Sarasota’s Mote Marine unveils tech to fight harmful red tide blooms

Writer: Paul Dolan
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      Researchers showcased innovative tools to combat red tide at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota on Wednesday. The advancements will target the harmful algal blooms affecting Southwest Florida.

      Steve McKenzie, from Prescott Clean Water Technologies, highlighted the effectiveness of Ozonix, a new technology developed by Prescott.

      “It winds up killing all the red tide, eliminating 100% of the toxins,” he said.

      The advanced tools, including XTREME, Ozonix, and Clear, are at the forefront of science in tackling red tide. These blooms harm marine life, damage coastlines, and release airborne toxins.

      McKenzie explained that the significant red tide blooms a few years ago spurred the development of this mitigation technology.

      David Spiers from XTREME emphasized the importance of early intervention.

      “You could track the blooms coming in five miles, seven miles offshore, and so we could hit that with barges or seaplanes and kill those blooms even before they hit our beaches,” he said.

      Years of scientific effort came to fruition during Wednesday’s presentation.

      Spiers described XTREME’s plant-based product as biodegradable and effective, eliminating red tide toxins within 24 hours.

      “It’s a plant-based product that’s all biodegradable, and it’s been tested and proven to kill the red tide and eliminate the toxins within 24 hours,” he said.

      Dana Wetzel from the Environmental Laboratory for Forensics stressed the need for comprehensive water treatment.

      “The liquid clear on the surface, probably was not an adequate way to do it because red tide is the whole water column,” she said.

      While more testing is required, these developments mark a promising step toward addressing future red tide blooms.

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