RED TIDE IN WINTER?
A red tide has persisted in Southwest Florida and Tampa Bay area waters since October 2022.
If you’re wondering why there are dead fish in the water or irritation in your throat when you visit the beach, look no further than Karenia brevis, the microscopic alga responsible for red tide. It produces toxins that can cause trouble for marine life and people.
The 2022-23 red tide has so far been mild compared to extremely potent bouts that have hit Florida’s Gulf coast over the past decade, including severe blooms between 2017-19 and in 2021.
But even at lower levels, red tide can cause a nuisance. When
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Here’s what science tells us about how red tides start, how long they last and what causes them to end.
WHAT IS RED TIDE?
Toxic blooms: Red tides are a naturally occurring phenomena in the Gulf of Mexico.
“Red tides, also called harmful algal blooms (HABs), occur when microscopic algae multiply to higher-than-normal concentrations, often discoloring the water,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)’s Fish and Wildlife
Research Institute says.
Anecdotal records of red tide date back to the writings of Spanish explorers in the 16th century, and it was first officially documented in Florida in 1844.
Other parts of the world have red tides caused by different algae species.
The trouble with K. brevis is the powerful neurotoxins that it produces. They can kill fish, seabirds and other marine life, including large mammals like manatees and dolphins, at high concentrations. The toxins are a respiratory irritant for people and can pose a danger to those with pre-existing conditions like asthma.
Seafood sickness: Red tide can also poison shellfish and cause people who eat it to get sick. Recent research points to further complications for human health from breathing the algae.
Growing evidence suggests that human pollution can make red tides more intense and long-lasting.
WHY IS THERE RED TIDE IN WINTER?
Arriving by winds and currents: There is a bloom of red tide in the Gulf of Mexico almost every year, according to Cynthia Heil, director of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Red Tide Institute in Sarasota.
The blooms begin far offshore before they are transported to the coast by winds and currents. Many factors influence the duration and strength of a red tide bloom, including water temperature, salinity, nutrient availability and the position of the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico.
The blooms typically start in the late summer or fall, and it’s not unusual for them to last into the winter or early spring.
HOW LONG DOES RED TIDE LAST?
Time span: Southwest Florida’s red tides can last anywhere