Weather

Florida’s red tide problem: Not much we can do, at least in the short-term

Red tide has been affecting Florida for many years, this year has been especially harmful, and experts have said that there is not much we can do about it, at least in the short-term. 
We have been reading and hearing about the red tide for years, especially in Florida. But, this time the red tide has killed thousands of fish, among many other animals such as sting rays, manatees, dolphins and turtles.

ORLANDO, Fla. — What’s killing the animals?

A toxin found in the red tide waters called dynoflagellate, attacks the animals’ nervous system, killing them.

How about the human impact?

Then there is also the human factor to this story; either because waterfront residents have more respiratory issues, due to the toxins released by the harmful algae blooms or because businesses continue to lose thousands, if not millions, of dollars. The fact is, many tourists have heard about the toxic algae blooms and decided to shorten or cancel their summer trip to Florida, especially in southwestern Florida.
The algae blooms, also known as Karenia Breve, start building at microscopic scales well offshore. Warm waters and nutrients feed these microorganisms and it often grows to high concentrations in the spring and summer months. More nutrients and runoff can make these harmful algae blooms grow faster and bigger. The winds and currents drive the microorganisms to the coast and when they grow to big blooms, winds and current can drive them for miles along the coast.
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This summer the browning/red waters go for miles from southwestern Florida (Collier County) and are spreading northward towards Pinellas County, just south of the Tampa area.

What has caused this bloom to be worse? There are several factors that have made this round of red tide last longer, be even more toxic and lethal.

First, the warm waters. We know that warm waters aid the growth of algae in waters. This is what sustains the red tide during any year.
But nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, more specifically nutrient pollution from human activities worsen blooms, often causing the blooms to be more extensive, intense and longer lasting. The land fertilizer we use in our lands, eventually runs off to the oceans, if not treated.

Central Florida: Check the hour-by-hour forecast 

There have been signs that the red tide significantly worsened after the dumping of the waters from Lake Okeechobee.
After Hurricane Irma and the heavy spring rains that affected South Florida plenty of water has been retained in Lake Okeechobee, but it must be released somewhere. It was released in early summer to the west and east coast of South Florida. Shortly the dumping of the contaminated Lake Okeechobee waters was stopped from being dumped to the Atlantic, but not so fast to the western coast.
In the past, high amounts of polluted water in Lake Okeechobee would be treated by releasing it in the Everglades, which would naturally clean the water. But when this contaminated water is not treated properly and dumped in already commonly contaminated areas, the extra pollution just makes things much worse.
During the last decade cuts in water quality monitoring network budget have not helped the issue.
This year the red tide has lasted for over 10 months and the weather could be holding these toxic conditions through the late fall until water cools, starts mixing more and eventually clears the blooms.
Contaminants suppress the oxygen in the waters, making it a fatal habitat for its in-water and waterfront residents and visitors.