The Red Tide Strikes Florida

The Red Tide is a common event that happens every year, but nobody knows exactly what makes it spread so bad.

This tide kills thousands of fish every year and drives them to the shore. This is disturbing for the tourists, who now tend to avoid going on or near the beach. The west coast is the most affected part. Three countries on that coast have been having problems with the red tide.

“Blooms, or higher-than-normal concentrations, of the Florida red tide alga, Karenia Brevis, frequently occur in the Gulf of Mexico at this time of year. The tide begins in the Gulf of Mexico 10 to 40 miles offshore and can be transported inshore by winds and currents,” stated officials.

The cause of the red tide is a microorganism named Karenia Brevis. In large concentrations, this microorganism becomes dangerous and even toxic for the fish, causing them breathing difficulties. The red tide got this name due to the fact that the microorganisms are red.

The Karenia Brevis can also affect humans and cause respiratory issues. The microorganism is dangerous because it can also affect the eyes and the throat when it comes to humans.

Birds can get sick too because they eat the sick or the dead fish and the microorganism spreads to them as well.Justin Matthews, a volunteer wildlife rescuer told WWSB that the situation is worse than ever, the birds eating the infested fish and showing signs of acute sickness themselves.

Despite this fact, fishes are the ones that face the most danger because it kills them very easily. This problem also affects the economy because every year, around $80 million in tourism and seafood are lost.

People are advised to stay away from the affected beaches and check online to see if the beach near them has this problem.

This year’s red tide is considered a big one and that means more costs to clean the water, to help people affected by the virus and to keep the tourism going.

Let’s hope that the situation is going to be under control and that it won’t need so much money to cover the cost of this problem

What do you think is going to happen after this red tide?

Image source: Wikipedia