WEBVTT 00:04.771 --> 00:06.473 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% July 2016. 00:09.109 --> 00:11.711 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Above average rainfall in South Florida 00:11.911 --> 00:14.047 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% causes dangerously high water levels 00:14.214 --> 00:17.150 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% in south-central Florida's Lake Okeechobee. 00:18.818 --> 00:20.086 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Flood control managers, 00:20.387 --> 00:23.123 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% fearing a breach in the dike surrounding the lake, 00:23.390 --> 00:26.626 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% release billions of gallons of water through canals, 00:26.926 --> 00:30.130 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% rivers and streams into the Gulf of Mexico 00:31.097 --> 00:33.233 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and the Atlantic Ocean. 00:35.435 --> 00:38.071 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% The discharge to Florida's Atlantic coast 00:38.238 --> 00:40.673 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% surged down the C-44 canal 00:40.840 --> 00:43.810 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that flows into the St. Lucie River and Estuary 00:44.010 --> 00:46.479 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and into the lower Indian River Lagoon. 00:47.781 --> 00:50.683 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It formed a toxic blue-green algae mat, 00:51.084 --> 00:53.119 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% as much as six inches thick, 00:53.286 --> 00:56.923 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that shut down marinas and polluted near shore waters 00:57.190 --> 01:00.860 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% as it flowed out the St. Lucie inlet and into the ocean. 01:03.129 --> 01:06.332 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Airborne toxins from the algae bloom sickened people 01:06.633 --> 01:07.934 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and contaminated one 01:08.034 --> 01:11.871 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% of the most biologically diverse estuaries in North America. 01:13.039 --> 01:14.707 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% We all suffered from the headaches, 01:15.108 --> 01:17.310 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% the hoarseness of your throat 01:17.510 --> 01:20.346 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and the smell that you couldn't get rid of 01:20.713 --> 01:22.215 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% once you went home at night. 01:22.615 --> 01:25.218 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It was horrible and we don't want to do it again. 01:25.852 --> 01:28.088 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% I had very little business coming through the door, 01:28.121 --> 01:29.656 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% the phone stopped ringing. 01:29.856 --> 01:32.959 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Nobody's using their boats. The water's just that nasty, 01:33.126 --> 01:34.494 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% nobody wants to go out on it. 01:34.661 --> 01:36.563 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% This has been making national news, 01:36.729 --> 01:39.866 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% it's going to have a devastating long term impact 01:40.133 --> 01:42.168 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% just from an economical standpoint. 01:44.504 --> 01:46.372 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% My hope is that they can figure out a way 01:46.539 --> 01:49.742 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% to stop the discharges to protect our estuaries 01:50.143 --> 01:52.245 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% which we are slowly killing off. 01:53.313 --> 01:56.382 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Florida's coastal communities have struggled for decades 01:56.583 --> 01:58.518 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% with harmful algal blooms 01:58.685 --> 02:03.022 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% caused by seasonal freshwater discharges from Lake Okeechobee. 02:03.590 --> 02:05.158 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% We've got to do something about this 02:05.425 --> 02:07.560 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and hold the politicians responsible. 02:09.028 --> 02:10.897 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% This is where the greatest damage 02:11.030 --> 02:12.866 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% is being done to the ocean as a whole. 02:13.032 --> 02:16.202 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It's where humans and the ocean meet and interact 02:16.736 --> 02:20.106 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and it's the lifeblood of so much of the ocean. 02:21.207 --> 02:25.078 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% In South Florida, algal blooms are a long-term problem 02:25.345 --> 02:27.847 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% with complex sources and solutions. 02:28.114 --> 02:31.184 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Now, scientists, engineers and water managers 02:31.351 --> 02:34.921 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% are pursuing restoration and rehabilitation strategies 02:35.054 --> 02:39.025 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% in response to one of America's complicated marine challenges. 03:02.916 --> 03:04.651 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Major funding for this program 03:04.817 --> 03:07.387 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% was provided by the Batchelor Foundation, 03:07.420 --> 03:09.222 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% encouraging people to preserve 03:09.255 --> 03:12.258 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and protect America's underwater resources. 03:14.394 --> 03:17.297 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% And by: Diver's Direct/ Emocean Sports, 03:17.564 --> 03:21.301 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% inspiring the pursuit of adventures and watersports; 03:24.671 --> 03:26.339 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% The Do Unto Others Trust; 03:28.608 --> 03:31.911 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% The William J. and Isobel G. Clarke Foundation. 03:32.812 --> 03:34.514 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And by the following: 03:34.948 --> 03:36.616 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Lady Suzanna P. Tweed 03:36.783 --> 03:39.919 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and Carleton Tweed Charitable Foundation; 03:40.253 --> 03:42.322 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Skip and Diane Day. 03:47.627 --> 03:50.463 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% The Indian River Lagoon was once considered one 03:50.663 --> 03:54.434 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% of North America's most biologically diverse estuaries. 