Back in 2018, Florida experienced an array of dead sea animals wash up onshore. Various fish, manatees, sea turtles, nine dolphins, and one whale shark have all washed up on the beaches of Tampa Bay, Florida. Of course, this raises suspicion as to what is killing these sea creatures and why. As a further examination of the creatures progressed, they found out that they were all poisoned by an algal bloom. This toxic algae, scientifically named Karenia Brevis, infested the waters of Florida causing a state of emergency for seven counties along the southwest coast. The algae was nicknamed the “red tide” for the distinct red color of the organisms in the ocean.
Along with the increased wildlife deaths, humans have experienced problems as well. The red tide alters wildlife central nervous systems which eventually leads to death in mass exposure. Humans have reported respiratory problems due to the neurotoxins released by the toxic algae. Those who actually come in contact with the algae may experience irritation on the skin and eyes, usually in a rash form. Now, the red tide has not been uncommon in past years. In fact, the bloom practically returns every year. However, the levels have never reached dangerous concentrations until 2018. Their season of growth ranges from late summer to early fall.
So why is there a drastic increase in the red tide concentrations during 2017 and 2018? The recent warming in the ocean water surrounding southwest Florida and the Gulf of Mexico attracts the algal bloom. Of course, the gradual warming of the water is caused by human-induced weather changes and building development in Florida over the years. Not only have the waters warmed creating a cozy environment for the invasive algae, but runoff from fertilizers contains phosphorous and nitrogen contents which happen to be nutrients that the algae use to survive.
Humans are essentially feeding these toxic algae causing larger blooms to reoccur over the years. There is no set way to get rid of the red tide since they are naturally-occurring organisms; However, with the regulation of the use of pesticides and a decrease in air pollution will prevent these organisms from spreading further than they already are. Our endangered sea creatures cannot withstand years of highly concentrated toxic blooms in their ecosystem. Ocean Conservancy shared how we must fund observation and data collection to form a further understanding of these algae. Understanding the species in depth can result in conserving animals during red tide months and protecting humans from contaminated waters as well. If organizations start to work together, we can prevent the mass outbreak of red tide from contaminating more shores.