TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2013) - For years, researchers at University of South Florida's College of Marine Scence have been working to understand red tides in the Gulf of Mexico. To predict where and when the next red tide will occur. To determine what makes one red tide persist, while another quietly disappears.

They've partnered with scientists at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission's (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI), Mote Marine Laboratory and international researchers.

Red tides occur naturally every year and can stretch for more than a hundred miles along shore. They can last for days, weeks or even months. The tides are a type of harmful algal bloom, a higher than usual concentration of naturally-occurring microscopic algae that grow in certain areas of the Gulf. The blooms can produce harmful or toxic effects on people, marine organisms and birds.

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