
Join us for a free webinar on April 23 at 12 PM to learn about NOAA’s Phytoplankton Monitoring Network. It is a citizen science program in which volunteers are trained to look for the presence of organisms that could potentially cause a harmful algal bloom. Reserve your spot by clicking here.
Date: Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Download and share the flyer here.
Abstract
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) have become more prominent in the public’s eye, as increases in the frequency and duration of HAB events have made national news. These HAB events, whether they are caused by freshwater or coastal organisms, are a trend that need regular monitoring to better predict where, when and potentially why they may occur so that their harmful effects, like fish and marine animal mortalities as well as human illnesses, can be better prevented and mitigated.
NOAA’s Phytoplankton Monitoring Network is a citizen science volunteer based program in which volunteers are trained to look for the presence of organisms that could potentially cause a harmful algal bloom.
This presentation will touch on methods used for training new volunteers, including smartphone applications, storyboards, digital microscopes, and advanced flow cytometry as well as how volunteer generated data are used by scientists to develop and refine new models of prediction for HABs and climate change.
Presenter

Steve Morton received his B.S and M.S. from Florida Institute of Technology in Biological Oceanography and his Ph.D. in Plant Biology from Southern Illinois University. He is currently a Research Oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring and Reference Branch. During his career, he has authored over 120 per reviewed manuscripts, serves on the editorial boards of three international journals, and serves as a technical expert for the United Nation’s International Atomic Energy Agency. Steve recently co-edited “Harmful Algal Blooms: A Compendium Desk Reference” published by Wiley-Blackwell press. Dr. Morton has been awarded the NOAA Administrator’s Award in 2016, the United States Department of Commence Bronze Award in Research in 2007, 2008 and 2015 and the United States Vice President’s Hammer Award in 2000.
Related news

SECOORA Webinar on the Rapid Intensification of Hurricane Ian: Warm Subsurface Water on the Wide Continental Shelf
Join us Thursday, April 24th at 12 PM ET for the April installment of the SECOORA Coastal Observing in Your Community Webinar Series! This month, we will hear from Dr. Yonggang Liu from the University of South Florida. He will discuss his research on the rapid intensification of Hurricane Ian in relation to anomalously warm subsurface water on the wide...

Webinar: SECOORA Data Portal Demo
Join us on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 1:00 PM ET to learn more about the SECOORA Data Portal and how to navigate it. Axiom Data Science will be providing an overview of the portal, including how to search the Catalog and make a custom data view.

Meet the Winners of the Surface Elevation Table (SET) Call for Proposals
SECOORA hosted a request for proposals for the installation of new Surface Elevation Table (SET) stations or the reactivation of historic SET stations within the Southeast region. This opportunity covers the cost of materials and supplies for the stations. Meet the winners here!