Anyone who was in Southwest Florida during 2018 will remember the two massive, simultaneous harmful algal blooms that devastated marine animal populations, and hurt local economies. The blue-green algae — or cyanobacteria — bloom that originated in Lake Okeechobee, choking the Caloosahatchee River, the canals that line it, and its estuary met the offshore red tide bloom which was lining beaches with dead fish, dolphins, and other marine life. While the blooms fouled the waters, and kept tourists away, there is growing evidence the toxins they produced can be harmful to humans.
A new study titled “Toxin Analysis of Freshwater Cyanobacterial and Marine Harmful Algal Blooms on the West Coast of Florida and Implications for Estuarine Environments” that was recently published in the journal Neurotoxicity Research documents the toxins produced by the blooms, particularly where they met and co-mingled. We're joined by its lead author, Dr. James Metcalf, Senior Researcher at Brain Chemistry Labs in Jackson, Wyoming to learn how it was conducted and what it concludes.
We’re also joined by Eve Samples, Executive Director of Friends of the Everglades, for help understanding the big picture right now when it comes to water quality in southwest, and south Florida.
