Mitigating Impacts of Natural Hazards on Fishery Ecosystems

Abstract

<em>Abstract</em>.—Red tides or blooms of the naturally occurring dinoflagellate <em>Karenia brevis </em>occur in the Gulf of Mexico from Texas to Florida and in the Atlantic from Florida to North Carolina. Blooms are particularly frequent and prolonged along Florida’s southwest coast. In recent years, red tide blooms have been persistent and devastating. These events have heightened the public perception that increased nutrient loads are exacerbating the frequency and severity of red tides in bays and nearshore coastal waters. In 2001, a telephone survey of 1,006 randomly selected households in southwest Florida was conducted to assess the public’s knowledge of red tide. Adult respondents were queried about their awareness of red tide and their knowledge of the biology, environmental effects, and human health effects of red tide. The most frequently cited sources of information were television and newspapers, followed by radio and word of mouth. Brochures, Internet Web sites, workshops, and meetings were less important sources of information. One of the most significant findings was that respondents were not aware that red tides originate in offshore waters. This finding is particularly important as citizen groups are seeking strategies to either minimize or control red tides in bays and nearshore coastal waters.