A new research project from the University of Florida aims to determine which source of nutrient pollution has the biggest impact on harmful algae blooms in the Tampa Bay area.
Starting this summer, Amanda Muni-Morgan, an interdisciplinary ecology doctoral student in the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, will specifically study nitrogen from storm water runoff and rainfall. I m hoping that knowing which nitrogen compounds are used by Karenia brevis can allow us to focus on mitigating those specific sources within the watershed, which can lead to best management practices, but can also influence what we do in our own front yard, she said.
Not all algal blooms are harmful, but Amanda Muni-Morgan hopes to eventually mitigate the impacts of nutrients going into Tampa Bay. Those nutrients – often brought to the estuary by stormwater runoff — can fuel. Read More
New Study To Determine Which Source Of Nutrient Pollution Most Feeds Red Tide In Tampa Bay usf.edu - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from usf.edu Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Mote scientists hope red tide research leads to improved predictions
Kimberly Kuizon reports.
SARASOTA, Fla. - Dr. Cynthia Heil at Mote Marine Laboratory is working on predicting a red tide bloom from start to finish. We are very good at predicting the movement of blooms based on the physics of the system, she said.
How red tide ends, though, is a question that remains unanswered. The longer-term predictions, like when a bloom will end, we are not there yet, but this is the sort of knowledge that we need to get there, Heil continued.
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Dr. Heil is looking into the dynamics of red tide blooms, how they expand and how they end.