Episode 1102: Toxic Waters

Florida experiences many types of harmful algal blooms, some of them annually. Several species of algae, like sargassum, aren’t toxic, but can cause economic and environmental stress when they pile up on beaches and clog up coastlines. Others, like red tide and blue-green algae, release neurotoxins, causing massive wildlife kills and affecting beachgoers.

While residents demand answers from their local and state officials, scientists are studying what causes the blooms in the first place and what needs to be done to stop them. Experts are also uncovering alarming evidence that some of these harmful algal blooms have serious impacts on human health, making their research more critical than ever.

Experts

Meet the experts featured in this episode.

Episode Photos

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A dead fish on the beach during a red tide bloom in Sarasota, Florida.

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Director of Photography Sean Hickey films a dolphin alongside the boat while out filming sargassum.

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Brian Lapointe, Ph.D. nets sargassum out in the Atlantic to bring back to his lab in the Florida Keys.

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A dead fish lies on the beach in Sarasota, Florida, during a red tide, while beachgoers still enjoy their time in the sun.

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Cameraman Mike Malanga films Kim Popendorf, Ph.D. processing blue-green algae samples in the lab.

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The Changing Seas crew packed respirator masks in order to film comfortably on the beaches of Sarasota during a red tide bloom.

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Director of Photography Sean Hickey films beachgoers in Sarasota, Florida, during a red tide bloom.

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Director of Photography Sean Hickey gets a close up shot of one of the many dead fish found on the beach during a red tide bloom in Sarasota.

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A dead fish on the beach of Sarasota during a red tide.

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Director of Photography Sean Hickey films beachgoers as the sun sets in Sarasota during a red tide.

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Many of the dead fish found during a red tide had been on the beach for some time.

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Director of Photography Sean Hickey films small birds pecking at the dead fish on the beach during a red tide in Sarasota. Many of these birds fall ill during the red tide also.

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Monica Lara, Ph.D. is interviewed on the beach near Clearwater, Florida, during a red tide.

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Director of Photography Sean Hickey and cameraman Mike Malanga get the shot at the Save Our Seabirds facility in Sarasota.

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Cameraman David Diez gets a close-up shot of blue-green algae in Lake Okeechobee, Florida.

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Director of Photography Sean Hickey and cameraman David Diez film Larry Brand, Ph.D. taking a sample of the blue-green algae growing in Lake Okeechobee.

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Barbara Kirkpatrick, Ph.D. says hello to one of the resident manatees at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in Bradenton, Florida, before her interview.

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Malcolm McFarland, Ph.D. takes a boat from Harbor Branch to go to his regular sampling spot in the Indian River Lagoon to monitor for new algal blooms.

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Director of Photography Sean Hickey films an interview with Malcolm McFarland, Ph.D. about algal blooms in the Indian River Lagoon.

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Director of Photography Sean Hickey uses his creativity to get a dolly shot of the Save Our Seabirds facility during a downpour - using the van with the side door open!

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Director of Photography Sean Hickey and cameraman Mike Malanga film exterior shots in the rain.

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Two species of pelagic sargassum in Brian Lapointe’s lab: Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitans.

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Director of Photography Sean Hickey films sargassum floating at the ocean surface in the Florida Keys.

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Brian Lapointe, Ph.D. nets sargassum for analysis as Director of Photography Sean Hickey gets the shot.

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Director of Photography Sean Hickey snorkeling as he films sargassum floating in the water near the Florida Keys.

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Cameraman David Diez films a dead horseshoe crab, likely a victim of a recent brown tide in the Indian River Lagoon.

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Brown tide in the Mosquito River near the Indian River Lagoon.

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Cameraman David Diez films a brown tide near Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Special Thanks:

Homewood Suites by Hilton Sarasota

3470 Fruitville Road
Sarasota, FL
(941) 365-7300

Hutchinson Island Plaza Hotel & Suites
1230 Seaway Drive
Hutchinson Island
Fort Pierce, FL 34949
(772) 595-0711

Looe Key Reef Resort & Dive Center
27340 Overseas Hwy
Ramrod Key, FL 33042
(305) 872-2215

Image Credits

Changing Seas would like to thank the following individuals and institutions who kindly allowed their footage, images and other media to be used in this production:

Jeff Gammons

Dana Leworthy
Save Our Seabirds, Inc.

Carlos Monzon-Aguirre

Mote Marine Laboratory

Joe Nickelson
Mote Marine Laboratory

David Pilston
Save Our Seabirds, Inc.

Dick Powell

Helena Svedin

Vanessa and Johnny: Photography and Video

WPTV

Allison Baird
Mote Marine Laboratory

Kate Boicourt

Jose Castro, Ph.D.
NOAA Fisheries

Bianca Cruz

Meaghan Faletti

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Conor Goulding
Mote Marine Laboratory

Rachel Ionata

Brian Lapointe, Ph.D.

Vince Lovko
Mote Marine Laboratory

Malcolm McFarland, Ph.D.

Terry Ross

James Sullivan, Ph.D.

Benjamin Szentpaly

Martha Watkins Gilkes

Special Thanks:

Diana Rose Udel

South Florida Museum

Episode 1102: Toxic Waters

Experts

Barbara Kirkpatrick, Ph.D.

Gretchen Lovewell, Ph.D.

James Sullivan, Ph.D.

Malcolm McFarland, Ph.D.

Brian Lapointe, Ph.D.

Larry Brand, Ph.D.

Brian K. Haus, Ph.D.

Monica Lara, Ph.D.

Cassandra Gaston, Ph.D.

Dana Leworthy

Grace Zhai, Ph.D.

John Berry, Ph.D.

Special Thanks:

Homewood Suites by Hilton Sarasota

Image Credits

Funding for this episode of Changing Seas was provided by: