What is a Harmful Algal Bloom?

Algal blooms occur when natural algae in lakes, rivers, and coastal zones are stimulated to grow out of control by elevated levels of nutrients in the water and a combination of other factors. Algal blooms composed of organisms that can produce toxins with dangerous effects for plants, animals, people, or ecosystems in the affected areas are known as harmful algal blooms (HABs)

UF/IFAS EIAP Research on Harmful Algal Blooms

Quantifying the Socioeconomic Impacts of Harmful Algal Blooms in Southwest Florida in 2018

Project Sponsors: West Coast Inland Navigation District and the Marine Industries Association of Southwest Florida and Tampa Bay 

This project documents select impacts of the 2017-2019 red tide event to marine industries and tourism sectors in Southwestern Florida.  

Assessment of the Short- and Long-term Socioeconomic Impacts of Florida’s 2017 - 2019 Red Tide Event

Project Sponsor: Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System Regional Association (GCOOS-RA) at Texas A&M University (TAMU) 

Leveraging resources and information produced through complementary past or ongoing efforts underway at the University of Florida (UF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the project titled, “Assessment of the short- and long-term socioeconomic impacts of Florida’s 2017 - 2019 red tide event” aimed to quantify and qualify the socioeconomic impacts of the 2017 - 2019 red tide event in Florida.

Composite Red Tide Vulnerability Index (CRTVI): Assessing And Communicating Vulnerability Of Coastal Communities To Red Tide In Florida

Sponsor: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 

This project leveraged results from academic literature as well as resources and information from ongoing, complementary research efforts underway at the University of Florida (UF) and Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) funded by the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS), to create a Composite Red Tide Vulnerability Index (CRTVI) to quantify the vulnerability of coastal counties in Florida to the socioeconomic impacts of red tide events. 

Media Inquiries Can Be Directed To:

• Meredith Bauer, Public Relations Specialist, (352) 294-3313 / meredithbauer@ufl.edu

Suggested Webpage Citation:

Court, C.D. (2024, November). UF/IFAS EIAP Work on Harmful Algal Blooms. UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program, Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida. Retrieved [date] from https://fred.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/economic-impact-analysis-program/disaster-impact-analysis/harmfulalgalblooms/