Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Grant Program
FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute’s Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Grant Program supports projects that address priority recommendations of the HAB Task Force. Annual funding opportunities may be provided by either competitive or targeted solicitations.
2024-2026
Title: Nutrients and Red Tide in Florida State of the Science Symposium
Principal Investigator: Lisa Krimsky, University of Florida
Co-Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Staugler, Florida Sea Grant
Summary: The Florida Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Task Force was reinstated in 2019 to provide technical expertise and assistance for studying the causes and impacts of red tide in Florida. The task force has acknowledged information gaps pertaining to the influence of various coastal and offshore nutrient sources in supporting and exacerbating Karenia brevis red tide blooms. Following the successful models of previous algal bloom state of the science symposia in Florida, UF/IFAS and Florida Sea Grant will host a Nutrients and Red Tide State of the Science Symposium, bringing managers and academics at the forefront of red tide nutrient management and research together to assess the current state of knowledge and to share updates on new findings and ongoing effort, and to guide future management and research efforts.
Award: $123,785
2022-24 Call for Proposals
The 2022-24 Call for Proposals awarded three projects to address a subset of recommendations identified in the “HAB Task Force Consensus Document #2: Progress and Recommendations Regarding Red Tide (Karenia brevis) blooms.” Priority projects address improving the ability to evaluate and compare the broad socioeconomic impacts of blooms across years, improve bloom prediction models, and reduce economic impacts of blooms for shellfish leases.
Title: Composite Red Tide Vulnerability Index (CRTVI): Assessing and communicating vulnerability of coastal communities to Red Tide in Florida
Principal Investigator: Christa D. Court, University of Florida
Co-Principal Investigators: Lisa Krimsky, Angie Lindsey, Andrew Ropicki, and Ricky Telg, University of Florida; David Yoskowitz, Harte Research Institute
Summary: This project leverages recent research results quantifying the socioeconomic, health, and environmental impacts of Red Tide events to develop a Composite Red Tide Vulnerability Index (CRTVI) that can quantify the vulnerability of coastal communities in Florida to the impacts of Red Tide events. The CRTVI can increase general awareness and can be used as an objective criteria to help decision-makers both identify areas that are more vulnerable to impacts stemming from Red Tide events and design systems to better prepare for, respond to, and mitigate Red Tide event impacts.
Award: $295,304, January 2023-June 2024
Title: Developing a Physical-Biological Model of Karenia brevis Red Tide for the West Florida Shelf
Principal Investigator: Yonggang Liu, University of South Florida
Summary: This project partners the USF Ocean Circulation Lab with FWC-FWRI HAB Researchers to develop a physical-biological model of Karenia brevis red tide for the West Florida Shelf, with a long-term goal of being able to simulate and forecast red tide.
Award: $299,349, January 2023-June 2024
Title: A land-based shellfish depuration mitigation strategy to increase business opportunities and reduce economic losses associated with extended lease closures following red tide exposure
Principal Investigator: Dana Wetzel, Mote Marine Laboratory
Co-Principal Investigators: Tracy Sherwood, Mote Marine Laboratory
Summary: This project aims to develop feasible land-based depuration protocols that allow shellfish farmers in red tide-impacted regions to have the chance to regain their crops and thereby sustain shellfish production.
Award: $246,326, January 2023-December 2024
Previously Funded Projects
Development of a red tide communications plan for Florida
Principal Investigator: Lisa Krimsky, Florida Sea Grant, University of Florida
Co-Principal Investigators: Elizabeth Staugler, Dr. Nancy Montes, Florida Sea Grant, UF; Dr. Chris Simoniello, Texas A&M University
Summary: The goal of the proposed project is to advance red tide communications by aligning practitioner needs with end-user wants by developing a better social science understanding of preferred red tide information, formats and delivery modes.
Award: $92,471, 1 year
Final Reports: Project summary and outcomes reports are available on the UF Sea Grant project webpage
An in situ holographic imaging system for measuring distributions of Karenia brevis
Principal Investigator: Dr. Aditya Nayak, Florida Atlantic University
Co-Principal Investigators: Dr. Timothy Moore, Dr. Malcolm McFarland, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, FAU; Dr. Lisa Nyman, FAU; Chad Lembke, University of South Florida; Jason Law, USF
Summary: The proposed project will further develop a novel imaging technology system to improve real-time detection of Karenia brevis in water. The technology is expected to examine large bodies of water at faster rates and greater range of detection than current technologies, significantly enhancing current red tide monitoring efforts in western Florida.
Award: $234,433, 1 year
Final Reports: Outcomes and future directions
Field deployable measurement of aerosolized brevetoxins from Karenia brevis using colorimetric immunoassay
Principal Investigator: Dr. Myoseon Jang, University of Florida
Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Dail Laughinghouse, University of Florida
Contractor Lead: Dr. Jennifer R McAll, Seatox Research
Summary: In this project, a colorimetric immunoassay will be developed for measurement of brevetoxins in aerosolized Karenia brevis cultures. It will lay the foundation for future development of a field-deployable, competitive-type colorimetric enzyme immunoassay for monitoring of aerosolized brevetoxin B during K. brevis blooms.
Award: $200,000, 1 year