Adapting to the Tide: Behavioral Responses to Red Tide along Florida’s Gulf Coast

Harmful algal blooms (HABs), caused by excessive growth of harmful algae, affect most coastal regions worldwide (Chapra et al., 2017). Although algae are a natural part of aquatic ecosystems, HABs can result in negative environmental, health, and economic consequences. For example, they can deplete oxygen levels in the water, making it uninhabitable for marine life; contaminate seafood; pose significant risks to human health; and disrupt local economies (Larkin and Adams, 2007; Hallegraeff, 2003). Over the past two decades, experts have increasingly linked the intensification of HABs to human-induced factors (Anderson, 2014), including climate change and increased nutrient runoff (Brand and Compton, 2007; Lapointe and Bedford, 2007; Vargo et al., 2008; Paerl and Scott, 2010; Charette et al., 2013).