2021 Florida Macroalgae Workshops
Virtual workshops to discuss what we know and what we need to know about macroalgae blooms in Florida estuaries
Macroalgae are components of healthy Florida estuaries, but excessive blooms can have negative ecosystem consequences. In recent years, multiple blooms of drift macroalgae in Florida estuaries have raised concerns about damage to seagrass habitats and water quality implications. In 2021, a collaborative group of scientists and managers convened a set of workshops to share information, identify data gaps, facilitate discussions, and guide management actions.
Workshop Steering Committee
Workshop Products
Workshop Report
Macroalgae Fact Sheet
Workshop Recordings
Day 1: March 29, 2021
Day 2: March 31, 2021
Day 3: April 2, 2021
Workshop Agenda and Presentations
Monday, March 29 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST
| Time | Speaker | Topic | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | Introduction | |||
| 9:10 | Dr. Thomas Frazer, USF College of Marine Science | Welcome | ||
| Invited Presentations: Marine Macroalgae in Florida’s National Estuary Programs | ||||
| 9:20 | Dr. Dennis Hanisak, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University | Macroalgae 101 | ||
| 9:40 | Lauren Hall, St. Johns River Water Management District | Indian River Lagoon | ||
| 10:00 | Roger Johansson, independent consultant | Tampa Bay | ||
| 10:20 | Break | |||
| 10:40 | Nicole Iadevaia, Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership | Charlotte Harbor | ||
| 11:00 | Dr. David Tomasko, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program | Sarasota Bay | ||
| 11:20 | Panel Discussion and Audience Q&A | |||
| 12:00 PM | Wrap-up | |||
Wednesday, March 31 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST
| Time | Speaker | Topic | 9:00 AM | Introduction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invited Presentations: Marine Macroalgae and Cyanobacteria - Drivers, Consequences, and Data Gaps | |||
| 9:10 | Dr. Brian Lapointe, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University | Macroalgae Blooms in a Changing World: Some Examples in South Florida | |
| 9:30 | Dr. Valerie Paul, Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce | Exploring Florida's Benthic Cyanobacterial Blooms | |
| 9:50 | Dr. Eric Milbrandt, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation | Drivers and Consequences of Macroalgae in Southwest Florida | |
| 10:10 | Break | ||
| 10:25 | Betty Staugler, Florida Sea Grant Charlotte County | Eyes on Seagrass: Citizen Monitoring in Charlotte Harbor | |
| 10:45 | Dr. Chris Anastasiou and Nathaniel Morton, Southwest Florida Water Management District | Seagrass to Macroalgae: Maps of Change | |
| Facilitated geographic area breakout discussions | |||
| 11:05 | |||
| Breakout rooms for each geographic area (Indian River Lagoon, Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, and Charlotte Harbor) will engage participants in discussions about what we know and what we need to know about macroalgae blooms in Florida estuaries. Faciliated discussions, polling, and interactive online software will ensure that all participants have the opportunity to provide input. | Breakout Materials | ||
| 12:00 PM | Wrap-up | ||
Friday, April 2 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST
| Time | Speaker | Topic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | Introduction | ||
| 9:05 | Report-out from Day 2 geographic area discussion groups | ||
| Invited Presentations: Stories of Estuarine Macroalgae Management and Monitoring | |||
| 9:30 | Dr. Jamie Vaudrey, University of Connecticut | Assessing the extent and understanding the controls on seaweed blooms in Long Island Sound, the Urban Sea | |
| 9:55 | Dr. David Tomasko, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program | A macroalgae-based TMDL for Newport Bay, California - did it work? | |
| 10:20 | Break | ||
| 10:35 | Dr. Chris Anastasiou, Southwest Florida Water Management District | Crystal River/Kings Bay, Florida | |
| 11:00 | Panel Discussion and Audience Q&A | ||
| Workshop Report Storyboarding Activity | |||
| 11:20 | Participants have the opportunity to contribute to an interactive workshop storyboarding activity that will capture the main outcomes of the workshop and chart the path forward for macroalgae monitoring and research in the four National Estuary Program study areas. | ||
| 12:00 | Workshop Wrap-Up | ||
Workshop Flyer