03:55.335 --> 03:57.937 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It stretches more than a hundred and fifty miles 03:58.037 --> 04:00.473 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% down Florida's Atlantic coast. 04:00.707 --> 04:04.877 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% People don't realize what incredibly precious places 04:05.111 --> 04:06.312 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% estuaries are, 04:06.813 --> 04:09.549 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% because they are the nursery for the ocean. 04:09.682 --> 04:13.486 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% When fish and other organisms want to produce offspring, 04:14.053 --> 04:16.322 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% their offspring have a much better chance of surviving 04:16.356 --> 04:17.523 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% if they can do it in a place 04:17.657 --> 04:19.559 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% where there's hiding places and lots of food. 04:19.892 --> 04:21.327 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% So, we have many organisms 04:21.361 --> 04:23.896 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that spawn in the Indian River Lagoon 04:24.030 --> 04:25.365 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% that end up in Chesapeake Bay 04:25.498 --> 04:28.334 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% because they're carried by the Gulf Stream up the coast. 04:28.468 --> 04:32.171 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, this is super, super precious territory. 04:33.973 --> 04:36.309 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Once a beautiful and thriving area, 04:36.576 --> 04:38.711 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% portions of the lagoon suffer periodically 04:38.845 --> 04:43.383 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% from mats of algae often described as guacamole thick. 04:44.484 --> 04:46.719 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% To fully understand the complex sources 04:46.853 --> 04:49.489 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and potential solutions to this algae crisis, 04:49.856 --> 04:53.359 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% it is necessary to look inland to Florida's lakes and rivers, 04:53.693 --> 04:56.829 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the Everglades, and manmade structures 04:56.996 --> 05:00.099 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that regulate water on its journey to the sea. 05:02.201 --> 05:04.704 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Historically, water from the Kissimmee, 05:04.904 --> 05:08.408 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% as far north as Orlando, would flow down the Kissimmee basin 05:08.841 --> 05:10.276 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% filling up Lake Okeechobee 05:10.410 --> 05:13.346 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and water would spill over to the south 05:13.546 --> 05:16.182 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% into the Everglades during wet years 05:16.382 --> 05:18.384 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and that would replenish the marshes 05:18.518 --> 05:21.854 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% all the way down to Florida Bay and the Florida Keys. 05:22.255 --> 05:23.556 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And we changed that 05:23.756 --> 05:26.559 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% by building the dike around Lake Okeechobee 05:27.126 --> 05:29.862 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% with the need for flood control south of the lake, 05:29.962 --> 05:32.065 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% as people moved into South Florida. 05:32.265 --> 05:35.368 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And so now when the lake fills up in wet years, 05:35.568 --> 05:37.870 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that water hits a barrier, that dike, 05:38.037 --> 05:40.473 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and we have to divert it east to the St. Lucie 05:40.807 --> 05:43.109 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and into the lower Indian River Lagoon 05:43.276 --> 05:45.478 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and west to the Caloosahatchee River 05:45.611 --> 05:47.447 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and out to the Gulf of Mexico. 05:47.613 --> 05:50.717 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And we've shut off the water to the Everglades 05:50.950 --> 05:53.753 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and now they are dying for lack of water. 05:54.921 --> 05:56.422 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% You can kind of think of Lake Okeechobee 05:56.556 --> 05:58.458 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% as the "blue heart" of Florida, 05:58.591 --> 06:00.893 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and the waters flowing in and out of it 06:00.993 --> 06:02.762 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% is like the circulatory system. 06:03.062 --> 06:04.564 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And we've kind of messed up 06:04.664 --> 06:07.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the circulatory system for the state. 06:09.402 --> 06:11.137 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% While the dike holds back the water 06:11.270 --> 06:13.005 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% to provide necessary flood control 06:13.139 --> 06:15.274 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% for people living south of the lake, 06:15.408 --> 06:18.411 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% it also accumulates pollutants from nearby agriculture, 06:18.778 --> 06:22.515 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% cattle farming, septic tank leaks and other sources 06:22.648 --> 06:25.451 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% which can cause algal blooms in the lake. 06:26.486 --> 06:28.154 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% So, this shallow body of water 06:28.287 --> 06:30.590 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% has a layer of muck at the bottom 06:31.124 --> 06:34.494 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that is very high in phosphorous and nitrogen content 06:34.794 --> 06:36.462 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% such that when the wind blows 06:36.496 --> 06:38.464 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% it's enough to stir up that muck, 06:38.598 --> 06:41.601 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and release that pollution into the water. 06:42.335 --> 06:45.271 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Algae need nutrients to grow, 06:45.638 --> 06:47.507 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and so, with the nitrogen and phosphorus 06:47.640 --> 06:49.776 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that's been coming into Lake Okeechobee 06:49.942 --> 06:54.480 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% from agriculture and cattle and septic systems, 06:55.648 --> 06:58.684 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% all of those nutrients are just feeding these algae 06:58.985 --> 07:02.155 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - and it's just exploding in enormous numbers. 