Combating Chaos through Community, Communication and Conservation

In November 2017, the beginning of a 14month bloom was detected off the southwest coast of Florida. Intensity of the bloom increased late June 2018, making international news due to mass wildlife fatalities, economic losses due to decreased tourism, inability to use waterways, and adverse impacts to human health. At this time, a cyanobacteria bloom proliferated from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee River reaching the Gulf of Mexico. Florida declared a state of emergency. Confusion, fear, anger, and misinformation resulted in an emotionally charged public. The disconnect between scientists and the public was highlighted. Through communication and program failures, successes were found. The public wanted transparency and they wanted to be involved. Citizen science is an effective way to empower the public and bridge the gap between scientists and the public. Now with over 1 million users on our environmental website and apps, in addition to instruction on how to retrofit homes and actions to reduce nutrient and hydrologic loads, that gap is slightly smaller. We need activists and advocates, but we need to arm them with the information they need to be effective. The challenges faced in communicating through this event resulted in the development of effective language strategies, creative citizen science programs, and strategy in building community through chaos.