Emma Barry ’25
Anthropogenic Factors Increase Harmful Algal Blooms in Florida
Emma Barry ’25, Environmental Biology major
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rachael Bonoan, Biology
Poster Presentation: Wednesday, April 24, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Human activity has accelerated climate change since the 1800s, and the negative effects of this rapid change are seen in every ecosystem. As populations have flocked to the southwest coast of Florida, anthropogenic factors such as polluted runoff and watershed have increased dramatically. The increase of phosphates and nitrogen that accumulate in the ocean from runoff increases the rate of algae growth. This project determines how population growth correlates to an increase in harmful algal blooms (formerly called “red tide events”) by examining population densities and Karenia brevis algae samples from the last seven decades.