07:03.189 --> 07:06.359 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Nitrogen and phosphorous are naturally present in the water. 07:06.826 --> 07:08.294 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% But when higher concentrations 07:08.394 --> 07:10.463 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% are introduced from manmade sources, 07:10.730 --> 07:14.333 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% they are considered pollutants and fertilize algal growth 07:14.667 --> 07:16.803 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that otherwise wouldn't have occurred. 07:17.670 --> 07:18.871 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% What happens then is, 07:19.005 --> 07:21.307 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% you've got all of this polluted fresh water 07:21.641 --> 07:24.510 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that's being sent out in billions of gallons 07:24.811 --> 07:28.714 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% into this amazing estuary that was once designated 07:28.881 --> 07:31.350 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% one of the most biologically diverse estuaries 07:31.484 --> 07:32.985 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% in the United States. 07:33.252 --> 07:36.189 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% But it's loaded with nutrients and toxins, 07:36.589 --> 07:38.724 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and so it's just this death knell 07:38.891 --> 07:41.160 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% for this once beautiful estuary. 07:41.694 --> 07:43.463 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, the algae bloom that we saw forming 07:43.496 --> 07:46.532 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% in the summer of 2016 in the St. Lucie Estuary 07:46.566 --> 07:48.668 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% was sourced from Lake Okeechobee, 07:49.035 --> 07:51.571 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It bloomed severely in Lake Okeechobee 07:51.737 --> 07:55.041 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% to the point where you could see it from commercial flights, 07:55.208 --> 07:57.009 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% you could see it from satellite images. 07:58.511 --> 08:02.582 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Several types of cyanobacteria are found in Florida's waters. 08:03.282 --> 08:06.686 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Commonly referred to as algae or blue green algae, 08:07.386 --> 08:09.956 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% they can form massive blooms when the light, 08:10.122 --> 08:13.125 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% temperature and nutrient conditions are right. 08:13.593 --> 08:15.962 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, what we're getting is a tremendous amount 08:16.095 --> 08:17.530 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% of these discharge events 08:17.697 --> 08:19.799 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% bringing with it this fresh water algae 08:20.066 --> 08:21.934 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% known as Microcystis aeruginosa, 08:22.101 --> 08:24.904 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and that Microcystis algae, that blue-green algae, 08:25.204 --> 08:28.074 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% pervaded all throughout the St. Lucie Estuary, 08:28.241 --> 08:29.909 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% in the Indian River Lagoon south, 08:30.076 --> 08:32.879 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and then also went out onto the nearshore reefs. 08:33.079 --> 08:34.580 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And in fact, for the first time ever, 08:34.614 --> 08:37.917 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the algae was so much present on our public beaches, 08:38.084 --> 08:39.552 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% they had to close the beaches 08:39.752 --> 08:42.221 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% for several days for public safety. 08:42.755 --> 08:45.458 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% It is a very serious concern. 08:45.658 --> 08:49.161 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% I thought we were reaching a tipping point in this estuary 08:49.295 --> 08:53.332 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% where it was very likely to become algae-dominated. 08:53.666 --> 08:56.569 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And I thought I knew what that meant. 08:57.169 --> 09:01.607 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% But this is so much worse than I could have ever envisioned, 09:02.341 --> 09:05.845 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that I really can't quite predict what's gonna happen, 09:06.612 --> 09:09.782 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% because microcystis is just so nasty. 09:10.116 --> 09:12.285 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, if you go anywhere near it, 09:12.485 --> 09:16.789 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the impact on your health is immediate and severe, 09:17.023 --> 09:19.325 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and it's clearly having the same impact 09:19.458 --> 09:22.595 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% on the organisms that are having to live actually in it. 09:23.996 --> 09:26.599 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% The immediate effects of the 2016 bloom 09:26.699 --> 09:29.936 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% were felt by the people in coastal Martin County. 09:30.770 --> 09:32.104 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% It affected our health, 09:32.204 --> 09:35.474 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% we couldn't breathe at night, we had headaches. 09:35.675 --> 09:38.144 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% How uh, how rude do you want me to get? 09:39.111 --> 09:41.647 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Phil Norman is co-owner of a small business 09:41.681 --> 09:43.382 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% with five employees. 09:43.816 --> 09:45.751 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% Not to make a pun, but one was turning green 09:45.785 --> 09:48.220 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% and finally, you know, vomited. 09:48.487 --> 09:51.123 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% So, I'm like, go home. You don't need to be here. 09:51.557 --> 09:53.659 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% It's not worth it. 09:53.893 --> 09:55.695 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Your health's not worth a job. 09:55.728 --> 09:58.297 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% You can always find another job somewhere doing something else. 09:58.831 --> 10:01.968 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Acute exposure can actually lead to a bleeding liver; 10:02.134 --> 10:06.005 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% long term exposure can lead to things like liver cancer, 10:06.339 --> 10:09.375 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and then there's other toxins mixed in there 10:09.642 --> 10:11.844 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% with microcystin that we know less about. 