New College of Florida has received a $17,000 grant from Mote Scientific foundation for research related to red tide. Red tide blooms have killed millions of fish and other creatures including manatees, sea turtles, and dolphins. New College wants to answer where some of the creatures that survived the epidemic have gone to escape the bloom.
“We have documented from our survey work a dramatic decline in shark and ray numbers in Sarasota Bay in response to the red tide event. It’s a 100 percent decrease in these animals. One of the long-standing questions if these animals can actually survive red tide and flee the area,” New College Asst. Professor of Biology Jayne Gardiner said.
Gardiner and her research team are primarily focusing on rays and sharks at this time. Some types of sharks in the research include black tips and hammerheads.