2018 Year in Review

As 2018 comes to a close, we’re reflecting on some of the most eye-catching headlines of the year that impacted our industry and individuals worldwide.

1. Florida’s Red Tide

We did our fair share of reporting on Florida’s overly-persistent Red Tide this year and it’s expected to be a recurring headline into 2019 as well. This year’s bout of Red Tide has been particularly harsh, and it’s longevity is cause for concern.  Resulting in copious amounts of fish kills, respiratory issues in humans and pets alike, and a large loss of revenue from tourism, Florida’s Red Tide has shown no shortage of negative effects.

Although there were hopes that the tropical storm season would finally rid Florida of the Red Ride, little improvement was seen. Over a year since it began, some areas such as Pinellas County are just now ending their cleanup efforts and showing no signs of Karenia brevis in their water samples, while other areas like the City of Bradenton are reporting fish kills yet again this week.

2. The First Comprehensive Study of Water Pollution

The results of the first comprehensive study of water pollution are in, and things are looking up! As shown by the University of California – Berkeley, the 1972 Clean Water Act has been a key driver in the improvement of water quality in the United States over the past several decades.

So, how did they come to this conclusion? A team of researchers analyzed data collected from monitoring sites between 1962 and 2001. They examined data from 50 million water quality measurements from 240,000 monitoring sites within the United States. The Result: a large majority of the 25 water pollution measures, including dissolved oxygen and fecal coliform bacteria, showed significant improvements.

3. Ocean Cleanup 2018

2018 brought to us the largest ocean cleanup in history. Plastic in our oceans is not news to any of us. With over 5 trillion pieces of plastic now polluting the ocean waters, and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch becoming a common phrase, something had to be done.

In September 2018, The Ocean Cleanup launched its first cleanup system, System 001, in San Francisco to take on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This technology uses the natural forces of the ocean to catch and concentrate plastic in the ocean; both the system and the plastic are being carried by the current.

The launch of System 001 has been successful thus far and has observed no impact to marine life. Progress of the system can be tracked on an interactive timeline provided by The Ocean Cleanup.

4. International Year of the Reef

2018 joined 1997 and 2008 to become the third ever International Year of the Reef. The goal of this initiative was to raise awareness around coral reefs including the vital part they play in our oceans’ ecosystems as well as the immediate threats they are facing.

Although there are many different factors playing into the damage of coral reefs, overfishing and climate change are two of the most stressful for coral reefs. Throughout the year, International Year of the Reef has tried to educate on these matters and provide insight to the plentiful benefits of healthy coral reefs in addition to how and why we should work together to protect them.

5. Local Headlines

Last but not least, 2018 brought many proud moments to PME. Our CEO, Kristin Elliot, as well as the company as a whole, were nominated for (more than) a handful of awards.

• 2018 San Diego Daily Transcript Top 50 Influentials Honoree
• 2018 San Diego Business Journal Fastest Growing Companies (#66)
• 2018 San Diego Business Journal 40 Next Business Leaders Under 40 Honoree
• 2018 San Diego Magazine Women Celebrating Women Finalist
• 2018 Connected Women of Influence Award Finalist
• 2017 San Diego Business Journal Women Who Mean Business Awards Honoree
• 2017 Athena Pinnacle Award Finalist
• 2016 San Diego Metropolitan Magazine 40 Under 40 Honoree

Start 2019 with PME

It has been the pleasure of all us at PME to serve you this year. Please reach out to us to for help completing your research in 2019 and beyond with our high-performing environmental monitoring instruments.