10:11.944 --> 10:15.681 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% How much are the ecosystems as a whole being impacted? 10:16.248 --> 10:19.652 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% How much is microcystin being incorporated into the food web? 10:20.686 --> 10:23.723 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% Microcystin is a remarkably stable molecule 10:24.223 --> 10:25.858 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% - you can actually boil water 10:25.992 --> 10:28.527 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% and it doesn't impact microcystin. 10:28.694 --> 10:30.696 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It's still fine, it still does its thing. 10:30.830 --> 10:32.665 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% So, that's pretty alarming. 10:32.832 --> 10:35.668 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And so how long it stays in the food web 10:35.835 --> 10:37.603 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% once it's taken up, 10:37.770 --> 10:40.106 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% how much it accumulates in things like shellfish 10:40.339 --> 10:41.674 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and higher order predators, 10:42.008 --> 10:45.544 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% those are things that we really need to know a lot more about. 10:47.279 --> 10:50.583 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And microcystin isn't the only toxin of concern 10:50.716 --> 10:52.551 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% released by cyanobacteria 10:52.718 --> 10:54.787 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% during algal blooms in South Florida. 11:05.931 --> 11:08.701 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% University of Miami professor Larry Brand 11:09.268 --> 11:11.570 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% collects and analyzes water samples 11:11.704 --> 11:15.141 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% from the Atlantic and Gulf Coast estuaries, the Everglades, 11:15.441 --> 11:17.943 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and Florida Bay to monitor nutrients 11:18.110 --> 11:21.781 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that he believes generate large algal blooms. 11:22.581 --> 11:23.816 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% We're about two-thirds of the way 11:23.983 --> 11:25.885 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% down from Lake Okeechobee. 11:26.485 --> 11:28.721 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, this is the southern part of the Everglades. 11:29.655 --> 11:30.990 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% In the northern part is the source 11:31.223 --> 11:32.792 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% of high concentrations of nutrients, 11:32.992 --> 11:34.794 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% both nitrogen and phosphorous. 11:34.960 --> 11:38.230 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% The phosphorous causes problems in the Everglades itself, 11:39.098 --> 11:40.766 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% altering the ecosystem. 11:41.634 --> 11:43.969 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% While much of the Everglades' historic waterflow 11:44.236 --> 11:47.173 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% has been diverted east and west of Lake Okeechobee, 11:47.907 --> 11:50.776 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% some of the polluted water still makes its way south 11:50.810 --> 11:54.013 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% across the water-starved River of Grass. 11:55.281 --> 11:58.317 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Eventually the phosphorous gets filtered out by the Everglades 11:58.584 --> 11:59.819 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% but so much nitrogen coming out 11:59.852 --> 12:01.721 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% of the northern third of the Everglades 12:01.754 --> 12:03.656 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that it makes it all the way to Florida Bay 12:03.823 --> 12:05.024 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and generates large algal blooms, 12:05.191 --> 12:06.726 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% which is the focus of my research; 12:06.759 --> 12:08.761 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the cause of these large algal blooms 12:08.794 --> 12:10.362 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that we're getting in Florida Bay 12:10.596 --> 12:12.698 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% as well as elsewhere in South Florida. 12:13.165 --> 12:14.734 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% We think we've discovered a compound 12:14.767 --> 12:16.669 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that does not have any short-term effects 12:16.836 --> 12:18.370 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% but does have long-term effects 12:18.537 --> 12:20.639 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and the compound is called BMAA. 12:21.373 --> 12:24.844 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% BMAA or beta- methylamino-L-alanine, 12:25.044 --> 12:26.812 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% is a small amino acid 12:26.846 --> 12:29.215 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% that potentially has serious health impacts 12:29.381 --> 12:31.217 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% for humans and animals. 12:32.151 --> 12:34.787 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% BMAA can be incorporated into the body 12:34.820 --> 12:37.790 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% by mimicking a major amino acid, serine. 12:38.791 --> 12:41.794 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% This can lead to malfunctioning and tangled proteins, 12:41.994 --> 12:44.363 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% which can be devastating to the brain. 12:45.698 --> 12:46.932 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And there's increasing evidence 12:46.966 --> 12:48.801 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that it can lead to neurodegenerative diseases 12:48.834 --> 12:51.537 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ALS. 12:51.904 --> 12:54.073 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% We started looking at concentrations of BMAA 12:54.306 --> 12:56.342 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% in seafood here in south Florida 12:56.509 --> 12:59.678 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% and bottom line is that we saw high levels of BMAA 12:59.812 --> 13:02.014 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% in, say, the pink shrimp in Florida Bay, 13:02.181 --> 13:04.550 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% blue crabs in Biscayne Bay, 13:05.084 --> 13:07.086 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% puffer fish in Biscayne Bay, et cetera. 