The large red tide bloom is posing serious threat to coastal plains of Florida as it has already killed thousands of fish off the Gulf Coast.
It is expected to wash ashore in the next two weeks. According to the health experts, if this happens they may pose serious health threats to the Floridians. The state has so far received several reports of thousands of dead and dying sea creatures, ranging from octopus to bull sharks.
Red tide is a phenomenon occurring in the sea water for centuries. It occurs at a time when the naturally occurring algae bloom becomes uncontrollable and start producing toxins that are fatal for marine creatures including fish octopus and others. Moreover, experts say the red tide poses greater risk to animals and not just the fishes.
The toxic odorless chemicals released by the algae turn the water red. They have serious health threats including respiratory distress, coughing and wheezing. The bloom contains microorganism called Karenia brevis. The algae contaminates the sea grasses that the The aquatic mammals mainly die due to the contaminated sea grasses which they generally eat. The toxic grasses disrupt their nervous systems and ultimately lead them to drown.
In order to keep a tab on the growth of the tide, two underwater robots have been deployed in the sea by the researchers at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarasota. These robots will be used to collect data on the slow-moving bloom.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, the bloom has about 80 miles length and approx 50 miles width but presently the tide is from 40 to 90 miles offshore.
In 2013, a similar red tide bloom claimed lives of 276 endangered Florida manatees