Dead fish lined two Venice canals as red tide toxins forced residents indoors.

“Standing on the seawalls alongside residents near our deployment site was one of the most striking moments,” Kevin Claridge, Vice President for Sponsored Research and Coastal Policy Programs at Mote Marine Laboratory, told WTVT.

After five years of relentless research, testing, and securing regulatory approval, Mote Marine Laboratory introduced two products from the Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative.

“Residents told us it was intolerable to sit on their patios and enjoy a pleasant day because of the red tide,” Claridge noted.

Developed by Mote scientists Dr. Dana Wetzel, Dr. Richard Pierce, and the Heartland Energy Group, the products—Clear and Xtreme—were applied in the canals.

“These are plant-based, natural compounds. We collaborated with a company specializing in oil spill and hazardous waste cleanup to create a unique deployment system,” Claridge explained.

Testing began immediately, yielding promising results.

“We achieved a 70% kill rate of Karenia brevis. That’s a victory. It’s solid suppression—enough to curb its ecological damage without wiping it out entirely from the natural environment,” Claridge said.

Dr. Michael Crosby, President and CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory, expressed confidence in the outcome.

“This works without causing more environmental harm than the red tide itself,” Crosby affirmed.

Pending EPA review and approval, Mote has additional products ready for deployment. They aim to expand efforts to tackle active blooms.

“Success isn’t just treating a couple of canals. We need to approach this like a military campaign, strategically deploying these compounds wherever red tide strikes,” Crosby said.

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(Image credit: Mote Marine Laboratory)

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