Red tide naturally occurs in the Gulf of Mexico, but scientists say the blooms are fueled by human waste when it gets close to the coast. A first-of-its-kind program to track its origin is now underway in Tampa Bay.
ABC Action News reporter Michael Paluska and photojournalist Reed Moeller went out with scientists to collect water samples from the Hillsborough River.
"One of the things we're looking at are the chemical tracers. These are chemicals found in everyday products, whether it's caffeine, coffee, pharmaceuticals, or pesticides used on their lawns. And we're identifying these in water samples and nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia," said Associate Director of Science for Ocean Conservancy Chris Robbins.
He continued, "Depending on the type of chemicals we find, we can then say with greater confidence it's coming from human waste sources. The idea is to be able to identify these nitrogen hotspots. And in so doing, we will give, you know, decision-makers and resource managers the information they need to prioritize actions and interventions."
The Nutrient Fingerprint Project uses cutting-edge science to analyze the chemicals.
Collaboration is the key to success. Ocean Conservancy is working with Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, and researchers from the top universities across the state.
"We are partnering with Florida International University, which is leading the work on the chemical tracers, and we're partnering with Florida State University on the isotopic workups for nitrogen," Robbins said. "We're also working with the University of Florida on the actual sampling. And so this is a real collaborative opportunity for Ocean Conservancy to bring the best minds and science to understand nitrogen pollution better."
The science is complicated, but what they're searching for is simple: things we consume they can then track.
"I think it's interesting that someone drinking coffee could help solve this problem," Paluska said to Dr. Kassidy Troxell, a graduate student at FIU.
"It is. Caffeine is a compound we like to use a lot because caffeine degrades in the environment within 24 hours. So if we are detecting caffeine in an area, we know we have direct wastewater influence on a specific area," said Dr. Troxell. "Things we use, they make their way, and we can track them all the way down the waterway."
"So we should all drink more coffee?" Paluska said with a laugh.
"Yeah, drink some coffee, drink some artificial sweetener; we can definitely track those things in the water," Dr. Troxell said.
Citizens are also leading the way.
"What can we do about it? What can citizens what can we do about it?" Joe Tatelbaum said. "And, we started talking to Ocean Conservancy, got a group of scientists from all over Florida to come together. Another group came from California, and another group from Boston. And we sat around a table and said, 'What really can we do?' And we tossed around a bunch of ideas. The consensus that came out of that meeting was that we need more data to give the policymakers good data so they can base their policies on sound data and what's going on.”
