Florida's Gulf Coast Battles Deadly And Smelly Red Tide (npr.org)

Greg Allen, writing for NPR: Florida this week declared a state of emergency because of a slow-moving natural disaster -- red tide. Red tide is toxic algae that have persisted off Florida's Gulf Coast for nearly a year. In recent weeks, the algae bloom has worsened, killing fish, turtles and dolphins and discouraging tourism on some of the state's most beautiful beaches.

Scores of dead fish were visible on the shore of Manatee Beach on a recent morning. There was a smell from the fish, but something more -- an acrid smell that can make you cough. Mary Vanswol, who was at the beach with her husband, James, said, "Uh, the smell is terrible. And it's affecting my lungs. I'm coughing, not so much him, but I am. It's just sad to see all the dead fish." The Vanswols live nearby and usually go swimming. But not today. After getting a look at the dead fish and the murky, slightly reddish-hued water, Mary Vanswols said they were leaving. "I wouldn't even walk along the edge of it. I just don't think it's safe," she said. Robert Weisberg, an oceanographer at the University of South Florida whose lab produces seasonal and short term forecasts of red tide, told Gizmodo a confluence of ocean circulation and environmental factors are likely responsible for initiating the bloom. Others experts are pointing to the potential role of human-driven nutrient pollution in helping to maintain it.

Comments

Don't worry, they're a swing state

[rsilvergun]

they'll get plenty of federal funding. California, OTOH, better hope those wild fires burn themselves out.

Re:Don't worry, they're a swing state

[mspohr]

Part of the problem is that their idiot governor, Rick Scott (R), deleted funding for control of red tide. He doesn't believe in environmental regulations or climate change so didn't think it was necessary to inconvenience the sugar plantations by putting controls on their pollution.

Re:Don't worry, they're a swing state

[b0s0z0ku]

Fertilizer runoff from plantations feeds the algae. "Reverend" Scott cut funding for water quality enforcement, including regulating the farms' use of fertilizer. So yes, it's related. But of course, "Reverend" Scott thinks that Jeebus, concealed carry, and the free market solve everything. (Throw in a bit of Medicare fraud for lubrication, since we're talking about Rick Scott.)

Re:Don't worry, they're a swing state

[b0s0z0ku]

Red tide is natural. It's also increased by runoff containing manmade fertilizers into the ocean. The "control" part is about preventing unneeded runoff, not mucking with nature.

Re:Don't worry, they're a swing state

[luis_a_espinal]

Yeah - the florida governor is able to control oceanic currents. These algae blooms happen. Ever hear of the Red Sea? Yeah - it's been called that since 2500BC for the same reasons as this algae bloom, well before any Republicans got your panties in a twist. Take off your hippie hat for a few seconds and try to think rationally.

That's not what he said. Quit the hyperbole.

Re:Don't worry, they're a swing state

[b0s0z0ku]

True. It's also true that dumping fertilizer runoff into the ocean increases their size and duration. The issue here isn't the red tide per se -- it's how long it has lasted.

Re:Don't worry, they're a swing state

[mspohr]

If you bother to read TFA (the second one, which may be a bit too much to ask), you'll see that human pollution and climate change are causing this red tide to be much worse than the "natural" events of the past.

Re:Don't worry, they're a swing state

[turkeyfish]

Yes let's apply political ideology and pretend that Scott's policies regarding the discharge of waste from sugar plantations, agricultural runoff, and livestock yards are in now way connected to the Red Tides. Funny how this argument so closely parallels the climate denial meme that "the climate has always changed" therefore, ignore reality. The truth is that if it weren't for the ocean currents, Gulf Current and Florida Loop Current, the situation would be a lot worse. These tides didn't arise by blowing in from somewhere else. They arise from an overabundance of nutrients in the water, stemming largely from uncontrolled agricultural runoff. The same is true for the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone, which results from the runoff of fertilizers used by corn farmers in the Midwest finding there way into the Mississippi River Drainage System. The reality for Scott, Floridians, and its tourist industry is that these are now going to be permanent fixtures of Florida's coastlines for years to come until the policies or the politicians are changed. Perhaps there is a bit of irony in the fact that the Red Tied trump Trump's GOP promises and delivers is not the one that the public wants.

BTW, the "Red" in Red Sea more likely refers to the direction South. The Greeks attached colors to each cardinal direction as did a number of Asiatic languages, that for South being red. The Greek Historian Herodotus used interchangeably with the name referring adjective southern. In English these cardinal colors were earlier used in similar fashion, such as the Black Sea, the White Sea and the Yellow Sea. The ancient Greeks had no knowledge of microorganisms.

As for thinking rationally, you ought to give it a try rather than mindless appeals to ideological orthodoxy. Who knows? You might look good in a hippy hat. It might even be good for your health, relative to the tin-foil hats that seem to be the rage in many GOP circles these days.

Re: Don't worry, they're a swing state

[Locke2005]

But... how do we talk Jesus into doing concealed carry? And doesn't a concealed carry permit require valid ID? Who is listed as Jesus's dad on his birth certificate?

Re: Don't worry, they're a swing state

[rnturn]

> Who is listed as Jesus's dad on his birth certificate?

Well, since He's supposed to be the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, that'd be Himself. (Obviously, some sort of kinky time travel thing took place way back when.)

Re:Don't worry, they're a swing state

[omnichad]

Did you read your own link?

If the bloom moves inshore, nutrient runoff from land may promote bloom expansion. A bloom can linger in coastal areas for days, weeks or even months.

clarification required

[nimbius]

for those in Florida, this is the common name for a worldwide phenomenon known as an algal bloom when it is caused by species of dinoflagellates and other organisms.

it is not to be confused with The Red Bloom: a scourge which plagues Florida in the form of an overweight bald methamphetamine addict in a cape fashioned from a bath rug who steals urinal mints from hotel bathrooms and once consumed nearly ten kilos of frosting at a pastry factory in Tallahassee before being subdued by a combination of police dogs, tazer, and coronary artery disease.

Re:happening for thousands of years

[Gilgaron]

This is a worse one than usual; the locals were blaming allowing water from Lake Okeechobee to be diverted down the Caloosahatchee to prevent flooding the sugar plantations when I was visiting. I don't know if this has been scientifically confirmed, but it would make sense that it would increase the severity of an algae bloom.

Re:happening for thousands of years

[b0s0z0ku]

Algae are plants. Fertilizer feeds plants. Allowing runoff from a lake heavily contaminated with fertilizer runoff to be dumped into the ocean has a predictable result. Science, baby!

Re:happening for thousands of years

[Gilgaron]

It isn't without a shred of proof, it is a documented phenomena that fertilizer runoff worsens algae blooms. It'd be impossible for it not to occur, really... the microbes are going to eat what you give 'em. The only thing at issue is whether it exacerbated this bloom, which while I believe the evidence is currently pointed to "yes" is a harder question to answer definitively, given that they occur naturally and there were potentially other affects that may have contributed more to how bad this bloom is.

Re:eh? nearly a year?

[turkeyfish]

Nothing of this magnitude (more than 150 miles of coastline affected) has happened in recent history.

Red, smelly and dangerous...

[hyades1]

The GOP jokes just write themselves.