New red tide video to educate visitors and residents
As part of an ongoing education effort on red tide research, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) recently created an animated video on red tide in Florida’s marine and estuarine waters. This video is intended for residents and visitors and covers three main topics:
- What is red tide?
- Is red tide dangerous to humans?
- How do we track red tide?
Available as a single video or as three shorter stand-alone videos focused on each topic, these easy-to-access resources can be readily shared to help provide critical education leading up to and during red tide events.
The video is intended for a variety of audiences, from vacationers with little knowledge of red tide to long-time residents who wish to know more about the phenomenon and how it’s tracked.
“Historically, red tide shows up during summer or fall on the Gulf Coast of Florida, so it’s important for citizens to stay aware and educated.Dr. Katherine Hubbard, FWC Director, Center for Red Tide Research.
In 2020, the reactivated Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Task Force identified a need in their first consensus document for communication efforts to better educate the public about red tide and other HABs. In response, the FWC HAB Grants program funded the “Developing a Communications Strategy for Red Tide in Florida” study conducted by Florida Sea Grant and a HAB communication working group was formed. This video was created, in part, to address some of the group’s recommendations.
Links to videos are available below:
Is Red Tide Dangerous to Humans?
For more information on red tide in Florida: MyFWC.com/redtide. To see the current status of red tide in Florida, visit the link above and click on “Red Tide Current Status.”