Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Articles Discussion

Several coastal areas of Florida has been impacted by major algae blooms in recent years. Some of these blooms are caused by various kinds of freshwater cyanobacteria, often referred to as blue-green algae. In addition, several coastal areas of southwest Florida, the panhandle, and, most recently, southwest Florida have been impacted by “red tides”, which in Florida area usually associated with a marine dinoflagellate called Karenia brevis.

While the two types of algae blooms are quite different in how and where they form, both cause significant environmental harm – including large fish kills. Toxins from Karenia brevis and certain kinds of freshwater cyanobacteria, particularly Microcystis and Anabaena species, can also have adverse impacts on human health.

Media and public discussions about these algal blooms have often been quite contentious, confusing, and, in some cases, outright wrong. Leading scientists have therefore attempted to communicate scientific knowledge directly to the public. For this discussion board exercise, you will think carefully about the (somewhat different!) thoughts of two well-respected scientific researchers: