Mote's Center for Ecotoxicology investigates natural and man-made environmental toxins — where they come from, how they break down in the environment and what effects they have on humans and marine animals.

One major focus of our research is Florida's red tide and the organism that causes it, Karenia brevis.

Red tide research:

Mote's red tide research involves everything from understanding how humans are affected when they're exposed to airborne red tide toxins to discovering how and why red tide blooms form and why they eventually break down. While much of our red tide research is done by scientists in our Center for Ecotoxicology, Mote scientists in our other research centers also conduct red tide research related to their primary study areas — for instance, studying how red tide affects dolphins, manatees or sea turtles. Mote red tide research is often conducted in partnership with other nongovernmental and governmental agencies in order to maximize research funding. 

• Click here to learn more about red tide and Mote red tide research.
• Beach Conditions Report™

In addition to our studies of biotoxins like red tide, Mote's Center for Ecotoxicology also investigates man-made environmental toxins — where they come from, how they break down in the environment and what effects they have on humans and marine animals.

We study toxins found in pesticides, petroleum, industrial contaminants and pharmaceuticals.

This research has led to the creation of new technologies that help identify and monitor toxic substances in the environment and a better understanding of the organisms that produce them. It has also led to new strategies to help humans deal with negative impacts caused by these toxins.

• Aquatic Toxicology: These scientists investigate how chemical contaminants impact marine mammals and other marine organisms. They also focus on using biomarkers to detect the long-term and short-term effects of contaminants. Biomarkers are biochemical signals in the animals' chemistry that can indicate health, illness or reproductive impairment.
• Chemical Fate and Effects: Scientists investigate the sources of toxins, routes of exposure, bioaccumulation and how toxins persist in affected organisms like the oysters that humans eat. We also study how toxins move through the food web and identify relationships between exposure and health to reduce public risk.
• Environmental Health: Scientists in this program study how airborne biotoxins affect people who live, work and play along our beaches and seek to find ways to reduce these impacts through better public education and outreach programs and through unique medical treatments.
• Phytoplankton Ecology: These scientists seek a better understanding of Karenia brevis, the phytoplankton that causes Florida's red tide, and other species of phytoplankton. Understanding how these plant-like organisms behave and how they interact with other species, could help lessen their impact on humans. This research has led to new state-of-the-art sensors to detect K. brevis in the wild and monitor its movements in the ocean.

• How can we lessen the effects of Florida's red tide?
• What are the pathogenic effects of chemical pollution on marine mammals?
• How do pesticides affect marine ecology?