Red Tide Research in Paradise

For years red tide has plagued the West coast of Florida. Researchers and physicians in the region heard anecdotal reports of coastal residents and tourists suffering from respiratory illnesses believed to be the result of exposure to the toxin, even though sufferers were not directly exposed to red tide through fish and shellfish consumption or recreational activities. To investigate the reports, scientists, epidemiologists, public health professionals and other experts from around the country, converged in Sarasota to study the red tide toxin that gets into the air, and into the lungs of unsuspecting beachgoers and coastal residents. This film documents the first study off its kind to look at the human health effects of airborne toxin exposure from the Florida red tide, and follows Sarasota resident Julie Odenweller, as she volunteers to participate in the annual study, as she has done for the last five years. The film sheds light on the impact of red tide on the most vulnerable populations, especially coastal residents and beach-going tourists with respiratory diseases like asthma.