Evaluating the Impact of Red Tide on Florida’s Manatee Population

by Elizabeth Coleman

 

Submitted : Fall 2018

The purpose of this study was to determine how much red tide has impacted manatee mortalities from 2014 to 2018. Red tide is a natural phenomenon which can be aggravated by nutrient pollution. It is caused by a species of protist, which releases toxins that impact the neurological function of vertebrate, resulting in death. Total mortalities and red tide mortalities for manatees from 2014 to 2018 were graphed as separate curves, with years on the x axis and deaths on the y axis. The area between the curves, which represents the total number of deaths not caused by red tide, was found. The results showed that most manatee mortalities are not caused by red tide.

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	Advisors :
	Arcadii Grinshpan, Mathematics and Statistics
	Connie Mizak, Geography
	Suggested By :
	Connie Mizak