How Red Tide Impacts Biodiversity

The word ‘biodiversity’ refers to the variety of life on Earth, in all its forms and the ways it all interacts. First coined in the mid 80s, biodiversity is a contraction of “biological diversity.” It’s basically all of the life, from genes all the way up to plants and animals and the ecosystems they’re a part of. Florida Gulf Coast University has what’s called a ‘Biodiversity Group’ that brings together experts from different disciplines to assess and address threats to biodiversity here in Florida -- often focusing on things like habitat fragmentation, invasive species, and climate change. During its next conference, this Thursday, March 14th, it will focus on the impacts Red Tide has had on southwest Florida’s species and ecosystems. We're getting a preview of the conference from three FGCU professors: Dr. Darren Rumbold is a Professor of Marine Science; Dr. Win Everham is a Professor of Environmental Studies; and Dr. Heather Skaza-Acosta is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Education here at FGCU, and Director of Environmental Education at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.