13:07.253 --> 13:10.723 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, places where we see these blooms of cyanobacteria, 13:10.890 --> 13:11.891 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% blue-green algae, 13:11.924 --> 13:14.593 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% we do find high concentrations of BMAA. 13:15.161 --> 13:18.864 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And BMAA wasn't just found in fish in Florida Bay. 13:20.332 --> 13:22.835 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% I was able to get a permit to get brain tissue 13:22.868 --> 13:25.905 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% from dolphins that had died in Indian River Lagoon. 13:26.338 --> 13:28.374 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Dolphins are at the very top of the food chain there, 13:28.574 --> 13:30.009 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% eating seafood just like we do. 13:30.576 --> 13:32.878 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% The autopsy could not find any cause of death, 13:33.379 --> 13:37.750 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% no known toxins or diseases, anything like that, 13:37.850 --> 13:40.753 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% but we found high levels of BMAA in their brains. 13:41.554 --> 13:44.023 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And since then I've talked to a couple of researchers 13:44.290 --> 13:46.125 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% who study the behavior of the dolphins 13:46.358 --> 13:47.560 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% in the Indian River Lagoon 13:47.726 --> 13:49.528 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and they told me they have seen some dolphins 13:49.695 --> 13:52.031 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% in the Indian River Lagoon that seemed confused, 13:52.198 --> 13:53.966 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% getting lost, swimming up rivers, 13:54.133 --> 13:56.368 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% up into freshwater lakes and so on, 13:56.535 --> 13:58.637 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% sounds just like an Alzheimer's patient. 13:59.205 --> 14:00.406 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% So, my concern here is, 14:00.573 --> 14:02.107 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% if you get exposed to a cyanobacteria bloom 14:02.308 --> 14:05.211 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and you don't have any immediate effects, 14:05.311 --> 14:07.880 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% you think, well everything is OK, well, maybe not. 14:08.480 --> 14:10.616 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% While many researchers have documented 14:10.783 --> 14:12.284 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% the impact of algal blooms 14:12.451 --> 14:15.487 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% on human health and Florida's coastal estuaries, 14:15.988 --> 14:19.425 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% researchers are still studying what exactly causes them. 14:20.793 --> 14:23.329 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Many blame pollutants from lawn fertilizers, 14:23.896 --> 14:26.265 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% agriculture and cattle farming, 14:26.799 --> 14:29.401 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% but experts say it's not that simple. 14:30.736 --> 14:33.339 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% What we see as being the major change here 14:33.973 --> 14:36.108 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% is the rapid population growth 14:37.076 --> 14:39.912 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% particularly in the northern Kissimmee area, 14:40.613 --> 14:44.783 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% which is a major source of not just storm water runoff, 14:45.451 --> 14:46.952 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% but nutrients as well. 14:58.764 --> 15:00.900 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Dr. Brian LaPointe, a researcher 15:01.133 --> 15:03.435 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor 15:03.669 --> 15:05.704 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Branch Oceanographic Institute, 15:05.971 --> 15:08.374 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% says in the case of the bloom affecting portions 15:08.607 --> 15:10.342 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% of the lower the Indian River Lagoon, 15:10.509 --> 15:12.978 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Florida's explosive population growth 15:13.279 --> 15:16.682 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and the waste it produces is a significant problem. 15:17.883 --> 15:20.653 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% This bloom followed major rainfall 15:20.986 --> 15:24.023 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% on the watershed of Lake Okeechobee to the north 15:24.056 --> 15:26.525 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% where record rain fall fell in January 15:26.825 --> 15:29.128 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and sporadically throughout the spring, 15:29.328 --> 15:31.497 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% right up through May and into June 15:31.797 --> 15:35.067 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that allowed for a lot of nutrient loading 15:35.301 --> 15:38.637 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% into Lake Okeechobee from the north of the lake. 15:38.971 --> 15:41.073 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It's nitrogen in the form of nitrate 15:41.340 --> 15:43.943 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - that was the dominant nutrient source - 15:43.976 --> 15:46.845 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and a lot of that was coming from septic tanks. 15:48.047 --> 15:50.482 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Dr. LaPointe says septic tank systems 15:50.716 --> 15:52.151 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% are problematic in Florida, 15:52.384 --> 15:55.020 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% because of the state's sandy, porous soils. 15:56.522 --> 16:01.327 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% So, you get very rapid movement of the septic tank effluent 16:01.560 --> 16:04.263 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% through the soils into the ground water 16:04.430 --> 16:06.532 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% or the adjacent surface water. 16:06.999 --> 16:09.735 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And in many places that I have worked 16:09.902 --> 16:12.037 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% the water tables are so high 16:12.371 --> 16:15.107 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that the drain fields during much of the year 16:15.708 --> 16:18.544 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% are sitting right in the ground water. 