A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Matthew McPherson, Mandy Karnauskas, Suzana Blake

  • This collection was created during the 2017-2018 red tide event that had major ecosystem impacts on the west coast of Florida. Fish harvesters and related businesses suffered major setbacks during this time. Fishers, with a long history on the water and oftentimes second or third generation involved in the fishing business, reminisce about how the ecosystem has changed during their and their families time and the red tides they have witnessed. The collection provides information on species affected, specific areas affected, as well as discussions related to adaptation behaviors and specific business impacts.

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Interviewee Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Mike Davis A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Mike Davis is a commercial fisherman residing in Cortez.

Scope and Content Note

 Michael Jepson Cortez, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Will Ward A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Will Ward is a seasoned fisherman and marine industry expert with over five decades of experience in Florida's coastal waters. From his early years working on boats as a teenager to becoming a licensed US Coast Guard Captain and running fishing charters, commercial boats, and seafood companies, Will has honed his expertise across various fisheries. He is a Florida native, with a family history spanning five generations in the state.

Scope and Content Note

 Mandy Karnauskas, Michael Jepson Madeira Beach, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Sean McQuade A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Sean McQuade is a seasoned charter boat captain and commercial fisherman with over 26 years of experience, who moved from Long Island to Florida in 1993. Sean divides his time between charter fishing, commercial fishing, and working as a firefighter. He has been actively engaged in fishing and diving and has witnessed changes in fish populations, water quality, and the occurrence of red tide events in the Fort Myers area.

Scope and Content Note

 Suzana Blake Fort Myers Beach, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Nate Meschelle A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Nate Meschelle is a young commercial fisherman based out of Cortez. Nate embarked on a full-time fishing career at a young age, honing his skills in various fisheries such as lady fish, jack, and pompano. He is not only experienced in navigating the waters and understanding the ecosystem but also an advocate for environmental conservation and sustainable fishing practices, actively engaging in activities like clam release and promoting initiatives to mitigate the impact of human activities on marine life.

 Michael Jepson Cortez, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Mark Hubbard A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Mark Hubbard is a third generation fisherman with a deep-rooted family history in the fishing industry. He began his fishing journey at a young age, catching pinfish and later engaging in gill netting and net fishing. Over the years, Mark established a successful charter boat business in 1986 and a party boat business in 1992.

Scope and Content Note

 Michael Jepson, Mandy Karnauskas Madeira Beach, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Chuck Cress A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Chuck Cress is a charter captain who moved to Sarasota in 1980, and he fished recreationally while working in retail for 20 years, then spent the last 20 years chartering in the Sarasota Bay. He is an inshore captain and stays within a mile of the shore.

Scope and Content Note:

Captain Chuck Cress describes his work as a charter fisherman in the intercoastal Sarasota Bay, Florida, since 1980. He states he primarily catches tarpon, Spanish mackerel, and king mackerel between Bradenton and Englewood.

 Amanda Stoltz, Karla Gore Sarasota, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Paul Moore A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Paul Moore is a local Cortez stone crabber. Moore has been fishing and stone crabbing in the Cortez area since the 1970s. Moore started stone crabbing in 1980, joining his family's stone crab restaurant business. He primarily worked on crab and lobster boats for the first 15 years after high school. He began running his own boat in 1991.

 Michael Jepson Cortez, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Bart Bailey and Rick Matthews A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Bart Bailey is a charter captain/ stone crabber/ commercial fisher who has been fishing for 30 years inshore and offshore. He has stayed in Naples his entire life except when he ran a tuna boat from ’85 to ’92 in the Gulf of Mexico. He says he has been stone crabbing since ’92 and has spent most of the last two years running charters. 

 Amanda Stoltz Naples, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Ed Hurst A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Captain Ed Hurst specializes in fly fishing and light tackle backwater fishing for snook, redfish, trout and tarpon. He has lived in Sarasota since 1956 and I has been guiding for over 30 years. 

Scope and Content Note

 Amanda Stoltz, Karla Gore Sarasota, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Rick Waite and Tom Olyanarnyk A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Rick Waite and Tom Olyanarnyk are commercial fishermen from Cortez. Their earliest memories of a Red Tide event was during the 1970s, where they witnessed a bad fish kill mostly affecting crabs. 

Scope and Content Note

 Michael Jepson, Christina Package-Ward Cortez, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
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