Correlation Between Oceanographic Factors and Abundance of the Florida Red-Tide (Gymnodinium Breve Davis), 1954–61

Data on the Florida red-tide organism, Gymnodinium breve Davis, and concomitant oceanographic measurements from February 1954 through July 1961 were analyzed to determine effects of certain environmental factors on abundance. A multiple curvilinear correlation showed that 61 per cent of the monthly variability in abundance of G. breve was associated with variations in salinity, temperature, onshore winds of over 7 kts, and abundance the previous month. Correlation was attempted between the residuals of this multiple correlation and nine chemical variables: PO₄-P, total PO₄-P, NO₃-NO₂-N, copper, alkalinity, silicon, calcium, total organic nitrogen, and ammonia NH₃-N. No correlations were significant.