16:19.411 --> 16:22.448 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Once the nitrogen-rich sewage enters the groundwater, 16:22.915 --> 16:24.550 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% it can quickly move downstream 16:25.017 --> 16:27.119 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and create problems miles away. 16:28.520 --> 16:30.456 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Dr. Lapointe collects and analyzes 16:30.622 --> 16:32.791 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the tissues of different algae samples 16:33.225 --> 16:36.261 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% to trace the source of nitrogen that led to their growth. 16:43.235 --> 16:45.070 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% We got the grand slam today. 16:46.138 --> 16:49.908 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Unlike cyanobacteria, which aren't true algae, 16:50.075 --> 16:52.311 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the algae that Dr. Lapointe studies 16:52.444 --> 16:54.246 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% are plantlike organisms. 16:55.214 --> 16:57.249 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% We found the three target species 16:57.416 --> 16:59.218 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% that we were looking for. 17:00.085 --> 17:01.720 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% This is ulva, 17:02.421 --> 17:05.290 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% we've got hypnea and we've got gracilaria. 17:06.091 --> 17:08.560 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% These are very fast growing seaweeds 17:08.727 --> 17:12.464 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that we analyze for stable nitrogen isotopes. 17:12.998 --> 17:16.902 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% That allows us to identify the source of nitrogen 17:17.169 --> 17:20.506 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that's fueling the algal blooms in the Indian River Lagoon. 17:21.673 --> 17:23.976 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% We use a method here in my laboratory 17:24.276 --> 17:28.514 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% by measuring nitrogen isotopes in the algae themselves, 17:29.181 --> 17:33.252 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% it can tell us whether that nitrogen is from human sewage 17:33.419 --> 17:35.187 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% or from fertilizers. 17:36.455 --> 17:38.357 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Dr. Lapointe's research concluded 17:38.524 --> 17:41.126 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that there was a lot more human excrement in the water 17:41.293 --> 17:43.095 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% than previously thought, 17:43.128 --> 17:46.598 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% accounting for up to 60% of the nitrogen in some areas. 17:47.299 --> 17:49.701 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And he believes septic tanks were to blame. 17:50.869 --> 17:55.074 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% What we found is that all these canals and tributaries 17:55.107 --> 17:58.811 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% right here on the main stem of the Indian River Lagoon 17:59.111 --> 18:01.046 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% locally are surrounded by homes 18:01.146 --> 18:03.348 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and many of these have septic tanks 18:03.482 --> 18:05.451 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that are sitting right in the groundwater. 18:05.617 --> 18:06.685 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And there're estimates 18:06.885 --> 18:11.023 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% ranging from 300,000 to 600,000 septic tanks 18:11.523 --> 18:13.792 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% up and down the Indian River Lagoon. 18:14.293 --> 18:17.529 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% This is the Space Coast, we put a man on the moon. 18:18.197 --> 18:20.666 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Yet, we can't really clean up, you know, 18:20.899 --> 18:23.202 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% our own waste coming out of our backyards. 18:23.335 --> 18:26.305 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, you know, there's a problem here. 18:29.208 --> 18:32.111 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Many experts believe that so long as polluted water 18:32.144 --> 18:34.880 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% continues to be released into the estuaries, 18:35.214 --> 18:37.649 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% seasonal algal blooms will continue. 18:38.717 --> 18:40.352 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% What we've seen over the years 18:40.519 --> 18:43.856 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% with the repeated discharge of polluted water 18:44.022 --> 18:46.892 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% from Lake Okeechobee, not only in the St. Lucie Estuary 18:47.025 --> 18:49.761 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% but also in the Caloosahatchee on the west coast, 18:49.928 --> 18:52.764 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% is that they are being hammered repeatedly 18:52.931 --> 18:55.567 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% every couple of years we have these discharge events. 18:55.767 --> 18:58.337 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So really the system never quite recovers 18:58.370 --> 19:00.339 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% from the previous disturbance. 19:01.006 --> 19:02.274 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Okay, so what do we do? 19:02.441 --> 19:05.277 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% There's no short term fix in sight. 19:05.410 --> 19:07.079 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% We've been saying for years 19:07.246 --> 19:09.581 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that that water needs to be diverted back south 19:09.781 --> 19:10.883 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% to the Everglades again, 19:11.049 --> 19:12.284 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% but first it has to be cleaned up, 19:12.451 --> 19:15.420 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% which means they have to have land that they can hold it on, 19:15.587 --> 19:17.523 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and so it's going to be a long time 19:17.890 --> 19:20.058 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - even if they finally get around to doing 19:20.225 --> 19:22.561 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% what we've been asking them to do for all these years, 19:22.694 --> 19:24.062 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% before they can fix it. 19:34.139 --> 19:35.340 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Efforts are underway 19:35.374 --> 19:37.910 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% to clean up the water coming out of Lake Okeechobee 19:38.076 --> 19:41.146 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% before it reaches the Everglades and the estuaries. 