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

Mark Hubbard remembers two major Red Tide events. He talks extensively about water quality problems that exacerbate the impacts of red tides. Mark recounts his first encounter with a severe event around 48 years ago, when the water turned crimson with dead fish. Specific red tide concentrations are discussed, including "the Kitchen," a historically significant fishing site for Native Americans. Mark suggests conducting water sampling there for research. The most severe red tide events Mark experienced were the one from the 1970s and the recent one at the time of the interview, with a brief mention of a 2005 event.

Regarding the fishing business, Mark explains that a smaller red tide in 2014 had minimal impact, but the 2018 event caused a significant customer decline of around 60%. Mark attributes this to exaggerated media coverage, prompting them to clean up dead fish and mitigate tourism impact. Throughout the interview, Mark stresses the need to control the media narrative during red tide, adapt business practices, and monitor fish population recovery.