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The oceanic phenomenon called “red tide” threatens again the beaches of the town of Tampa Bay in Florida . During the last 1 more weeks, 000 tons of dead fish and other marine species have been collected from the sea as a result of the contamination of a a type of algae called Karenia brevis.
The Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Fisheries (FWC) has indicated high levels of concentrations of this toxic algae throughout the Bay . And the recommendation is not to stay on the beaches if there are dead species.
The red tide is created when the sea plants grow uncontrollably and is one of the worst enemies of the sea. This Karenia brevis alga is highly toxic to the sea, to the point of decreasing oxygen, which is why marine species die . For humans it is also highly toxic, causing irritation to eyes, skin and throat and can even cause fatal diseases.
So far is the west coast of Florida that is has been affected by this phenomenon, specifically the counties of Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota. A common occurrence every summer, although some are stronger than others.
Due to the amount of dead species that have been collected in just weeks, it is feared that the summer on the beaches of this Florida area is threatened. As it happened in the year 2018 when the so-called “red tide” caused the closure of many beaches and therefore economic losses in hundreds of hotels and restaurants.
Meanwhile, Florida environmental groups asked Governor Ron deSantis to declare a state of emergency cia in some areas of the state, but so far that has not happened.
For these groups, there is nothing left but to join in cleaning the beaches and wait for it to pass. While for the tourism sector, the situation is worrying because both beaches and restaurants fear the decrease in tourists who wish to avoid the natural phenomenon.
So far the authorities have not made a firm statement in this regard, although and some local authorities are beginning to worry. One of them is the mayor of Saint Petersburg, Rick Kriseman, who at a press conference said that they will need state aid to face this problem, in the middle of summer.
Apparently, the solution is not immediate and a specialist professor at the University of South Florida, Robert Weisberg, has predicted that the prognosis is not good and that this could last for months.
It should be noted that it is recommended not to swim in water where there are dead fish, nor to consume shellfish during the flowering of a red tide.