Red Tide

We have had our first encounter with “red tide”; an algal bloom that is toxic to some marine life and for the most part just irritating to humans. They are an annual occurrence along the Florida gulf coast.

We have heard people talking about the red tide since we docked in Clearwater. We also started to see evidence with the appearance of dead fish. By the time we docked in Boca Grande on Gasparillia Island the fish kill was very noticeable. We walked from the marina over to the beach on the gulf side where the corpses included a large tarpon and possibly a dolphin. Our eyes were smarting and our breath caught in our throats. And, the odour of rotting fish was strong.

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota has a research program to study the source, fates and effects of toxins. Many people attribute the red tides to sugar cane plantations and other agricultural point sources around Lake Okeechobee. Run off into the lake is flushed to the gulf where warm water temperatures in combination with additional nutrients from the densely populated coast allow for explosive growth.

However, Mote has records taken from Spanish logbooks or diaries from the late 1400s that mention strong odours that sting the eyes.