby said, “Today is an
exciting day as we offi cially open Florida’s Red
Tide Mitigation and Technology Development
Facility. An important part of the initiative was
the development of an incredible technology
development and testing facility with dedicated
laboratories that include massive Karenia brevis
production capabilities, chemical analytics
and seawater mesocosms that mimic coastal
ecosystems – all strategically designed to
safely test mitigation and control techniques,
compounds and technologies in a controlled
setting away from the coast.”
DeSantis, who was present at opening
day, said, “The new Red Tide Mitigation and
Technology Development Facility at Mote
Marine Lab will provide scientists the ability to
research red tide, and hopefully lead to new
technologies that prevent and mitigate harmful
blooms. I am proud that we were able to create
this facility through a state partnership between
the FWC, DEP and Mote Marine. I look forward
to putting it to work.”
56 GASPARILLA MAGAZINE • January/February • 2022