RESEARCH
and Smithsonian Marine Station Director Valerie Paul among
>>
manned underwater vehicles,” the HBOI website explains.
Graduate students at Harbor Branch work in marine studies in
selected FAU biological and environmental sciences degree programs
while earning master’s and doctoral degrees, says Harbor
Branch spokeswoman Lynda Rysavy. They learn directly from
scientific experts and are immersed in the research environment
of the institute.
“We also have an ongoing joint study with Indian River State
College on the harmful algae bacterial effect on the economy and
tourism,” she says. In recent years brown, red and green algae have
been plaguing the Indian River Lagoon, the creatures and plants
living in the lagoon, and the humans who live around it and use it
for boating, swimming, fishing and other water activities.
Blue-green algae, actually a cyanobacteria that creates cyanotoxins,
robs the water of sunlight and oxygen, kills fish, is a health
hazard to animals and humans, and damages tourism industry,
recreation, fishing and real estate sales. It has killed birds, wild
animals and pets, and sent people to the hospital.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently created a blue-green algae
task force which counts Harbor Branch Executive Director Jim Sullivan
its five members. Their job is to identify sources of the nutrients
in Lake Okeechobee that feed the algae, figure out what to do
about it, prioritize their proposals and suggest state, federal and
local sources of funding. They will work with the state Department
TCBusiness.com 29
of Environmental Protection.
CLEAN WATERWAYS
Much research on the Treasure Coast has to do with cleaning
up the water of the Indian River Lagoon, an economic engine for
HARBOR BRANCH
A scuba diver descends in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
to conduct research on coral health and ecology in support of the
sanctuary’s management plans.
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