Brian E. Lapointe was born in Greenfield, MA
and graduated from Palm Beach High School in West Palm Beach, FL.
and graduated from Palm Beach High School in West Palm Beach, FL.
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He obtained a BS in Biology from Boston University, a MS in Environmental Science
from the University of Florida, and a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of South Florida. He is currently a Research Professor with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University. 
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His research interests include biological oceanography, algal physiology and
biochemistry, seagrass and coral reef ecology, marine pollution, and remote sensing. 
His research over the past two decades has focused on impacts of land-based nutrient pollution on the health of seagrass and coral reef ecosystems around the wider Caribbean region, especially South Florida. He has authored over
90 publications in the field of algal physiology, biochemistry, and ecology and is internationally recognized for his work. 
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Beginning in 2011, Brian and his team began researching nutrients and HABs in the Indian River Lagoon. That work, supported by the “Save Our Seas” Specialty License Plate, provided the first evidence that these blooms were being supported, in large part, by sewage. Recent support from Martin County has allowed additional studies of how nutrient pollution from septic systems are discharged into the St. Lucie Estuary where they can support growth of HABs.
