To the UAE, ( a Persian Gulf country), red tide blooms are a new thing. However after just one year they already have the US and the State of Florida beat. That’s yet another country that is using various clay slurry treatments to mitigate red tide blooms.

Our only attempt in Florida (that we know of, if there are any others, please let us know), was sponsored by Mote Marine.  Sadly, they insisted that polluted clay from phosphorus mines be used (phosphorus is one of the main nutrients that red tide needs to sustain a bloom). The scientist refused to participate, were fired and the Mote Marine declared that clay slurry treatments were bad for the environment (only true if you use polluted clay).

Heck, even high school kids and local inventors are beating us with red tide mitigation methods.

It is definitely time to shake up Florida’s dysfunctional scientific community.  One has to wonder whats up with Mote Marine wanting to use polluted clay from Phosporus mines, does it have something to do with their funding, are they somehow connected?  We asked them, but they just won’t answer.

Sarasota FL – Mote Marine recently concluded a 4 year long study that shows:
Red tide harms birds and sea turtles.
Sea turtles take longer to be rehabilitated from red tide exposure than birds.
Yup, that’s it. That took them 4 years and God only knows how much of the money that was granted for the specific purpose of exploring the link between pollution and red tide blooms.

Still no good answer from them as to why they are refusing to study this issue in earnest.

There is a tiny little piece of good news about Mote Marine however. Disney and the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary are performing some research into a drug called Cholestyramine for the treatment of red tide in birds. Mote and FWRI and jumping n the bandwagon. Hopefully they aren’t there to maliciously influence test results and will actually be helpful.. One would guess from their previous actions that they would want this to work because this drug is made by an established company. Mote and FWRI have a history of appearing to serve these companies instead of the people and animals of Florida.