Researchers Just Got $1.3M to Solve the Lagoon Bloom Puzzle

If you have spent any time near the Indian River Lagoon, you have probably seen it: the water turned an odd color, a smell that signals something is off, or worse, fish floating near the surface. Harmful algal blooms have been a recurring problem for our lagoon for years, and scientists have been asking a basic question: why here, and why so often?

FAU's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute has received a $1.3 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to dig into that question. The funding, part of NOAA's Fiscal Year 2026 Harmful Algal Bloom Program, brings together researchers from FAU, the University of Georgia, and the University of South Florida to study why blooms in the Northern Indian River Lagoon keep coming back and lingering, while a similar estuary in Georgia stays comparatively clear.

What Makes Our Lagoon Different?

The project is led by Mingshun Jiang, associate research professor at FAU Harbor Branch. His team will compare our lagoon against Georgia's Skidaway River Estuary. On paper the two systems look alike, both shallow, warm, and subtropical. But the Skidaway estuary has stronger tidal flushing and a shorter water residence time, and its blooms rarely stick around. Ours do.

Researchers will track temperature, salinity, nutrients, organic matter, and which algal species are showing up in what numbers. They will also study the sediment itself, believed to recycle nutrients back up into the water column and help sustain blooms long after they might otherwise fade.

Three specific bloom-forming species are under study: Akashiwo sanguinea, Aureoumbra lagunensis, and Pyrodinium bahamense. That last one was photographed by drone in August 2023 near Sebastian Inlet. It is bioluminescent, which sounds almost magical until you learn it also produces toxins that can harm wildlife and people.

Why It Matters for All of Us

Our lagoon supports an estimated $28.3 billion in annual economic benefits and holds the designation of an "Estuary of National Significance." But persistent algal blooms have contributed to major seagrass losses and large fish kill events, hitting water quality, fishing, and the communities that depend on a healthy estuary.

Jiang described the stakes: "This knowledge is essential for improving our ability to predict and manage harmful algal blooms." The team plans to use field data and lab experiments to sharpen a computer model of the Northern Indian River Lagoon, then test it against the Georgia system. A reliable model means resource managers could get earlier warnings and better tools to respond before a bloom becomes a crisis, not just here but across estuaries throughout the Southeast.

The grant is supplemented by approximately $200,000 from the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation for related research, including work on the Pyrodinium bahamense life cycle.

Have you seen or smelled something unusual in the lagoon lately, near Sebastian Inlet or anywhere else along our waterway? Tell us where in the comments on our Facebook post.

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Ava Cook

Community Manager at Vero Vine

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My name is Ava Cook and I am a Freshman at Florida Southern College in Lakeland FL. I am currently a B.F.A musical theatre major with a minor in Business Administration. I love reading, singing, acting, dancing, and writing. My favorite part about Vero Beach and Indian River County as a whole is how close the community is. Vero Vine is important to me as it allows me to do my part it bringing the community together also, sharing events, small businesses, and other local happenings. If you have any questions or any recommendations for me, my email is always open [email protected].