Nick Ruland
A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida
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.
Nick Ruland is a fish house owner who has been in Fort Myers Beach for 30 years. He thinks we should involve fishers in water testing and wants an emergency reduction of the grouper quota.
Scope and Content Note:
Nick Ruland discusses red tide's impact on the Fort Myers area, emphasizing the lack of offshore information and the need for data gathering. He proposes a survey form for federally registered vessels, seeking observations on red tide and water quality during trips to track patterns and understand its effects. Nick highlights the importance of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in red tide's biology. He also talks about fish population decline, urging proper fishery management. He hypothesizes that long-term monitoring is essential, considering the difficulty in pinpointing significant blooms and says that equipment to study oxygen levels, salinity, and temperature is needed for continuous data collection. Nick stresses the urgency of addressing red tide's impact on the environment and encourages researchers to focus on mapping projects and work closely with fishermen to gather valuable insights. Potential fishing quota reductions are mentioned as a measure to address the situation.
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