Secrets of Sargassum
Dr. Brian Lapointe, Research Professor
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at
Florida Atlantic University
Dr. Lapointe shares his work on the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt in the tropical Atlantic Ocean that has been the source of Sargassum impacting the Caribbean region since 2011.
Recorded Webinar:
R/V ANGARI Expeditions:
Select Supplemental Content:
[READING] ANGARI Foundation – Meet Brian Lapointe
[READING] Florida Atlantic University – Too Much of a Good Thing
[RESOURCE LIBRARY] GEO Blue Planet, IOCARIBE of IOC-UNESCO, AtlantOS, Atlantic International Research Center, at al. – Sargassum Information Hub
[VIDEO SHORT] CBC News – Tracking the massive mound of seaweed stinking up beaches
[VIDEO SHORT] Al Jazeera English – Atlantic sargassum belt: Seaweed bloom affecting coast of Florida
[WEBINAR] Florida Atlantic University – Ocean Science Lecture Series: Secrets of the Sargasso Sea
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PRESENTER BIO
Dr. Brian Lapointe is internationally renowned for his research on water quality and harmful algal blooms in tropical and subtropical seagrass and coral reef ecosystems. Brian obtained a BS in Biology from Boston University, a MS in Environmental Science from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of South Florida. He has worked at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, and is currently a Research Professor in the Marine Ecosystem Health Program at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University. Since 1974, Dr. Lapointe has assessed nutrient pollution and algal blooms throughout coastal waters of South Florida and the Caribbean region. Although his current work focuses on the declining health of the Indian River Lagoon and the massive Sargassum blooms impacting the Caribbean region, he has led numerous research expeditions in Bermuda, Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, Jamaica, Martinique, Trinidad & Tobago, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Lucia, Barbados, and the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Dr. Lapointe pioneered the concept of nutrient threshold concentrations that initiate algal blooms, and the use of stable nitrogen isotopes to “fingerprint” sources of land-based nitrogen pollution. He established the longest low-level nutrient monitoring record for a coral reef anywhere in the world at Looe Key reef in the lower Florida Keys. Dr. Lapointe has published over 120 scientific papers, four book chapters and was a contributing author of the book “Clean Coastal Waters: Understanding and Reducing Nutrient Pollution” published by the National Academy of Sciences. He has received numerous awards, including the Sigma Xi Outstanding Research Award, a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Award, and inclusion in “Who’s Who in Scuba Diving and Underwater Research” and “Who’s Who in America, Science and Engineering, the Millennium Edition.” He currently serves on the Editorial Board of the journal Harmful Algae.
Ocean Expert Exchange is a live educational webinar series featuring experts in marine science and technology, many of whom have participated in expeditions onboard R/V ANGARI. The 30-minute live events welcome audiences of all ages and include a presentation on the speaker’s area of expertise followed by Q&A with participants. The series is co-hosted by ANGARI Foundation and the University of Florida Thompson Earth Systems Institute’s Scientist in Every Florida School program.