National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2022, March 18). Florida: Harmful Algal Blooms. National Ocean Service. Retrieved August 12, 2022, from https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/hab/florida-2018.html
In Florida, there is a persistent algae bloom known as “Red tide”. This algae bloom is especially harmful to humans and it produces neurotoxins called “brevetoxins”. This leads to a pile up of dead fish along the shore and in some cases there have been stranded mammals found. Because of Florida’s tropical weather, the affected area of the tide is unclear and depends on weather that influences the tides, such as a hurricane. The duration of the bloom is also uncertain each occurrence and can last for a few weeks or for about a year.
I was in Florida back in 2018 when this bloom occurred and it sparked my interest in the subject. When I visited the beach it was littered with dead pufferfish and I think some lionfish. I also remember coughing a lot at the beach because of the toxic effects of the algae. I also have an idea of what these blooms can do to oceanside communities because I was there near the ocean for about a week and remembered how often I was coughing.
This subject is clearly very connected to environmental science because it illustrates the circular nature of the way that humans and their environment effect one another; human activity leads to algal blooms which have health benefits on humans. Why is it that this particular algae bloom produces brevetoxins, but not all algae blooms do so?
I like how you explained it and connects to APEs because it connects with the environment. Also how long would it take to fix? And how much money would it take and is it permanent?
I like how you were able to connect this to a personal experience. The way you described it was cool and unique. What large-scale effects does this have on the environment?