Dangerous toxic algae in Florida reached a critical area

Tons of dead fish. Horrible smell. Empty beaches, empty roads and empty restaurants.

Photo: twitter / Eagle 8 WFLA @8_plamison

Usually popular among tourists and locals, the Gulf of Mexico coast was ravaged by a ruthless red tide - thousands of fish, manatees, sea turtles and even a whale shark became victims of toxic algae, carrying their bodies to the coast of Florida.

Red tide - the common name for a particular case of blooming water caused by the outbreak of certain algae.

The red tide has spread throughout the Gulf of Mexico, drifting in water from the beginning of October. Stretching for about 150 miles (240 kilometers), this phenomenon affects communities from Naples in the south, the island of Anna Maria in the north and seems to be moving north.

These plants, especially phytoplankton, single-celled, can form dense, visible stripes on the surface of the water. Some phytoplankton species, such as dinoflagellates, contain photosynthetic pigments whose color varies from green to brown and red. They create the impression that the water has a reddish color or even pink, hence the name of the phenomenon.

Red flushes in Florida are associated with the production of natural toxins that lead to oxygen depletion or other dangerous effects, and are generally described as harmful algal blooms. The most important effects of red tides are the death of marine and coastal species of fish, birds, marine mammals and other organisms associated with them.

Florida's red tides are especially dangerous for marine organisms because they produce the neurotoxin brevetoxin, the source of which is algae. Karenia brevis.

In Bradenton Beach, the stench was impossible to ignore.

“I can't describe the smell. It's like nothing else. You just want to disappear,” said Holmes Beach resident Alex Quizon, who has lived in the area for decades. He held a handkerchief to his mouth and nose as he spoke to a reporter.

When marine inhabitants absorb the toxins secreted by algae, they affect their nervous system, marine inhabitants lose their orientation and sink. Then their decaying bodies can destroy entire marine ecosystems because decomposition reduces the amount of oxygen in the water, killing other animals in the area or forcing them to migrate to another place.

In some cases, people are also at risk due to algae. Red tide can be fatal for people with asthma or other respiratory problems.

“The people who lived here for 20, 30, 40 for years, are considering selling their homes because of this. Flowering affects them physically. They get sick, ”Fernandez said. Toxic algae appear on the coasts of Florida almost every year, but there has not been such intensive flowering for decades.

“I went through some rather intense“ red tides ”, we have been living here 30 for years. 2006 had a particularly bad flowering year ... but it looks like it won't stop this year, ”said Lori Gaines, rental property manager in Florida.

It is possible that Hurricane Irma had something to do with the last “red tide”. When the hurricane came ashore in Florida in September, a strong wind picked up nutrients and dumped them in the coastal waters, which helped in algae reproduction.

Despite this, people who live, work and play in the area are extremely concerned.

“We welcome many Europeans at this time of year, and even people from the Midwest come to us before school begins. They come here and are horrified by the smell, ”said Anthony Cucci, manager of Mar Vista restaurant at Longboat Key.

Suffer all, whose family income is somehow connected with tourism.

“It’s catastrophic,” the 35-year-old said.

Robert Weisberg, Professor of Physical Oceanology at the University of South Florida, said that it is impossible to predict when everything will stop, because this year you can still see the remnants of last year’s bloom, so the remnants of intensive flowering this year may still be felt.

Because of the red tide, Florida Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in several districts of the state to help the regions fight growing blooms.

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