19:41.980 --> 19:44.283 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Stormwater Treatment Areas are put in place 19:44.416 --> 19:47.619 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% near the lake to help filter nutrients out of the water 19:47.819 --> 19:51.089 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that lead to excessive algal blooms and other problems. 19:56.895 --> 19:58.263 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% One of these reservoirs 19:58.797 --> 20:01.300 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% is the C44 Stormwater Treatment Area 20:01.466 --> 20:04.336 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% being constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers. 20:05.170 --> 20:07.306 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Scheduled for completion by 2020, 20:07.439 --> 20:08.674 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% it will filter the water 20:08.807 --> 20:10.242 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% released from Lake Okeechobee 20:10.342 --> 20:14.146 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% as it moves east before it reaches the St Lucie estuary. 20:15.247 --> 20:16.848 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% When in full operation, 20:17.182 --> 20:19.751 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the project will pull water from the C-44 canal. 20:19.985 --> 20:22.020 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% As it moves through the treatment cells 20:22.254 --> 20:24.256 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% we use natural biological processes, 20:24.456 --> 20:26.258 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% in other words vegetation, 20:26.458 --> 20:28.794 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% plants will start growing up in the treatment cells 20:28.961 --> 20:31.463 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and through their growth and their natural processes 20:31.663 --> 20:33.298 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% they'll absorb some of the nutrients 20:33.432 --> 20:34.933 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% whether it's phosphorous or nitrogen, 20:35.033 --> 20:37.603 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and pull those nutrients out of the water column 20:37.803 --> 20:40.305 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% so that the water that goes out the other end 20:40.472 --> 20:41.673 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% of the treatment cells is cleaner 20:41.840 --> 20:43.475 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% than it was when it came in. 20:43.942 --> 20:46.311 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Everglades restoration came about 20:46.678 --> 20:50.282 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% because we realized some of the unintended consequences 20:50.682 --> 20:53.318 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% of managing water across southern Florida 20:53.619 --> 20:55.854 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% was detrimental to the environment. 20:56.455 --> 20:59.625 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, we are maintaining flood control, water supply, 20:59.958 --> 21:02.160 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and other water related needs of the region 21:02.361 --> 21:06.565 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% while balancing it with benefits to the natural environment. 21:08.000 --> 21:10.002 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Signed into law in 2000, 21:10.402 --> 21:13.138 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan 21:13.505 --> 21:16.541 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% was devised to protect and restore the water resources 21:16.675 --> 21:18.644 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% of central and south Florida. 21:19.578 --> 21:23.181 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Its goals include capturing and filtering the fresh water 21:23.348 --> 21:25.751 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that is currently diverted from Lake Okeechobee 21:25.984 --> 21:28.520 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, 21:28.687 --> 21:31.223 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and redirecting it south to the Everglades, 21:31.490 --> 21:33.091 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% where it is needed most. 21:33.692 --> 21:34.893 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% While the plan is designed 21:35.060 --> 21:37.162 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% to benefit the Everglades ecosystem 21:37.329 --> 21:40.599 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% it's also expected to cut the frequency and extent 21:40.766 --> 21:44.236 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% of toxic algal blooms in South Florida's estuaries. 21:45.704 --> 21:49.007 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So here we are 10, 15 years into the process 21:49.241 --> 21:51.943 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and we have a number of projects that are already underway, 21:52.077 --> 21:53.679 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% C44 being one of them. 21:54.279 --> 21:57.416 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% I think that we stay the course and we continue to construct 21:57.749 --> 22:00.052 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% storage and water quality treatment projects, 22:00.218 --> 22:02.387 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% as we get those projects funded and constructed 22:02.521 --> 22:06.024 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and online and operational, that will be the solution. 22:06.958 --> 22:10.095 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Everglades restoration is really a long-term endeavor. 22:10.529 --> 22:15.067 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Originally the concept was for a 30-year plan 22:15.901 --> 22:19.371 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and that would have been with ideal funding 22:19.404 --> 22:22.541 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and really no stumbling blocks along the way. 22:22.741 --> 22:24.609 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% However, it's very complicated. 22:25.243 --> 22:27.412 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Ultimately there's a lot of politics involved. 22:27.446 --> 22:30.215 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% I mean as it is now it's many billions of dollars. 22:30.315 --> 22:32.317 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% So, I'm kind of skeptical at this point. 22:32.451 --> 22:36.088 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% Uh, been a lot of political battles over the last 20 years 22:36.221 --> 22:39.124 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% over this and it doesn't seem to be subsiding 22:39.458 --> 22:42.394 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% or we've not made a whole lot of progress actually. 22:42.427 --> 22:47.332 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% One of our biggest problems is that we have a political system 22:48.133 --> 22:53.004 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% that means that we generally have short-term appointments 22:54.072 --> 22:55.841 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% for critical positions. 