Red Tides in South Florida
Introduction
Red tides, also known as harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur in most parts of the world. In South Florida, the red tide is caused by Karenia brevis, a micro-organism that looks like a plant (Pierce & Henry, 2008). This is a microscopic alga that is naturally occurring. Red Tides can last for days, weeks, or months. They are affected by the wind and hence can change daily. The onshore winds usually bring the tides near the shore while the offshore winds normally drive the tides out of the shore to the sea.
Red Tide and Causes
A red tide is caused by the rapid growth of microscopic algae that is blown into the shore by the onshore winds. The microscopic algae are referred to as by Karenia brevis. Karenia brevis is a species found in West Florida Shelf referred to as phytoplankton (Pierce & Henry, 2008). The microorganism is highly concentrated in the Gulf of Mexico. The toxic Karenia Brevis survives in water when the temperatures are between 9 degrees to 33 degrees. The optimum growth takes place when the waters are between 22degrees and 28 degrees. The salinities of the water that favors the growth of the Karenia brevis ranges between 31% and 37% (Staletovich, 2018) The rate of growth of these micro-organisms are also affected by shade and sunlight.
Scientists divide the red tide blooms into four stages There is initiation which occurs at the deep offshore. There is a growth stage in which the Karenia brevis feeds in the nutrients and organic material. The rate of growth is a bit slow that the other species. The third stage is maintenance where the blooms maintain themselves by generating or recycling nutrients. The more nutrients generated or recycled, the more the red tides persist. Ultimately, the termination of the blooms is caused by factors such as predation, lack of availability of nutrients, change of the nutrient ratios as well as the dilution of water masses. All these factors affect the blooms and hence their declines.
Timeline
The first red tide was first scientifically recorded in 1844 in Florida (Alcock, 2007). In 1880, a high number of birds died, which is believed to have resulted from red tide. The first incident to be reported of human illness caused by red tide was reported in Florida in 1884. In 1953, became the longest tide that lasted for 18 months at the coast of Florida. In 2003, three dogs were reported to have poisoning from the red tide ((Staletovich, 2018). This was the first time such a case as reported in the lab. In 2006, red tides picked up again after a brief respite. Scientists named the tide to be one of the three worst red tides that had been seen in the history of Florida. This tide red to the County commissioner of Sarasota to consider a proposal of banning the use of some types of fertilizers along the coasts of Florida then, meetings have been held to consider the best way red tides effects can be minimized, if not stopped once and for all.
Tests
What causes red tides is no single factor. For a red tide to bloom, it requires micro-organisms and nutrients for them to feed on. Tests have been conducted to see whether the coastal nutrients prolong r enhance the growth of the tides. There are tests being carried out with an aim to monitor the potential impacts of the red tides as well as the condition of red tides in South Florida. The forecasts will aid the nation to make informed decisions about the places to visits during the times when the tides are high.
Effects
The organism produces a toxin which has been found to affect the central nervous system of sea animals and other animals. When the tide is in high concentration, the organism can change the color of the water into brown, green and sometimes red.
Skin Irritation
Red Tides also cause some irritation of the skin for some people. Some people can swim in red tides while others are easily irritated. The people who are highly affected by the red tides are those who have sensitive skin (Russell, 2018). Such are advised not to swim in the affected shores during the red tides.
Fish Kills
The red tides are known to cause large fish kills when they occur. High numbers of fish are found dead in the sea when such tides occur (Russell, 2018). It is advisable not to swim around such dead fish. Therefore, during red tides, thousands of fish are washed ashore. This negatively affects the economy of the region by though having a potential impact on tourism.
Breathing Problems
Breathing of toxins from red tide causes several breathing problems including sneezing, coughing as well as teary eyes. These problems are caused when the red tide toxins are flown into the air. The toxins increase in the air when the wind is blowing onshore and decrease when the wind is blowing onshore. The people who suffer from respiratory conditions like asthma are highly affected by the red tides. The breathing problems are caused by toxic chemicals that are released into the air by the red tides
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Recent conditions
Recently, the Palm Beach and Miami-Dade beaches were highly affected. On November 2017, a wave of micro-organism that choked the life of sea animals spread over the coast of Southwest Florida. This led to Gov. Rick Scott issuing a state of emergency for seven counties in the U.S (Staletovich, 2018). The coasts became filled with putrid fish floating on the water that had changed color to brass. Over the last 20 years, the frequency of the red tides seems to have increased as well as their persistence. The recent episode that started in November 2017, lasted for more than 9 months. In South Florida, the red ides have become a normal thing. The recent bloom is the worst bloom to be seen since the longest tide that lasted for 17 months in 2006.
Government Concern
Recently, during the mid-term election periods, the candidate from the Republican candidates focused their positions on the environment on the pollution that is caused by the red tides. For instance, the Congressman Ron DeSantis blamed the sugar industry for the woes of the state’s water (Fleshler, 2018). Many red tides took place during the election period and hence threatened the lives of the people of South Florida. It has therefore remained a major concern in South Florida.
Conclusion
Red Tides are have remained to be a major concern that affects the environment of South Florida. While red tides may occur in any coastal place of the world, the harmful algal blooms caused by the harmful algae Karenia brevis, are frequent in Florida. Red tides occur nearly every summer along the coasts of Florida. Mostly, the red tides make the color of the water change into deep red, hence the name red tides. They also have many harmful effects on the birds, fish, animals and humans. Moreover, it is important to note that the scientists refer to the red tide as harmful algal bloom (HAB).