Wes Wolfe
How do you deal with an algae bloom without damaging other creatures and releasing its toxins?
That’s something the scientists at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium have been working on, Mote President and CEO Michael Crosby told the House Water Quality, Supply and Treatment Subcommittee.
“When they die, the toxin is released, which is not a good thing,” Crosby said. “The algae itself isn’t so much the problem, except as it dies and decomposes in a biomass, it sucks the oxygen out of the water, but that’s a passing thing.
“The toxin is really the insidious result of these red tides, that causes humans to have a hard time to breathe, if it’s really bad. Causes a lot of the death that you see to marine species. So, it’s important not just to kill the algae, because when you kill them, they … burst and release the toxin. You have to denature the toxin as well.”
In the process of figuring out how to properly treat the blooms, scientists in the laboratory test to see if their process kills the organism and then denatures the toxin. If the process passes that test, which Crosby said most don’t, then researchers see if they can put that compound in a large tank with the organism and other marine creatures.
“Because, it needs to kill the algae and denature the toxin, but do no greater harm to the other organisms,” Crosby said. “If it passes that test, then it’s ready for field testing and scalability.”
Bradenton Republican Rep. Will Robinson Jr. noted for the committee that he went out and took a look at testing Mote conducted last year.
“I’m curious from when I saw it last, to where you are right now — are you at all where it can be mass … produced and gone over a bigger area?” Robinson asked.
Mote is in the fourth year of the program, with around 18 products they’re working with, Crosby said.
“We’re at the stage now, for the next two years, we really do need to focus on the issue you just raised, which is scalability,” Crosby said. “We need to be able to (first), produce the compounds and the technology in a large-enough concentration that they are able to be effective if they are deployed. The second is we have to actually develop the deployment technologies.”
Some compounds can be sprayed, while others are dropped from the sky or deployed underwater, the last two of which can be done with autonomous flying or underwater craft.
It’s possible to use certain wavelengths of light to combat the algae, Crosby said, but the rub is figuring out how to deploy it.
6 comments
tom palmer
February 16, 2023 at 8:43 pm
Of course there is also a philosophy that has been discussed fir 75 years or so which involves reducing the pollution in the first place That appears to be at odds with the DeSantis voluntary BMPs approach..
Stu Allen
February 18, 2023 at 2:20 pm
This is, of course, the obvious solution. But as you note – clean air, water and land is “woke” and FL “Freedom” means freedom to pollute and kill every living thing. The answers:
1. Immediately require septic tanks and cesspool inspections.
2. Upgrade Sewage Plants – put moratoriums on building until capacity for the “chit” is there…would seem obvious.
3. Control “optional” fertilizer – the state actually forces cities and counties NOT to do this!
4. Rein in the Phosphate Mining Industry – force them to truly clean up those existing piles.
5. Deal with the whole Lake O situation – an action we already voted for (Billions of dollars) but which the State did away with when no one was looking.
This is a Tens of Billions problem. You have to laugh when they talk about 12 Million or Red Tide Ron putting 14 million into it.
But tens of billions over time – to clean up the Goose that laid the Golden Egg, is not excessive.
We cleaned up all of Boston Harbor – it’s almost pristine now, and it was a sewer. It can all be done….but, let’s be realistic, it will not be done in Florida. The solution to Red Tide, for now, is to move.
Randy Edwards, Ph.D.
February 16, 2023 at 10:33 pm
Mote has had 4 years and spent 12 million taxpayer dollars ….and all that they can say is that they are on some vague way to deal with red tide toxins. Rep. Robinson is at least on the right track for once….asking if Mote is anywhere near mass producing such a chemical to neutralize the toxin. Even more important, is how much of that chemical, would be required and at what cost to make even a dent in a red tide event.
Mote just keeps sucking taxpayer dollars with no results. Time is up for it to put up, or shut up and not keep sucking unproductive funding from Florida taxpayers.
Randy Edwards, Ph.D.
February 16, 2023 at 10:33 pm
Mote has had 4 years and spent 12 million taxpayer dollars ….and all that they can say is that they are on some vague way to deal with red tide toxins. Rep. Robinson is at least on the right track for once….asking if Mote is anywhere near mass producing such a chemical to neutralize the toxin. Even more important, is how much of that chemical, would be required and at what cost to make even a dent in a red tide event.
Mote just keeps sucking taxpayer dollars with no results. Time is up for it to put up, or shut up and not keep sucking unproductive funding from Florida taxpayers.
Stuart Allen
February 18, 2023 at 2:13 pm
You could almost write a script as to how Florida “news” and PR works with Red Tide. Look back 5 years – you will find the EXACT same articles on how they will mitigate Red Tide.
What you do not see is the real Science and the real solutions. Red Tide, as it is now, is a existential crises to living things. It is a neurotoxin that instantly crosses the blood brain barrier. It also instantly affects respiration – something which can be permanent.
If you were designing a chemical warfare agent, these toxins would be a good candidate – and, yet, FL plays it down and says you can go to the beach, etc.
Articles with some of the real story exist – but you won’t find them on any “news” site.
That the policy is to downplay it instead of fixing it (vastly cutting down on the various sources of pollution that feed it) is typical Florida. Our Gov. thinks environmentalism is “woke” and we know he’s against “woke”.
And what will people do? They will move further inland and not go to the Beach….
Florida takes zero pride in anything remotely sustainable.
DeSantis DeSucks
February 27, 2023 at 11:43 am
Wokeism is causing it. Causes COVID too just FYI.
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