Red Tide Took Over Florida’s Coast Causing Hundreds Of Fish To Mysteriously Die
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you’re out vacationing coastal cities? Beaches, fishing, red tide, seafood dining and a myriad of exciting water activities. After all, what’s the point of traveling to coastal cities if you can’t bask in the glory of some sunshine while relaxing at a beach? Just imagine the warm clear blue waters, the goldish-white baked sand, the cool winds blowing through your hair and the pleasant aroma of fresh food… mesmerizing isn’t it? That’s what tourists and Floridians were looking forward to last summer, but what they saw instead made their stomachs churn in disgust.
People couldn’t believe what they were seeing – their favorite hangout spot had become a place of nightmare. The once clear blue waters were now deep red and murky, the polluted air made their eyes water and their stomachs churn, and hundreds of dead fish were washed ashore. The air was putrid with the smell of rotting fish, manatees, sea turtles and dolphins lying on the beach. The beaches, which were the most happening places for tourists and locals alike, were now hauntingly silent. Scientists knew exactly what had killed these creatures – bacteria-infested waters due to an increased amount of Karena brevis algae called the red tide.
The ecosystem relies heavily on algae because they absorb the sun’s light energy and provide food for tiny creatures like zooplankton. The algae, on the other hand, receive a good amount of nutrients from rivers that flow soil, livestock waste and fertilizer discarded by humans into the ocean. But when algae receive too many nutrients, they start multiplying at a rapid rate and eventually become a breeding ground for various bacteria that can wreak havoc on the ecosystem and human life. Scientists have termed this phenomenon as ‘harmful algae blooms’, or HAB.
Numerous bacteria including Gonyaulax, Dinophysis, Alexandrium fundyense, and Noctiluca are extremely dangerous and breed on the algae, and as a result, they change the color of the water, from clear blue to red, brown and sometimes murky green. When this happens, fisheries are temporarily forced out of business because algae-infected fish can become toxic and inedible. Apart from businesses even people are affected, as standing in or close to a red tide can cause eye irritation and respiratory pain, therefore people with respiratory problems are requested to stay away from the beaches during an algae bloom.
Besides killing sea creatures, including a 26-foot-long whale shark, the churning tides release deadly toxins known as brevetoxin generated by K. brevis into the air thereby killing birds who get exposed to them. So is there anything we can do to stop or weaken the red tide? In 2018, scientists released another kind of algae to stop K. brevis from getting too many nutrients, and by 2019 scientist Vincent Lovko claimed that there was a slight reduction in the algae’s growth. Therefore, the algae released by scientists to curb the growth of K. brevis seemed to have worked, however, its effects could still be felt in affected areas.
If you were a scientist, how would you solve Florida’s red tide problem? How would you help sea creatures and birds defend themselves from K. brevia? Let us know in the comments below.
