January 20, 2016 – Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative

Ocean Current in Gulf of Mexico Linked to Red Tide

January 20, 2016

Results can help provide warning of red tide conditions in Florida’s coastal regions. A new study found that a major ocean current in the Gulf of Mexico plays an important role in sustaining Florida red tide blooms.

Dr. Michael Parsons in his Florida Gulf Coast University laboratory where he conducted microscopy analyses of phytoplankton. (Photo provided by M. Parsons)

Study: Oil May Have Diminished and Altered Phytoplankton Communities

January 20, 2016

Scientists compared phytoplankton time-series data collected in Louisiana coastal waters after the Deepwater Horizon spill. They found that phytoplankton abundance was significantly lower in 2010 and that the community’s species composition significantly shifted immediately after the spill.