22:56.241 --> 23:00.112 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And, in fact, we've added to that by having term limits. 23:00.612 --> 23:02.414 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% So that just about the time 23:02.447 --> 23:04.116 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% somebody's getting good at their job, 23:04.282 --> 23:05.517 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% they're thrown out of it. 23:05.684 --> 23:08.754 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, we don't have people that have the long view; 23:09.287 --> 23:10.956 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% they're working in the short term. 23:11.123 --> 23:13.592 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% None of the water management decisions 23:13.992 --> 23:16.161 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% that the Corps makes are easy ones. 23:16.328 --> 23:18.096 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% This is a very complicated system 23:18.463 --> 23:21.500 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and it's incredibly challenging to balance all of the water 23:21.700 --> 23:23.602 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% related needs of the region. 23:23.769 --> 23:26.772 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And we are very sympathetic and understand 23:27.472 --> 23:31.376 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that the decisions that we make have significant impacts 23:32.210 --> 23:34.446 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and we work with all of the stakeholders 23:34.780 --> 23:37.482 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% in order to try and minimize those impacts 23:37.616 --> 23:39.451 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% at every available opportunity. 23:39.885 --> 23:42.888 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% We really have to be forward thinking 23:43.321 --> 23:45.490 align:left position:10%,start line:65% size:80% and look at Florida's water future. 23:46.124 --> 23:49.127 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% We have a thousand people a day moving to Florida now. 23:50.495 --> 23:54.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% We are the number one tourist destination in the world. 23:55.500 --> 23:59.004 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% 105 million tourists came to Florida last year. 24:00.405 --> 24:02.507 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Nothing is going to be sustainable 24:02.974 --> 24:04.476 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% about that population growth 24:04.509 --> 24:07.345 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% if you cannot deal with the wastewater, 24:07.579 --> 24:09.648 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the sewage, that they're producing. 24:12.250 --> 24:14.486 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Countless challenges remain. 24:14.920 --> 24:17.155 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Experts are working to better understand 24:17.322 --> 24:19.724 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the impacts of toxic algal blooms 24:19.891 --> 24:23.061 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and what needs to be done to prevent them in the future. 24:23.862 --> 24:26.264 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Meanwhile many stakeholders believe 24:26.431 --> 24:28.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that truly solving this complex problem 24:29.000 --> 24:31.870 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% will require not only technological ingenuity, 24:32.537 --> 24:34.573 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% but also political will. 24:35.674 --> 24:38.043 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% We have to stop the circular firing squad 24:38.443 --> 24:41.112 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% where everybody points to the next guy and says it's not me, 24:41.346 --> 24:43.515 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% it's him and therefore, nothing gets done. 24:43.548 --> 24:45.350 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And the politicians say, well, 24:45.517 --> 24:49.454 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% you know we really can't answer that without more studies 24:49.554 --> 24:51.523 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - and then they don't fund the studies. 24:52.424 --> 24:55.293 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And you just get nothing happening. 24:55.727 --> 24:57.629 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And now you've got people getting sick 24:58.730 --> 25:01.433 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and no end in sight. 25:01.533 --> 25:04.436 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, we need to get smart about these things 25:04.736 --> 25:06.705 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% nationwide and worldwide. 25:07.939 --> 25:09.541 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Don't forget about this. 25:09.708 --> 25:11.543 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% This, this has been occurring, 25:11.710 --> 25:13.311 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% it's been occurring for 20 years. 25:13.645 --> 25:15.046 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% It's not going to go away 25:15.146 --> 25:17.682 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% unless we keep applying pressure to the politicians. 25:17.716 --> 25:18.783 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And it's not going to happen 25:18.917 --> 25:20.585 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% until the general public sits up and says, 25:20.719 --> 25:23.655 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% "Listen, we need to get this done." Period. 25:58.423 --> 26:00.759 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Major funding for this program was provided 26:00.959 --> 26:02.627 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% by the Batchelor Foundation, 26:02.794 --> 26:05.330 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% encouraging people to preserve and protect 26:05.463 --> 26:07.666 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% America's underwater resources. 26:10.001 --> 26:12.771 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% And by: Diver's Direct /Emocean Sports, 26:12.971 --> 26:16.508 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% inspiring the pursuit of adventures and watersports; 26:20.345 --> 26:21.646 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% The Do Unto Others Trust; 26:24.215 --> 26:27.352 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% The William J. and Isobel G. Clarke Foundation. 26:28.486 --> 26:31.623 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And by the following: Lady Suzanna P. Tweed 26:31.990 --> 26:35.193 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and Carleton Tweed Charitable Foundation; 26:35.493 --> 26:37.729 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Skip and Diane Day.