Toxins & Tides

🎓 Audience

Education: Grade(s) 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Teacher(s)/Educator(s), Parent, Adult Learners, Homeschool/Family , Learning Pod; Public Library: Library Patrons, Library Staff

 🧬 Topics

Career & Technical Education (CTE), Economics/Business, Health & Physical Education, Industrial Technology, Professional Development, Science, STEM, Technology/Information Science

🗂️ Format

• Introduction and Overview: Introduction to harmful algal blooms (HABs), which are a global issue affecting both freshwater and saltwater ecosystems. Learners are invited to share what they know or have experienced, such as fish kills, beach warnings, or water discoloration.

• Segment 1 – What is Red Tide?: Learn what harmful algal blooms are, how they occur, and their impact on marine ecosystems and human health.

• Segment 2 – Technology and Monitoring: Explore how scientists monitor HABs using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), satellites, sensors, and real-time tools like the GCOOS Data Portal.

• Segment 3 – Solutions and Community Action: The program concludes with a discussion on the broader concept of environmental health, highlighting actions participants can take to protect water quality and marine life.

• Questions and Answers: Learners ask questions and connect the discussion to local, national, and global challenges involving water quality and ecosystem health.

🎯 Objectives

1. Identify the causes and impacts of harmful algal blooms on marine ecosystems and human communities.

2. Explore the research methods used by Mote Marine Laboratory to monitor and mitigate harmful algal blooms.

3. Evaluate the various techniques and technologies that Mote has pioneered for mitigating the effects of harmful algal blooms.

4. Reflect on their role in promoting environmental health and preventing pollution.

✏️ Standards this program supports

Next Generation Science Standards

• ESS3C 6–8 — Human impacts on Earth systems. Learners analyze how nutrient pollution, coastal development, and other human activities contribute to the frequency and severity of harmful algal blooms in marine and freshwater ecosystems.

• ESS3C 9–12 — Human impacts on Earth systems. Learners evaluate how large-scale environmental changes—such as agricultural runoff, climate shifts, and land use—affect water quality and ecosystem stability, with a focus on red tide formation and persistence.

• ESS3D 6–8 — Global climate change. Learners explore how rising ocean temperatures and changing precipitation patterns influence the distribution and intensity of harmful algal blooms around the world.

• LS2C 6–8 — Ecosystem dynamics, functioning, and resilience. Learners investigate how red tide disrupts food webs, alters species interactions, and reduces ecosystem resilience, using real-world data and case studies.

• LS2C 9–12 — Ecosystem dynamics, functioning, and resilience. Learners evaluate the cascading effects of harmful algal blooms on marine biodiversity, fisheries, and ecosystem services, and consider how long-term monitoring supports ecosystem management and recovery.

Ocean Literacy Principles

• • Ocean Literacy Principle #5 – The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems.

  • Ocean Literacy Principle #6 – The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected.

UN SDGs

• • 13 - Climate Action

  • 14 - Life Below Water

Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS)

• SC.7.E.6.6 – Identify the impact that humans have had on Earth, such as deforestation, urbanization, desertification, erosion, air and water quality, changing the flow of water. Application: Students analyze how human activities, like nutrient runoff and coastal development, may contribute to harmful algal blooms, affecting water quality and ecosystem balance in both freshwater and marine environments.

• SC.8.L.18.1 – Describe and investigate the process of photosynthesis, including the roles of light, carbon dioxide, water, and chlorophyll; production of food; and release of oxygen. Application: Students investigate how phytoplankton use photosynthesis and how excess nutrients can lead to algal overgrowth, monitored through tools like remote sensors and satellite data.

• SC.912.L.17.1 – Discuss the characteristics of populations, such as number of individuals, age structure, density, and pattern of distribution. Application: Students explore how harmful algal blooms alter population dynamics of marine species, including fish and invertebrates, by creating oxygen-depleted zones and releasing toxins.

• SC.912.L.17.17 – Assess the effectiveness of innovative methods of protecting the environment. Application: Students evaluate how engineering solutions, such as HAB sensors and community science tools, contribute to public safety and environmental resilience by supporting early detection and public communication.

• Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV): A robot used to collect data from underwater environments without human intervention.

• Aerosolization: The process of converting substances into fine particles or droplets that become suspended in the air, which can spread pollutants or toxins.

• Chromatography: A laboratory technique used to separate and analyze compounds in a mixture.

• Community Science: Public participation in scientific research to collect data and contribute to scientific knowledge.

• Dinoflagellate: A type of single-celled organism, often found in marine environments, some of which can cause harmful algal blooms.

• Ecology: The study of interactions between organisms and their environment.

• Ecotoxicology: The study of the effects of toxic chemicals on ecosystems and organisms.

• Environmental Health: The branch of public health focused on the interactions between people and their environment, aiming to promote healthy living conditions.

• Ecosystem: A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

• Harmful Algal Bloom: Rapid growth of algae that can produce toxins harmful to marine life and humans.

• Karenia brevis: A type of dinoflagellate responsible for producing toxins that cause red tide.

• Mitigation: Actions taken to reduce the severity or impact of harmful algal blooms and other environmental issues.

• Ocean Acidification (OA): The decrease in pH of ocean waters due to increased CO2 levels, affecting marine life and ecosystems.

• Phytoplankton: Microscopic plants in aquatic environments that are primary producers in the marine food web.

• Pollution: The introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment that can cause damage to ecosystems.

• Red Tide: A harmful algal bloom that causes water discoloration and can produce toxins affecting marine life and human health.

• Water Quality: The condition of water based on physical, chemical, and biological factors, affecting its suitability for use.

Play Environmental Health Bingo

Play virtual bingo using a computer, smartphone or tablet during your program to focus on key concepts and vocabulary.

• Online

• On paper/PDF

🌐 Websites

• Environmental Health

• Red Tide

• Red Tide Institute

• Beach Conditions Reporting System

• Over 100 years of Red Tides off Florida's West Coast

• GANDALF (Global AUV Network, Data Archive and Layer Fusing)

📰 Mote News

• Mote and Partners Conduct First-of-its-Kind Red Tide Mitigation Field Test During an Active Bloom, February 20, 2025

• More Mote News: Red Tide

🖥️ Videos

• Florida Red Tide

• Introduction to Water Quality

• What is Community Science?

• Red Tide Educational Video Series